We use deep panchromatic data sets in the GOODS-N field, from GALEX to the deepest Herschel far-infrared (FIR) and VLA radio continuum imaging, to explore the evolution of star-formation activity and dust attenuation properties of star-forming galaxies to z sime 4, using mass-complete samples. Our main results can be summarized as follows: (i) the slope of the star-formation rate–M* correlation is consistent with being constant sime0.8 up to z sime 1.5, while its normalization keeps increasing with redshift; (ii) for the first time we are able to explore the FIR–radio correlation for a mass-selected sample of star-forming galaxies: the correlation does not evolve up to z sime 4; (iii) we confirm that galaxy stellar mass is a robust proxy for UV dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies, with more massive galaxies being more dust attenuated. Strikingly, we find that this attenuation relation evolves very weakly with redshift, with the amount of dust attenuation increasing by less than 0.3 mag over the redshift range [0.5–4] for a fixed stellar mass; (iv) the correlation between dust attenuation and the UV spectral slope evolves with redshift, with the median UV slope becoming bluer with redshift. By z sime 3, typical UV slopes are inconsistent, given the measured dust attenuations, with the predictions of commonly used empirical laws. (v) Finally, building on existing results, we show that gas reddening is marginally larger (by a factor of around 1.3) than the stellar reddening at all redshifts probed. Our results support a scenario where the ISM conditions of typical star-forming galaxies evolve with redshift, such that at z ≥ 1.5 Main Sequence galaxies have ISM conditions moving closer to those of local starbursts.

The full paper can be found in Pannella et al. 2015, ApJ, 807, 141

 FIR-derived SSFRs from this work (red pentagons) for star-forming galaxies with  3 × 1010 as a function of redshift. A sample of previously published estimates from Brinchmann et al. (2004), Daddi et al. (2007, 2009), Elbaz et al. (2007), Noeske et al. (2007), Pannella et al. (2009a), and Magdis et al. (2010) is plotted as empty circles. The dashed and long-dashed lines show the SSFR as a function of redshift according to the relations published in Pannella et al. (2009a) and Elbaz et al. (2011).

FIR-derived SSFRs from this work (red pentagons) for star-forming galaxies with 3 × 1010 as a function of redshift. A sample of previously published estimates from Brinchmann et al. (2004), Daddi et al. (2007, 2009), Elbaz et al. (2007), Noeske et al. (2007), Pannella et al. (2009a), and Magdis et al. (2010) is plotted as empty circles. The dashed and long-dashed lines show the SSFR as a function of redshift according to the relations published in Pannella et al. (2009a) and Elbaz et al. (2011).