arXiv subjects

Georgios Magdis

Publications and source records attributed to Georgios Magdis.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

GOODS-Herschel: Separating High Redshift active galactic Nuclei and star forming galaxies Using Infrared Color Diagnostics

We have compiled a large sample of 151 high redshift (z=0.5-4) galaxies selected at 24 microns (S24>100 uJy) in the GOODS-N and ECDFS fields for which we have deep Spitzer IRS spectroscopy, allowing us to decompose the mid-infrared spectrum into contributions from star formation and activity in the galactic nuclei. In addition, we have a wealth of photometric data from Spitzer IRAC/MIPS and Herschel PACS/SPIRE. We explore how effective different infrared color combinations are at separating our mid-IR spectroscopically determined active galactic nuclei from our star forming galaxies. We look in depth at existing IRAC color diagnostics, and we explore new color-color diagnostics combining mid-IR, far-IR, and near-IR photometry, since these combinations provide the most detail about the shape of a source's IR spectrum. An added benefit of using a color that combines far-IR and mid-IR photometry is that it is indicative of the power source driving the IR luminosity. For our data set, the optimal color selections are S250/S24 vs. S8.0/S3.6 and S100/S24 vs. S8.0/S3.6; both diagnostics have ~10% contamination rate in the regions occupied primarily by star forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei, respectively. Based on the low contamination rate, these two new IR color-color diagnostics are ideal for estimating both the mid-IR power source of a galaxy when spectroscopy is unavailable and the dominant power source contributing to the IR luminosity. In the absence of far-IR data, we present color diagnostics using the WISE mid-IR bands which can efficiently select out high z (z~2) star forming galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

GOODS-Herschel: Impact of Active Galactic Nuclei and Star Formation Activity on Infrared Spectral Energy Distributions at High Redshift

We explore the effects of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star formation activity on the infrared (0.3-1000 microns) spectral energy distributions of luminous infrared galaxies from z = 0.5 to 4.0. We have compiled a large sample of 151 galaxies selected at 24 microns (S24 > 100 uJy) in the GOODS-N and ECDFS fields for which we have deep Spitzer IRS spectroscopy, allowing us to decompose the mid-IR spectrum into contributions from star formation and AGN activity. A significant portion (~25%) of our sample is dominated by an AGN in the mid-IR. Based on the mid-IR classification, we divide our full sample into four sub-samples: z~1 star-forming (SF) sources; z~2 SF sources; AGN with clear 9.7 micron silicate absorption; and AGN with featureless mid-IR spectra. From our large spectroscopic sample and wealth of multi-wavelength data, including deep Herschel imaging at 100, 160, 250, 350, and 500 microns, we use 95 galaxies with complete spectral coverage to create a composite spectral energy distribution (SED) for each sub-sample. We then fit a two-temperature component modified blackbody to the SEDs. We find that the IR SEDs have similar cold dust temperatures, regardless of the mid-IR power source, but display a marked difference in the warmer dust temperatures. We calculate the average effective temperature of the dust in each sub-sample and find a significant (~20 K) difference between the SF and AGN systems. We compare our composite SEDs to local templates and find that local templates do not accurately reproduce the mid-IR features and dust temperatures of our high redshift systems. High redshift IR luminous galaxies contain significantly more cool dust than their local counterparts. We find that a full suite of photometry spanning the IR peak is necessary to accurately account for the dominant dust temperature components in high redshift IR luminous galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Evidence for a wide range of UV obscuration in z ~ 2 dusty galaxies from the GOODS-Herschel survey

Dusty galaxies at z ~ 2 span a wide range of relative brightness between rest-frame mid-infrared (8um) and ultraviolet wavelengths. We attempt to determine the physical mechanism responsible for this diversity. Dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs), which have rest-frame mid-IR to UV flux density ratios > 1000, might be abnormally bright in the mid-IR, perhaps due to prominent AGN and/or PAH emission, or abnormally faint in the UV. We use far-infrared data from the GOODS-Herschel survey to show that most DOGs with 10^12 L_Sun < L_IR < 10^13 L_Sun are not abnormally bright in the mid-IR when compared to other dusty galaxies with similar IR (8--1000um) luminosities. We observe a relation between the median IR to UV luminosity ratios and the median UV continuum power-law indices for these galaxies, and we find that only 24% have specific star formation rates which indicate the dominance of compact star-forming regions. This circumstantial evidence supports the idea that the UV- and IR-emitting regions in these galaxies are spatially coincident, which implies a connection between the abnormal UV faintness of DOGs and dust obscuration. We conclude that the range in rest-frame mid-IR to UV flux density ratios spanned by dusty galaxies at z ~ 2 is due to differing amounts of UV obscuration. Of galaxies with these IR luminosities, DOGs are the most obscured. We attribute differences in UV obscuration to either: 1) differences in the degree of alignment between the spatial distributions of dust and massive stars, or 2) differences in the total dust content.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

A unified empirical model for infrared galaxy counts based on observed physical evolution of distant galaxies

We reproduce the mid-infrared to radio galaxy counts with a new empirical model based on our current understanding of the evolution of main-sequence (MS) and starburst (SB) galaxies. We rely on a simple Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) library based on Herschel observations: a single SED for the MS and another one for SB, getting warmer with redshift. Our model is able to reproduce recent measurements of galaxy counts performed with Herschel, including counts per redshift slice. This agreement demonstrates the power of our 2 Star-Formation Modes (2SFM) decomposition for describing the statistical properties of infrared sources and their evolution with cosmic time. We discuss the relative contribution of MS and SB galaxies to the number counts at various wavelengths and flux densities. We also show that MS galaxies are responsible for a bump in the 1.4 GHz radio counts around 50 μJy. Material of the model (predictions, SED library, mock catalogs...) is available online at http://irfu.cea.fr/Sap/Phocea/Page/index.php?id=537.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

GOODS-Herschel and CANDELS: The Morphologies of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies at z~2

Using deep 100-160 micron observations in GOODS-S from the GOODS-H survey, combined with HST/WFC3 NIR imaging from CANDELS, we present the first morphological analysis of a complete, FIR selected sample of 52 ULIRGs at z~2. We also make use of a comparison sample of galaxies without Herschel detections but with the same z and magnitude distribution. Our visual classifications of these two samples indicate that the fraction of objects with disk and spheroid morphologies is roughly the same but that there are significantly more mergers, interactions, and irregular galaxies among the ULIRGs. The combination of disk and irregular/interacting morphologies suggests that early stage interactions and minor mergers could play an important role in ULIRGs at z~2. We compare these fractions with those of a z~1 sample across a wide luminosity range and find that the fraction of disks decreases systematically with L_IR while the fraction of mergers and interactions increases, as has been observed locally. At comparable luminosities, the fraction of ULIRGs with various morphological classifications is similar at z~2 and z~1. We investigate the position of the ULIRGs, along with 70 LIRGs, on the specific star formation rate versus redshift plane, and find 52 systems to be starbursts (lie more than a factor of 3 above the main sequence relation). The morphologies of starbursts are dominated by interacting and merging systems (50%). If irregular disks are included as potential minor mergers, then we find that up to 73% of starbursts are involved in a merger or interaction at some level. Although the final coalescence of a major merger may not be required for the high luminosities of ULIRGs at z~2 as is the case locally, the large fraction of interactions at all stages and potential minor mergers suggest that the high star formation rates of ULIRGs are still largely externally triggered at z~2.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2007

Spitzer Constraints on the Stellar Populations of Lyman-Alpha Emitting Galaxies at z = 3.1

We investigate the stellar populations of a sample of 162 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z = 3.1 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, using deep Spitzer IRAC data available from the GOODS and SIMPLE surveys to derive reliable stellar population estimates. We divide the LAEs according to their rest-frame near-IR luminosities into IRAC-detected and IRAC-undetected samples. About 70% of the LAEs are undetected in 3.6 micron down to [3.6] = 25.2 AB. Stacking analysis reveals that the average stellar population of the IRAC-undetected sample has an age of ~ 200 Myr and a mass of ~ 3x10^8 solar masses, consistent with the expectation that LAEs are mostly young and low-mass galaxies. On the other hand, the IRAC-detected LAEs are on average significantly older and more massive, with an average age > 1 Gyr and mass ~ 10^10 solar masses. Comparing the IRAC colors and magnitudes of the LAEs to z ~ 3 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) shows that the IRAC-detected LAEs lie at the faint blue end of the LBG color-magnitude distribution, suggesting that IRAC-detected LAEs may be the low mass extension of the LBG population. We also present tentative evidence for a small fraction (~ 5%) of obscured AGN within the LAE sample. Our results suggest that LAEs posses a wide range of ages and masses. Additionally, the presence of evolved stellar populations inside LAEs suggests that the Lyman-alpha luminous phase of galaxies may either be a long-lasting or recurring phenomenon.

astro-ph↗