Radio properties of infrared-selected galaxies in the IRAS 2 Jy sample

The radio counterparts to the IRAS Redshift Survey galaxies are identified in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) catalog. Our new catalog of the IR flux-l imited (S-60 mum greater than or equal to 2 Jy) complete sample of 1809 gal axies lists accurate radio positions, redshifts, and 1.4 GHz radio and IRAS fluxes. This sample is 6 times larger in size and 5 times deeper in redshi ft coverage (to z approximate to 0.15) than those used in earlier studies o f the radio and far-IR (FIR) properties of galaxies in the local volume. Th e well-known radio-FIR correlation is obeyed by the overwhelming majority ( greater than or equal to 98%) of the IR-selected galaxies, and the radio AG Ns identified by their excess radio emission constitute only about 1% of th e sample, independent of the IR luminosity. These FIR-selected galaxies can account for the entire population of late-type field galaxies in the local volume, and their radio continuum may be used directly to infer the extinc tion-free star formation rate in most cases. Both the 1.4 GHz radio and 60 mum IR luminosity functions are reasonably well described by linear sums of two Schechter functions, one representing normal, late-type field galaxies and the other representing starbursts and other luminous IR galaxies. The integrated FIR luminosity density for the local volume is (4.8 +/- 0.5) x 1 0(7) L-. Mpc(-3), less than 10% of which is contributed by the luminous IR galaxies with L-FIR greater than or equal to 10(11) L-.. The inferred extin ction-free star formation density for the local volume is 0.015 +/- 0.005 M -. yr(-1) Mpc(-3).