The Galaxy Luminosity Function and Luminosity Density at Redshift z = 0.1

Using a catalog of 147,986 galaxy redshifts and fluxes from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we measure the galaxy luminosity density at z = 0.1 in five optical bandpasses corresponding to the SDSS bandpasses shifted to match their rest-frame shape at z = 0.1. We denote the bands (0.1)u, (0.1)g, (0.1)r, (0.1)i, (0.1)z with lambda(eff) = (3216; 4240; 5595; 6792; 8111 Angstrom), respectively. To estimate the luminosity function, we use a maximum likelihood method that allows for a general form for the shape of the luminosity function,fits for simple luminosity and number evolution, incorporates the flux uncertainties, and accounts for the flux limits of the survey. We find luminosity densities at z = 0.1…