The dust mass function from z~0 to z~2

Understand

We derive for the first time the dust mass function (DMF) in a wide redshift range, from z~0.2 up to z~2.5.

• In order to trace the dust emission, we start from a far-IR (160-um) Herschel selected catalogue in the COSMOS field.
• We estimate the dust masses by fitting the far-IR data (lam_rest>50um) with a modified black body function and we present a detailed analysis to take into account the incompleteness in dust masses from a far-IR perspective.
• By parametrizing the observed DMF with a Schechter function in the redshift range 0.1<z<0.25, where we are able to sample faint dust masses, we measure a steep slope (alpha~1.48), as found by the majority of works in the Local Universe.