The Herschel census of infrared SEDs through cosmic time

Symeonidis, M.; Vaccari, M.; Berta, S.; Page, M. J.; Lutz, D.; Arumugam, V.; Aussel, H.; Bock, J.; Boselli, A.; Buat, V.; Capak, P. L.; Clements, D. L.; Conley, A.; Conversi, L.; Cooray, A.; Dowell, C. D.; Farrah, D.; Franceschini, A.; Giovannoli, E.; Glenn, J.; Griffin, M.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Hwang, H.-S.; Ibar, E.; Ilbert, O.; Ivison, R. J.; Floc'h, E. Le; Lilly, S.; Kartaltepe, J. S.; Magnelli, B.; Magdis, G.; Marchetti, L.; Nguyen, H. T.; Nordon, R.; O'Halloran, B.; Oliver, S. J.; Omont, A.; Papageorgiou, A.; Patel, H.; Pearson, C. P.; Pérez-Fournon, I.; Pohlen, M.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Rigopoulou, D.; Riguccini, L.; Rosario, D.; Roseboom, I. G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Salvato, M.; Schulz, B.; Scott, Douglas; Seymour, N.; Shupe, D. L.; Smith, A. J.; Valtchanov, I.; Wang, L.; Xu, C. K.; Zemcov, M.; Wuyts, S.
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 431, Issue 3, p.2317-2340

Advertised on:
5
2013
Number of authors
60
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
142
Refereed citations
137
Description
Using Herschel data from the deepest SPIRE and PACS surveys (HerMES and PEP) in COSMOS, GOODS-S and GOODS-N, we examine the dust properties of infrared (IR)-luminous (LIR > 1010 L&sun;) galaxies at 0.1 < z < 2 and determine how these evolve with cosmic time. The unique angle of this work is the rigorous analysis of survey selection effects, making this the first study of the star-formation-dominated, IR-luminous population within a framework almost entirely free of selection biases. We find that IR-luminous galaxies have spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with broad far-IR peaks characterized by cool/extended dust emission and average dust temperatures in the 25-45 K range. Hot (T > 45 K) SEDs and cold (T < 25 K), cirrus-dominated SEDs are rare, with most sources being within the range occupied by warm starbursts such as M82 and cool spirals such as M51. We observe a luminosity-temperature (L-T) relation, where the average dust temperature of log [LIR/L&sun;] ˜ 12.5 galaxies is about 10 K higher than that of their log [LIR/L&sun;] ˜ 10.5 counterparts. However, although the increased dust heating in more luminous systems is the driving factor behind the L-T relation, the increase in dust mass and/or starburst size with luminosity plays a dominant role in shaping it. Our results show that the dust conditions in IR-luminous sources evolve with cosmic time: at high redshift, dust temperatures are on average up to 10 K lower than what is measured locally (z ≲ 0.1). This is manifested as a flattening of the L-T relation, suggesting that (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies [(U)LIRGs] in the early Universe are typically characterized by a more extended dust distribution and/or higher dust masses than local equivalent sources. Interestingly, the evolution in dust temperature is luminosity dependent, with the fraction of LIRGs with T < 35 K showing a two-fold increase from z ˜ 0 to z ˜ 2, whereas that of ULIRGs with T < 35 K shows a six-fold increase. Our results suggest a greater diversity in the IR-luminous population at high redshift, particularly for ULIRGs.
Related projects
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Formation and Evolution of Galaxies: Observations in Infrared and other Wavelengths
This IAC research group carries out several extragalactic projects in different spectral ranges, using space as well as ground-based telescopes, to study the cosmological evolution of galaxies and the origin of nuclear activity in active galaxies. The group is a member of the international consortium which built the SPIRE instrument for the
Ismael
Pérez Fournon