A simple and versatile parameterized approach to the star formation history allows a quantitative investigation of the constraints from far infrared and submillimetre counts and background intensity measurements .

The models include four spectral components : infrared cirrus , an M82-like starburst , an Arp220-like starburst and an AGN dust torus .
The 60 \mu m luminosity function is determined for each chosen rate of evolution using the PSCz redshift data for 15000 galaxies .
The proportions of each spectral type as a function of 60 \mu m luminosity are chosen for consistency with IRAS and SCUBA colour-luminosity relations , and with the fraction of AGN as a function of luminosity found in 12 \mu m samples .

A good fit to the observed counts at 0.44 , 2.2 , 15 , 60 , 90 , 175 and 850 \mu m can be found with pure luminosity evolution in all 3 cosmological models investigated : \Omega _ { o } = 1 , \Omega _ { o } = 0.3 ( \Lambda = 0 ) , and \Omega _ { o } = 0.3 , \Lambda = 0.7 .
All 3 models also give an acceptable fit to the integrated background spectrum .
The total mass-density of stars generated is consistent with that observed , in all 3 cosmological models .