Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-04-15
Astrophys.J.698:1682-1697,2009
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Includes corrected Figure 3, as published
Scientific paper
10.1088/0004-637X/698/2/1682
A summary of mid-infrared continuum luminosities arising from dust is given for very luminous galaxies, Lir > 10^12 solar luminosities, with 0.005 < z < 3.2 containing active galactic nuclei (AGN), including 115 obscured AGN and 60 unobscured (type 1) AGN. All sources have been observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. Obscured AGN are defined as having optical depth > 0.7 in the 9.7 um silicate absorption feature and unobscured AGN show silicate in emission. Luminosity vLv(8 um) is found to scale as (1+z)^2.6 to z = 2.8, and luminosities vLv(8 um) are approximately 3 times greater for the most luminous unobscured AGN. Total infrared luminosities for the most luminous obscured AGN, Lir(AGN_obscured) in solar luminosities, scale as log Lir(AGN_obscured) = 12.3+-0.25 + 2.6(+-0.3)log(1+z), and for the most luminous unobscured AGN, scale as log Lir(AGN1) = 12.6+-0.15 + 2.6(+-0.3)log(1+z), indicating that the most luminous AGN are about 10 times more luminous than the most luminous starbursts. Results are consistent with obscured and unobscured AGN having the same total luminosities with differences arising only from orientation, such that the obscured AGN are observed through very dusty clouds which extinct about 50% of the intrinsic luminosity at 8 um. Both obscured and unobscured AGN should be detected to z ~ 6 by Spitzer surveys with fv(24 um) > 0.3 mJy, even without luminosity evolution for z > 2.5. By contrast, the most luminous starbursts cannot be detected for z > 3, even if luminosity evolution continues beyond z = 2.5.
Houck James R.
Weedman Daniel W.
No associations
LandOfFree
Evolution of the Most Luminous Dusty Galaxies does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Evolution of the Most Luminous Dusty Galaxies, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Evolution of the Most Luminous Dusty Galaxies will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-592062