The measurement of the Star Formation Rate (SFR) density of the
Universe as a function of look-back time is a fundamental parameter in
order to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies. The
current picture is that the global SFR density has dropped by about an
order of magnitude from a peak at redshift of 1.5 to the current
value at z=0. Using H
luminosity as SFR tracer, the
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) Survey provided the global SFR
density in the Local Universe. Because H
is observable in the
optical only out to redshifts z<0.4, it becomes necessary to
determine useful calibrations between other physical parameters as
[OII]
3727 or broad-band luminosities and the SFR specially
suitable for the different types of star-forming galaxies found by
deep spectroscopic surveys in redshifts up to z
3.
The fundamental parameter that determines galactic evolution is mass, not luminosity. Determining the mass function for the local
star-forming galaxies results in a key contour condition to solve the
problem of analyzing similar objects at different redshifts. Combining
these local results with published Keck data for z1 star-forming
galaxies we conclude that star-forming galaxies at z=0 have similar
SFR per unit mass and burst strengths to those at z
1, but are
intrinsically less massive. These results agree qualitatively with a
``downsizing'' scenario, in which more massive galaxies form at higher
redshift. The results suggest that these high-z star-forming objects
may be related to local luminous starbursts.