Spectral analysis of the Stromlo--APM Survey -- II. Galaxy luminosity function and clustering by spectral type

We study the luminosity function and clustering properties of subsamples of local galaxies selected from the Stromlo—APM Survey by the rest-frame equivalent widths of their Hα and [O ii] emission lines. The bJ luminosity function of star-forming galaxies has a significantly steeper faint-end slope than that for quiescent galaxies: the majority of sub-L* galaxies are currently undergoing significant star formation. Emission-line galaxies are less strongly clustered, both amongst themselves and with the general galaxy population, than are quiescent galaxies. Thus as well as being less luminous, star-forming galaxies also inhabit lower density regions of the Universe than quiescent galaxies.