Physics
Scientific paper
Sep 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3672m&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #3672
Physics
Scientific paper
We propose Spitzer Space Telescope observations of all 200 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs, L_ir > 10^{11} L_sun) and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, L_ir > 10^{12} L_sun) in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample, a complete flux-limited survey of all extragalactic objects with total 60um flux density greater than 5.24 Jy, covering the entire sky surveyed by IRAS at Galactic latitudes |b| > 5 degrees. The superb sensitivity of Spitzer provides a unique opportunity to survey the physical properties of star formation and the interstellar medium in a large, statistically complete, flux-limited sample of nearby LIRGs and ULIRGs. IRAC and MIPS will be used to image the infrared emission in individual galaxies within interacting/merging systems that were not resolved by IRAS or ISO. Problems to be addressed include: 1) How do star formation rates and the spatial distribution of dust emitting regions vary with the stage of the interaction/merger, the mass ratio of the galaxies, the geometry of the encounter, and the properties of each galaxy known from optical, near-infrared, H I, CO, and radio continuum observations? 2) Which LIRGs most likely represent progenitors of ULIRGs and QSOs, and what characteristics of the galaxies and their merger geometries likely lead to dust heating dominated by AGNs rather than starbursts? 3) What are the relative amounts of cold (10 - 30 K), cool (30-50 K) and warm (T_d > 50 K) dust components in LIRGs and ULIRGs, and can this be used to age-date merger events? 4) Are there regions with very hot dust (600 - 1000 K) in some of these objects? This survey will also provide an important archive of data for establishing links between the global infrared properties of high redshift infrared/sub-mm galaxies and structural details that can be well resolved only in local LIRGs.
Appleton Phil
Armus Lee
Evans Aaron
Frayer David
Ishida Catherine
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