Description
We measure the star formation efficiency (SFE), the star formation rate (SFR) per unit of gas, in 23 nearby galaxies and compare it with expectations from proposed star formation laws and thresholds. We use HI maps from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) and derive H_2_ maps of CO measured by HERA CO-Line Extragalactic Survey and Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association Survey of Nearby Galaxies. We estimate the SFR by combining Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) far-ultraviolet maps and the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) 24um maps, infer stellar surface density profiles from SINGS 3.6um data, and use kinematics from THINGS.
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