First Clues to Star Formation in the "High Redshift Tail" of Submillimeter Galaxies

Details First Clues to Star Formation in the "High Redshift Tail" of Submillimeter Galaxies First Clues to Star Formation in the "High Redshift Tail" of Submillimeter Galaxies

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008sptz.prop..531r&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #531

Computer Science

Scientific paper

We propose to obtain ultra-deep Spitzer IRS spectroscopy of the z=4.055 submillimeter galaxy (SMG) GN20, the first spectroscopically confirmed member of the high redshift tail of SMGs, and the most infrared-luminous, starbursting SMG without any evidence for AGN activity. The goal is to detect PAH and mid-IR continuum emission. Through spectral decomposition, this will provide the most direct evidence that the huge IR luminosity in this source is indeed powered by star formation (rather than a deeply buried, Compton-thick AGN), confirming, for the first time, that SMGs can indeed be extreme sites of star formation at rates (SFRs) exceeding 2000 M_sun/yr. This study builds upon our previous investigation of the mid-IR properties of SMGs in the GOODS-N field, and extends it to the maximum possible luminosity/SFR range and time baseline (i.e., redshift range). It will enable us to investigate whether or not the relations between PAH strength and the (F)IR and CO luminosities established at z=2 hold out to z=4. Apart from being exceptionally IR- and CO-luminous for a presumably starburst-dominated SMG (i.e., likely very PAH-luminous, and thus detectable), it is also the most distant SMG where bright PAH features fall within the wavelength range of IRS. We obtained a reliable redshift for this source only earlier this year, i.e., several months after the final cryo deadline (cycle 5). The only possibility to obtain PAH observations of this first z>4 SMG with a secure redshift for the forseeable future thus is through Spitzer DDT, as proposed here. At last grasp, this program will achieve a long-sought yet unachieved goal of the Spitzer mission - to detect PAH emission out to z>4, star formation dominated galaxies.

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