Molecular gas properties of UV-luminous star-forming galaxies at low
  redshift
  Lyman break analogues (LBAs) are a population of star-forming galaxies at low
redshift (z ~ 0.2) selected in the ultraviolet (UV). These objects present
higher star formation rates and lower dust extinction than other galaxies with
similar masses and luminosities in the local universe. In this work we present
results from a survey with the Combined Array for Research in Millimetre-wave
Astronomy (CARMA) to detect CO(1-0) emission in LBAs, in order to analyse the
properties of the molecular gas in these galaxies. Our results show that LBAs
follow the same Schmidt-Kennicutt law as local galaxies. On the other hand,
they have higher gas fractions (up to 66%) and faster gas depletion time-scales
(below 1 Gyr). These characteristics render these objects more akin to
high-redshift star-forming galaxies. We conclude that LBAs are a great nearby
laboratory for studying the cold interstellar medium in low-metallicity,
UV-luminous compact star-forming galaxies.
