Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Mid-Infrared Continuum Emission in an Intensely Star-Forming z>4 Protocluster Galaxy

Details Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Mid-Infrared Continuum Emission in an Intensely Star-Forming z>4 Protocluster Galaxy Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Mid-Infrared Continuum Emission in an Intensely Star-Forming z>4 Protocluster Galaxy

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21541021r&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #410.21; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.238

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We have detected 6.2 µm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and mid-infrared continuum emission toward the highly obscured z=4.055 submillimeter galaxy (SMG) GN20, using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. This is the first PAH detection at such high redshift. GN20 is the brightest star-forming galaxy within the massive z 4.06 protocluster in the GOODS-North region, which contains at least three additional luminous SMGs and tens of (less extreme) Lyman-break galaxies. The continuum and spectral features in GN20 are consistent with an intense burst of star formation at rates in excess of 1000 Msun/yr, as indicated by rest-frame far-infrared continuum observations. This extreme starburst is maintained by a massive molecular gas reservoir of >1011 Msun, as revealed by luminous CO emission. Through spectral decomposition of the IRS data and comparison to X-ray limits, we also set first-order constraints on the (optically invisible) supermassive black hole in this remarkable system. Based on the PAH profile and model predictions, we investigate potential evolutionary effects of PAH emission with redshift. This study highlights the impact of the Spitzer mission on studies of galaxy evolution, pushing back to the earliest cosmic times.
"DR acknowledges funding from NASA/STScI through Hubble Fellowship HST-HF-01212.01-A."

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