Spitzer Detection of PAH and Silicate Dust Features in the Mid-Infrared Spectra of z~2 Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

Abstract

We report the initial results from a Spitzer GO-1 program to obtain low resolution, mid-infrared spectra of infrared luminous galaxies at z~1-2. This paper presents the spectra of eight sources observed with the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS). Of the eight spectra, six have mid-IR spectral features, either emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) or silicate absorption. Based on these mid-IR features, the inferred six redshifts are in the range of 1.8-2.6. The remaining two spectra detect only strong continua, thus do not yield redshift information. Strong, multiple PAH emission features are detected in two sources, and weak PAH emission in another two. These data provide direct evidence that PAH molecules are present and directly observable in ULIRGs at z~2. The six sources with measured redshifts are dusty, infrared luminous galaxies at z~2 with estimated $L_{bol} \sim 10^{13}L_\odot$. Of the eight sources, two appear starburst dominated; two with only power law continua are probably type I QSOs; and the remaining four are likely composite systems containing a buried AGN and a starburst component. Since half of our sample are optically faint sources with R>25.5mag (Vega), our results demonstrate the potential of using mid-infrared spectroscopy, especially the Aromatic and silicate features produced by dust grains to directly probe optically faint and infrared luminous populations at high redshift.