Galaxy Luminosity Function: A New Analytic Expression

We propose a new analytic approximation for the luminosity function of galaxies. The suggested expression behaves like the Schechter function at the faint end (φ ∼ L) but departs considerably at the bright end (L >> L∗). We argue here that such a behavior may provide a better fit for the current observational data than does the Schechter function. Its practical interest is stressed by considering roughly the data set provided by the Stromlo-APM redshift survey. Implications on the estimates of the matter density parameter from mass-to-light ratio are also briefly discussed.