On the fate of gas in ultraluminous infrared galaxies at low and high redshift

It is often suggested that the distant galaxies recently identified in 850-μm surveys with the SCUBA bolometer array on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope are high-redshift analogues to local ultraluminous infrared galaxies, based on their similar spectral energy distributions and luminosities. We show that these two populations of objects must differ in at least one fundamental way from each other. This assertion is based on a consideration of the possible fates of gas in the high-redshift SCUBA galaxies, given the requirement that they most evolve into some subset of the low-redshift galaxy population with a comoving density of about 10⁻⁴ Mpc⁻³. One possibility is that the SCUBA galaxies have similar gas density profiles to local ultraluminous galaxies. If this is the case, then they must derive almost all their power from active galactic nuclei, which appears not to be the case for local ultraluminous galaxies, which are predominantly star-formation-powered. Another possibility is that the SCUBA galaxies have more extended gas density profiles than local ultraluminous galaxies. In this case they must be almost all star-formation-powered, and much of the star formation in the Universe can happen in these objects. Either way there is a significant difference between the low- and high-redshift populations.     

Hubble Space Telescope imaging survey of sub-mJy star-forming galaxies – I. Morphologies at z ∼ 0.2

We present the first results of our Hubble Space Telescope HST WFPC2 F814W snapshot imaging survey, targeting virtually all sub-mJy decimetric radio-selected star-forming galaxies. The radio selection at ∼1 GHz is free from extinction effects and the radio luminosities are largely unaffected by AGN contamination, making these galaxies ideal tracers of the cosmic star formation history. A subsample of four targets is presented here, selected at 1.4 GHz from the spectroscopically homogenous and complete samples of Benn et al. and Hopkins et al. The redshifts are confined to a narrow range around z ∼0.2, to avoid differential evolution, with a radio luminosity close to L ∗ where the galaxies dominate the comoving volume-averaged star formation rate. We find clearly disturbed morphologies resembling those of ultraluminous infrared galaxies, indicating that galaxy interactions may be the dominant mechanism for triggering star formation at these epochs. The morphologies are also clearly different from those of coeval quasars and radio galaxies, as found in star-forming galaxies selected at other wavelengths. This may prove challenging for models that propose direct causal links between AGN evolution and the cosmic star formation history at these epochs. The asymmetries are typically much larger than seen in the Canada–France Redshift Survey at similar redshifts, optical luminosities and H α -derived star formation rates, indicating the possible existence of an obscuration-related morphological bias in such samples.     

Spitzer IRAC infrared colours of submillimetre-bright galaxies

High-redshift submillimetre-bright galaxies identified by blank field surveys at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths appear in the region of the Infra Red Array Camera (IRAC) colour–colour diagrams previously identified as the domain of luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our analysis using a set of empirical and theoretical dusty starburst spectral energy distribution (SED) models shows that power-law continuum sources associated with hot dust heated by young (≲100 Myr old), extreme starbursts at z > 2 also occupy the same general area as AGNs in the IRAC colour–colour plots. A detailed comparison of the IRAC colours and SEDs demonstrates that the two populations are distinct from each other, with submillimetre-bright galaxies having a systematically flatter IRAC spectrum (≳1 mag bluer in the observed [4.5]–[8.0] colour). Only about 20 per cent of the objects overlap in the colour–colour plots, and this low fraction suggests that submillimetre galaxies powered by a dust-obscured AGN are not common. The red infrared colours of the submillimetre galaxies are distinct from those of the ubiquitous foreground IRAC sources, and we propose a set of infrared colour selection criteria for identifying SMG counterparts that can be used even in the absence of radio or Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) 24 μm data.     

Hyperluminous infrared galaxies

39 galaxies are now known, from follow-up of faint IRAS sources and from submillimetre observations of high-redshift AGN, with far-infrared luminosities >10¹³ L_⊙. 13 of these, which have been found in 60- or 850-μm surveys, form an important unbiased subsample. 12 have been found by comparison of 60-μm surveys with quasar or radio galaxy catalogues, or from infrared surveys with colour selection biased towards AGN, while a further 14 have been found through submillimetre observations of known high-redshift AGN. In this paper I argue, on the basis of detailed modelling of the spectral energy distributions of hyperluminous galaxies with accurate radiative transfer models, and from evidence of high gas mass in several cases, that the bulk of the emission from these galaxies at rest frame wavelengths ≥50 μm is caused by star formation. Even after correction for the effects of lensing, hyperluminous galaxies with emission peaking at rest frame wavelengths ≥50 μm are therefore undergoing star formation at rates >10³ M_⊙ yr⁻¹ and are strong candidates for being primeval galaxies, in the process of a major episode of star formation.     

The K-band Hubble diagram of submillimetre galaxies and hyperluminous galaxies

We present the K -band Hubble diagrams ( K – z relations) of submillimetre-selected galaxies and hyperluminous galaxies (HLIRGs). We report the discovery of a remarkably tight K – z relation of HLIRGs, indistinguishable from that of the most luminous radio galaxies. Like radio galaxies, the HLIRG K – z relation at   z ≲ 3  is consistent with a passively evolving ∼3 L _* instantaneous starburst starting from a redshift of   z ∼ 10  . In contrast, many submillimetre-selected galaxies are ≳2 mag fainter, and the population has a much larger dispersion. We argue that dust obscuration and/or a larger mass range may be responsible for this scatter. The galaxies so far proved to be hyperluminous may have been biased towards higher AGN bolometric contributions than submillimetre-selected galaxies due to the 60-μm selection of some, so the location on the K – z relation may be related to the presence of the most massive active galactic nucleus. Alternatively, a particular host galaxy mass range may be responsible for both extreme star formation and the most massive active nuclei.     

The SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey – VI. 350-μm mapping of submillimetre galaxies

A follow-up survey using the Submillimetre High-Angular Resolution Camera (SHARC-II) at 350 μm has been carried out to map the regions around several 850-μm-selected sources from the Submillimetre HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES). These observations probe the infrared (IR) luminosities and hence star formation rates in the largest existing, most robust sample of submillimetre galaxies (SMGs). We measure 350-μm flux densities for 24 850-μm sources, seven of which are detected at ≥2.5σ within a 10 arcsec search radius of the 850-μm positions. When results from the literature are included the total number of 350-μm flux density constraints of SHADES SMGs is 31, with 15 detections. We fit a modified blackbody to the far-IR (FIR) photometry of each SMG, and confirm that typical SMGs are dust-rich  ( M _dust≃ 9 × 10⁸ M_⊙)  , luminous  ( L _FIR≃ 2 × 10¹² L_⊙)  star-forming galaxies with intrinsic dust temperatures of ≃35 K and star formation rates of  ≃400 M_⊙ yr⁻¹  . We have measured the temperature distribution of SMGs and find that the underlying distribution is slightly broader than implied by the error bars, and that most SMGs are at 28 K with a few hotter. We also place new constraints on the 350-μm source counts, N ₃₅₀(>25 mJy) ∼ 200–500 deg⁻².     

Starburst galaxies and structure in the submillimetre background towards the Hubble Deep Field

We use an 850-μm SCUBA map of the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) to study the dust properties of optically-selected starburst galaxies at high redshift. The optical/infrared (IR) data in the HDF allow a photometric redshift to be estimated for each galaxy, together with an estimate of the visible star-formation rate. The 850-μm flux density of each source provides the complementary information: the amount of hidden, dust-enshrouded star formation activity. Although the 850-μm map does not allow detection of the majority of individual sources, we show that the galaxies with the highest UV star-formation rates are detected statistically, with a flux density of about S ₈₅₀=0.2 mJy for an apparent UV star-formation rate of 1  h ⁻² M_⊙ yr⁻¹. This level of submillimetre output indicates that the total star-forming activity is on average a factor of approximately 6 times larger than the rate inferred from the UV output of these galaxies. The general population of optical starbursts is then predicted to contribute at least 25 per cent of the 850-μm background. We carry out a power-spectrum analysis of the map, which yields some evidence for angular clustering of the background source population, but at a level lower than that seen in Lyman-break galaxies. Together with other lines of argument, particularly from the NICMOS HDF data, this suggests that the 850-μm background originates over an extremely wide range of redshifts – perhaps 1≲ z ≲6.     

The diversity of SCUBA-selected galaxies

We present extensive observations of a sample of distant, submillimetre (submm) galaxies detected in the field of the massive cluster lens Abell 1835, using the Submm Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA). Taken in conjunction with earlier observations of other submm-selected sources, we now have detailed, multiwavelength observations of seven examples of the submm population, having exploited the combination of achromatic amplification by cluster lenses and lavish archival data sets. These sources, all clearly at z ≳1, illustrate the wide range in the radio and optical properties of distant submm-selected galaxies. We include detailed observations of the first candidate 'pure' starburst submm galaxy at high redshift, a z =2.56 interacting galaxy which shows no obvious sign of hosting an AGN. The remaining sources have varying degrees of inferred AGN activity (three out of seven of the most luminous show some evidence of the presence of an AGN), although even when an AGN is obviously present it is still not apparent whether reprocessed radiation from this source dominates the submm emission. In contrast with the variation in the spectral properties, we see relatively homogeneous morphologies for the population, with a large fraction of merging or interacting systems. Our study shows that virtually identical spectral energy distributions are seen for galaxies that exhibit strikingly different optical/UV spectral-line characteristics. We conclude that standard optical/UV spectral classifications are misleading when applied to distant, highly obscured galaxies, and that we must seek other means of determining the various contributions to the overall energy budget of submm galaxies and hence to the far-infrared extragalactic background.