2022MNRAS.510.2061R

We use a sample of 706 galaxies, selected as [O II]λ3727 ([O II]) emitters in the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) on the CANDELS/GOODS-N field, to study the differential attenuation of the nebular emission with respect to the stellar continuum. The sample includes only galaxies with a counterpart in the infrared and log₁₀(M_*/M_☉) > 9, over the redshift interval 0.3 <= z <= 1.5. Our methodology consists in the comparison of the star formation rates inferred from [O II] and Hα emission lines with a robust quantification of the total star-forming activity (SFR _TOT) that is independently estimated based on both infrared and ultraviolet (UV) luminosities. We obtain f = E(B-V)_stellar/E(B - V)_nebular = 0.69^0.71_0.69 and 0.55^0.56_0.53 for [O II] and Hα, respectively. Our resulting f-factors display a significant positive correlation with the UV attenuation and shallower or not-significant trends with the stellar mass, the SFR_TOT, the distance to the main sequence, and the redshift. Finally, our results favour an average nebular attenuation curve similar in shape to the typical dust curve of local starbursts.