2012MNRAS.421..621B

We determine the low-redshift field galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) using an area of 143 deg² from the first three years of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. The magnitude limits of this redshift survey are r < 19.4 mag over two-thirds and 19.8 mag over one-third of the area. The GSMF is determined from a sample of 5210 galaxies using a density-corrected maximum volume method. This efficiently overcomes the issue of fluctuations in the number density versus redshift. With H₀= 70 km/s/Mpc, the GSMF is well described between 10⁸ and 10^11.5 M_☉ using a double Schechter function with M^* = 10^10.66M_☉, φ₁^* = 3.96 x 10^–3/Mpc3, α₁=-0.35, φ₂^* = 0.7910^–3/Mpc3 and α₂=-1.47. This result is more robust to uncertainties in the flow-model corrected redshifts than from the shallower Sloan Digital Sky Survey main sample (r < 17.8 mag). The upturn in the GSMF is also seen directly in the i-band and K-band galaxy luminosity functions. Accurately measuring the GSMF below 10⁸ M_☉ is possible within the GAMA survey volume but as expected requires deeper imaging data to address the contribution from low surface-brightness galaxies.