Search

We present the results of a survey of CO(1−0) emission in 14 infrared luminous dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at 2 < z < 4 with the NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. All sources are detected in 12CO(1−0), with an angular resolution of ∼1″. Seven sources show extended and complex structure. We measure CO luminosities of (μ) L CO (1 − 0) ′ = 0.4 – 2.9 × 10 11 K km s−1 pc2, and molecular gas masses of (μ) M H 2 = 1.3 – 8.6 × 10 11 M ⊙, where (μ) is the magnification factor. The derived molecular gas depletion times of t dep = 40–460 Myr, cover the expected range of both normal star-forming galaxies and starbursts. Compared to the higher − J CO transitions previously observed for the same sources, we find CO temperature brightness ratios of r 32/10 = 0.4–1.4, r 43/10 = 0.4–1.7, and r 54/10 = 0.3–1.3. We find a wide range of CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs), in agreement with other high- z DSFGs, with the exception of three sources that are most comparable to Cloverleaf and APM08279+5255. Based on radiative transfer modeling of the CO SLEDs we determine densities of n H 2 = 0.3 − 8.5 × 10 3 cm−3 and temperatures of T K = 100–200 K. Lastly, four sources are detected in the continuum, three have radio emission consistent with their infrared-derived star formation rates, while HerBS-70E requires an additional synchrotron radiation component from an active galactic nucleus. Overall, we find that even though the sample is similarly luminous in the infrared, by tracing the CO(1−0) emission a diversity of galaxy and excitation properties are revealed, demonstrating the importance of CO(1−0) observations in combination to higher- J transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations of a giant Lyα blob (LAB) in the SSA22 protocluster at z = 3.1, SSA22-LAB1, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Dust continuum, along with [C ii ] 158 μm and CO(4–3) line emission have been detected in LAB1, showing complex morphology and kinematics across a ∼100 kpc central region. Seven galaxies at z = 3.0987–3.1016 in the surroundings are identified in [C ii ] and dust continuum emission, with two of them potential companions or tidal structures associated with the most massive galaxies. Spatially resolved [C ii ] and infrared luminosity ratios for the widely distributed media (L[Cɪɪ]/LIR ≈ 10−2−10−3) suggest that the observed extended interstellar media are likely to have originated from star formation activity and the contribution from shocked gas is probably not dominant. LAB1 is found to harbor a total molecular gas mass Mmol = (8.7 ± 2.0) × 1010M⊙, concentrated in the core region of the Lyα-emitting area. While (primarily obscured) star formation activity in the LAB1 core is one of the most plausible power sources for the Lyα emission, multiple major mergers found in the core may also play a role in making LAB1 exceptionally bright and extended in Lyα as a result of cooling radiation induced by gravitational interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new empirical constraints on the evolution of , the cosmological mass density of molecular hydrogen, back to z ≈ 2.5. We employ a statistical approach measuring the average observed 850 μm flux density of near-infrared selected galaxies as a function of redshift. The redshift range considered corresponds to a span where the 850 μm band probes the Rayleigh–Jeans tail of thermal dust emission in the rest frame, and can therefore be used as an estimate of the mass of the interstellar medium. Our sample comprises of ≈150,000 galaxies in the UK InfraRed Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey Ultra-Deep Survey field with near-infrared magnitudes KAB ≤ 25 mag and photometric redshifts with corresponding probability distribution functions derived from deep 12-band photometry. With a sample approximately 2 orders of magnitude larger than in previous works we significantly reduce statistical uncertainties on to z ≈ 2.5. Our measurements are in broad agreement with recent direct estimates from blank field molecular gas surveys, finding that the epoch of molecular gas coincides with the peak epoch of star formation with at z ≈ 2. We demonstrate that can be broadly modeled by inverting the star formation rate (SFR) density with a fixed or weakly evolving star formation efficiency. This "constant efficiency" model shows a similar evolution to our statistically derived , indicating that the dominant factor driving the peak star formation history at z ≈ 2 is a larger supply of molecular gas in galaxies rather than a significant evolution of the SFR efficiency within individual galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array of the 122 and 205 μm fine-structure line emission of singly ionized nitrogen in a strongly lensed starburst galaxy at z = 2.6. The 122/205 μm [N ii ] line ratio is sensitive to electron density, , in the ionized interstellar medium, and we use this to measure ne ≈ 300 cm−3, averaged across the galaxy. This is over an order of magnitude higher than the Milky Way average, comparable to localized Galactic star-forming regions. Combined with observations of the atomic carbon (C i) and carbon monoxide (CO J = 4–3) in the same system, we reveal the conditions in this intensely star-forming system. The majority of the molecular interstellar medium has been driven to high density, and the resultant conflagration of star formation produces a correspondingly dense ionized phase, presumably colocated with myriad H ii regions that litter the gas-rich disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent simulations and observations of massive galaxy cluster evolution predict that the majority of stellar mass buildup happens within cluster members by z = 2, before cluster virialization. Protoclusters rich with dusty, star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at z > 3 are the favored candidate progenitors for these massive galaxy clusters at z ∼ 0. We present here the first study analyzing stellar emission along with cold dust and gas continuum emission in a spectroscopically confirmed z = 4.002 protocluster core rich with DSFGs, the Distant Red Core (DRC). We combine new Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer data with existing Gemini, Herschel, and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations to derive individual galaxy-level properties and compare them to coeval field and other protocluster galaxies. All of the protocluster members are massive (>1010M⊙), but not significantly more so than their coeval field counterparts. Within uncertainty, all are nearly indistinguishable from galaxies on the star-forming versus stellar mass main-sequence relationship and the star formation efficiency plane. Assuming no future major influx of fresh gas, we estimate that these gaseous DSFGs will deplete their gas reservoirs in ∼300 Myr, becoming the massive quiescent ellipticals dominating cluster cores by z ∼ 3. Using various methodologies, we derive a total z = 4 halo mass of ∼1014M⊙ and estimate that the DRC will evolve to become an ultramassive cluster core of mass ≳1015M⊙ by z = 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify multi-wavelength counterparts to 1147 submillimeter sources from the S2COSMOS SCUBA-2 survey of the COSMOS field by employing a recently developed radio+machine-learning method trained on a large sample of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)–identified submillimeter galaxies (SMGs), including 260 SMGs identified in the AS2COSMOS pilot survey. In total, we identify 1222 optical/near-infrared (NIR)/radio counterparts to the 897 S2COSMOS submillimeter sources with S850 > 1.6 mJy, yielding an overall identification rate of (78 ± 9)%. We find that (22 ± 5)% of S2COSMOS sources have multiple identified counterparts. We estimate that roughly 27% of these multiple counterparts within the same SCUBA-2 error circles very likely arise from physically associated galaxies rather than line-of-sight projections by chance. The photometric redshift of our radio+machine-learning-identified SMGs ranges from z = 0.2 to 5.7 and peaks at z = 2.3 ± 0.1. The AGN fraction of our sample is (19 ± 4)%, which is consistent with that of ALMA SMGs in the literature. Comparing with radio/NIR-detected field galaxy population in the COSMOS field, our radio+machine-learning-identified counterparts of SMGs have the highest star formation rates and stellar masses. These characteristics suggest that our identified counterparts of S2COSMOS sources are a representative sample of SMGs at z ≲ 3. We employ our machine-learning technique to the whole COSMOS field and identified 6877 potential SMGs, most of which are expected to have submillimeter emission fainter than the confusion limit of our S2COSMOS surveys (mJy). We study the clustering properties of SMGs based on this statistically large sample, finding that they reside in high-mass dark matter halos ((1.2 ± 0.3) × 1013h−1), which suggests that SMGs may be the progenitors of massive ellipticals we see in the local universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Submillimeter Array [C II] 158 μm and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array 12CO(1-0) line emission maps for the bright, lensed, submillimeter source at z = 5.2430 behind A 773: HLSJ091828.6+514223 (HLS0918). We combine these measurements with previously reported line profiles, including multiple 12CO rotational transitions, [C I], water, and [N II], providing some of the best constraints on the properties of the interstellar medium in a galaxy at z > 5. HLS0918 has a total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity LFIR(8–1000 μm) = (1.6 ± 0.1) × 1014L☼ μ–1, where the total magnification μtotal = 8.9 ± 1.9, via a new lens model from the [C II] and continuum maps. Despite a HyLIRG luminosity, the FIR continuum shape resembles that of a local LIRG. We simultaneously fit all of the observed spectral line profiles, finding four components that correspond cleanly to discrete spatial structures identified in the maps. The two most redshifted spectral components occupy the nucleus of a massive galaxy, with a source-plane separation <1 kpc. The reddest dominates the continuum map (demagnified LFIR, component = (1.1 ± 0.2) × 1013L☼) and excites strong water emission in both nuclear components via a powerful FIR radiation field from the intense star formation. A third star-forming component is most likely a region of a merging companion (ΔV ∼ 500 km s–1) exhibiting generally similar gas properties. The bluest component originates from a spatially distinct region and photodissociation region analysis suggests that it is lower density, cooler, and forming stars less vigorously than the other components. Strikingly, it has very strong [N II] emission, which may suggest an ionized, molecular outflow. This comprehensive view of gas properties and morphology in HLS0918 previews the science possible for a large sample of high-redshift galaxies once ALMA attains full sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze new SCUBA-2 submillimeter and archival SPIRE far-infrared imaging of a z = 1.62 cluster, Cl 0218.3–0510, which lies in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey/Ultra-Deep Survey field of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey. Combining these tracers of obscured star-formation activity with the extensive photometric and spectroscopic information available for this field, we identify 31 far-infrared/submillimeter-detected probable cluster members with bolometric luminosities ≳1012L☼ and show that by virtue of their dust content and activity, these represent some of the reddest and brightest galaxies in this structure. We exploit ALMA submillimeter continuum observations, which cover one of these sources, to confirm the identification of a SCUBA-2-detected ultraluminous star-forming galaxy in this structure. Integrating the total star-formation activity in the central region of the structure, we estimate that it is an order of magnitude higher (in a mass-normalized sense) than clusters at z ∼ 0.5-1. However, we also find that the most active cluster members do not reside in the densest regions of the structure, which instead host a population of passive and massive, red galaxies. We suggest that while the passive and active populations have comparable near-infrared luminosities at z = 1.6, MH ∼ –23, the subsequent stronger fading of the more active galaxies means that they will evolve into passive systems at the present day that are less luminous than the descendants of those galaxies that were already passive at z ∼ 1.6 (MH ∼ –20.5 and MH ∼ –21.5, respectively, at z ∼ 0). We conclude that the massive galaxy population in the dense cores of present-day clusters were already in place at z = 1.6 and that in Cl 0218.3–0510 we are seeing continuing infall of less extreme, but still ultraluminous, star-forming galaxies onto a pre-existing structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantify the fraction of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) that originates from galaxies identified in the UV/optical/near-infrared by stacking 81,250 (∼35.7 arcmin–2) K-selected sources (KAB < 24.0) split according to their rest-frame U – V versus V – J colors into 72,216 star-forming and 9034 quiescent galaxies, on maps from Spitzer/MIPS (24 μm), Herschel/PACS (100, 160 μm), Herschel/SPIRE (250, 350, 500 μm), and AzTEC (1100 μm). The fraction of the CIB resolved by our catalog is (69% ± 15%) at 24 μm, (78% ± 17%) at 70 μm, (58% ± 13%) at 100 μm, (78% ± 18%) at 160 μm, (80% ± 17%) at 250 μm, (69% ± 14%) at 350 μm, (65% ± 12%) at 500 μm, and (45% ± 8%) at 1100 μm. Of that total, about 95% originates from star-forming galaxies, while the remaining 5% is from apparently quiescent galaxies. The CIB at λ ≲ 200 μm appears to be sourced predominantly from galaxies at z ≲ 1, while at λ ≳ 200 μm the bulk originates from 1 ≲ z ≲ 2. Galaxies with stellar masses log(M/M☼) = 9.5-11 are responsible for the majority of the CIB, with those in the log(M/M☼) = 9.5-10 bin contributing mostly at λ < 250 μm, and those in the log(M/M☼) = 10-11 bin dominating at λ > 350 μm. The contribution from galaxies in the log(M/M☼) = 9.0-9.5 (lowest) and log(M/M☼) = 11.0-12.0 (highest) stellar-mass bins contribute the least—both of order 5%—although the highest stellar-mass bin is a significant contributor to the luminosity density at z ≳ 2. The luminosities of the galaxies responsible for the CIB shifts from combinations of “normal” and luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) at λ ≲ 160 μm, to LIRGs at 160 ≲ λ ≲ 500 μm, to finally LIRGs and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies at λ ≳ 500 μm. Stacking analyses were performed using SIMSTACK, a novel algorithm designed to account for possible biases in the stacked flux density due to clustering. It is made available to the public at www.astro.caltech.edu/∼viero/viero_homepage/toolbox.html. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panchromatic observations of the best candidate hyperluminous infrared galaxies from the widest Herschel extragalactic imaging survey have led to the discovery of at least four intrinsically luminous z = 2.41 galaxies across an ≈100 kpc region—a cluster of starbursting protoellipticals. Via subarcsecond interferometric imaging we have measured accurate gas and star formation surface densities. The two brightest galaxies span ~3 kpc FWHM in submillimeter/radio continuum and CO J = 4-3, and double that in CO J = 1-0. The broad CO line is due partly to the multitude of constituent galaxies and partly to large rotational velocities in two counter-rotating gas disks—a scenario predicted to lead to the most intense starbursts, which will therefore come in pairs. The disks have Mdyn of several ×1011 M⊙, and gas fractions of ~40%. Velocity dispersions are modest so the disks are unstable, potentially on scales commensurate with their radii: these galaxies are undergoing extreme bursts of star formation, not confined to their nuclei, at close to the Eddington limit. Their specific star formation rates place them ≳5× above the main sequence, which supposedly comprises large gas disks like these. Their high star formation efficiencies are difficult to reconcile with a simple volumetric star formation law. N-body and dark matter simulations suggest that this system is the progenitor of a B(inary)-type ≈1014.6-M⊙ cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Cycle 0 survey of 126 submillimeter sources from the LABOCA ECDFS Submillimeter Survey (LESS). Our 870μm survey with ALMA (ALESS) has produced maps ~3× deeper and with a beam area ~200× smaller than the original LESS observations, doubling the current number of interferometrically-observed submillimeter sources. The high resolution of these maps allows us to resolve sources that were previously blended and accurately identify the origin of the submillimeter emission. We discuss the creation of the ALESS submillimeter galaxy (SMG) catalog, including the main sample of 99 SMGs and a supplementary sample of 32 SMGs. We find that at least 35% (possibly up to 50%) of the detected LABOCA sources have been resolved into multiple SMGs, and that the average number of SMGs per LESS source increases with LESS flux density. Using the (now precisely known) SMG positions, we empirically test the theoretical expectation for the uncertainty in the single-dish source positions. We also compare our catalog to the previously predicted radio/mid-infrared counterparts, finding that 45% of the ALESS SMGs were missed by this method. Our ~1."6 resolution allows us to measure a size of ~9 kpc × 5 kpc for the rest-frame ~300μm emission region in one resolved SMG, implying a star formation rate surface density of 80M☉ yr-1 kpc-2, and we constrain the emission regions in the remaining SMGs to be <10 kpc. As the first statistically reliable survey of SMGs, this will provide the basis for an unbiased multiwavelength study of SMG properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra steep spectrum (USS) radio sources have been successfully used to select powerful radio sources at high redshifts (z ≳ 2). Typically restricted to large-sky surveys and relatively bright radio flux densities, it has gradually become possible to extend the USS search to sub-mJy levels, thanks to the recent appearance of sensitive low-frequency radio facilities. Here a first detailed analysis of the nature of the faintest USS sources is presented. By using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Very Large Array radio observations of the Lockman Hole at 610 MHz and 1.4 GHz, a sample of 58 USS sources, with 610 MHz integrated fluxes above 100 µJy, is assembled. Deep infrared data at 3.6 and 4.5 µm from the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volunte Survey (SERVS) are used to reliably identify counterparts for 48 (83%) of these sources, showing an average total magnitude of [3.6]AB = 19.8 mag. Spectroscopic redshifts for 14 USS sources, together with photometric redshift estimates, improved by the use of the deep SERVS data, for a further 19 objects, show redshifts ranging from z = 0.1 to z = 2.8, peaking at z ~ 0.6 and tailing off at high redshifts. The remaining 25 USS sources, with no redshift estimate, include the faintest 13.61 magnitudes, with 10 sources undetected at 3.6 and 4.5 µm (typically [3.6] ≳ 22-23 mag from local measurements), which suggests the likely existence of higher redshifts among the sub-mJy USS population. The comparison with the Square Kilometre Array Design Studies Simulated Skies models indicates that Fanaroff-Riley type I radio sources and radio-quiet active galactic nuclei may constitute the bulk of the faintest USS population, and raises the possibility that the high efficiency of the USS technique for the selection of high-redshift sources remains even at the sub-mJy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, R Coronae Borealis (R CrB) went into a historically deep and long decline. In this state, the dust acts like a natural coronagraph at visible wavelengths, allowing faint nebulosity around the star to be seen. Imaging has been obtained from 0.5 to 500 µm with Gemini/GMOS, Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2, Spitzer/MIPS, and Herschel/SPIRE. Several of the structures around R CrB are cometary globules caused by wind from the star streaming past dense blobs. The estimated dust mass of the knots is consistent with their being responsible for the R CrB declines if they form along the line of sight to the star. In addition, there is a large diffuse shell extending up to 4 pc away from the star containing cool 25 K dust that is detected all the way out to 500 µm. The spectral energy distribution of R CrB can be well fitted by a 150 AU disk surrounded by a very large diffuse envelope which corresponds to the size of the observed nebulosity. The total masses of the disk and envelope are 10-4 and 2 M⊙, respectively, assuming a gas-to-dust ratio of 100. The evidence pointing toward a white dwarf merger or a final-helium-shell flash origin for R CrB is contradictory. The shell and the cometary knots are consistent with a fossil planetary nebula. Along with the fact that R CrB shows significant lithium in its atmosphere, this supports the final-helium-shell flash. However, the relatively high inferred mass of R CrB and its high fluorine abundance support a white dwarf merger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear starbursts may contribute to the obscuration of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The predicted star formation rates (SFRs) are modest, and, for the obscured AGNs that form the X-ray background at z < 1, the associated faint radio emission lies just beyond the sensitivity limits of the deepest surveys. Here, we search for this level of star formation by studying a sample of 359 X-ray-selected AGNs at z < 1 from the Cosmic Evolution Survey field that are not detected by current radio surveys. The AGNs are separated into bins based on redshift, X-ray luminosity, obscuration, and mid-infrared characteristics. An estimate of the AGN contribution to the radio flux density is subtracted from each radio image, and the images are then stacked to uncover any residual faint radio flux density. All of the bins containing 24 µm detected AGNs are detected with a signal-to-noise >3σ in the stacked radio images. In contrast, AGNs not detected at 24 µm are not detected in the resulting stacked radio images. This result provides strong evidence that the stacked radio signals are likely associated with star formation. The estimated SFRs derived from the radio stacks range from 3 M⊙ yr-1 to 29 M⊙ yr-1. Although it is not possible to associate the radio emission with a specific region of the host galaxies, these results are consistent with the predictions of nuclear starburst disks in AGN host galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new study of stellar mass in a sample of ∼70 submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) with accurate spectroscopic redshifts. We fit combinations of stellar population synthesis models and power laws to the galaxies' observed-frame optical through mid-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to separate stellar emission from non-stellar near-IR continuum. The availability of spectroscopic redshifts significantly enhances our ability to determine unambiguously not only the mass and luminosity of SMGs, but also the presence and contribution of non-stellar emission to their SEDs. By separating the stellar emission from the non-stellar near-IR continuum, we find that ∼50% of our sample have non-stellar contributions of less than 10% in rest-frame H band and ∼10% of our sample have non-stellar contributions greater than 50%. We find that the K-band luminosity of the non-stellar continuum emission is correlated with hard X-ray luminosity, indicating an active galactic nucleus (AGN) origin of the emission. Upon subtracting this AGN-contributed continuum component from all of the galaxies in our sample, we determine a lower median stellar mass for SMGs than previous studies, ∼7 x 1010 Mʘ. We use constraints of the starburst timescale from molecular gas studies to estimate the amount of fading our sample would undergo if they passively evolve after the starburst terminates. The results suggest that typical SMGs, while among the most massive galaxies at ɀ ∼ 2, are likely to produce descendants of similar mass and luminosity to L* galaxies in the local universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report ground-based follow-up observations of the exceptional source, ID 141, one of the brightest sources detected so far in the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey cosmological survey. ID 141 was observed using the IRAM 30 m telescope and Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI), the Submillimeter Array, and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment submillimeter telescope to measure the dust continuum and emission lines of the main isotope of carbon monoxide and carbon ([C I] and [C II]). The detection of strong CO emission lines with the PdBI confirms that ID 141 is at high redshift (ɀ = 4.243 ± 0.001). The strength of the continuum and emission lines suggests that ID 141 is gravitationally lensed. The width (ΔVFWHM ∼ 800 km s-1) and asymmetric profiles of the CO and carbon lines indicate orbital motion in a disk or a merger. The properties derived for ID 141 are compatible with an ultraluminous (LFIR ∼ (8.5 ± 0.3) x 1013 Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. Lʘ, where μL is the amplification factor), dense (n ≈ 104 cm-3), and warm (Tkin ≈ as 40 K) starburst galaxy, with an estimated star formation rate of (0.7-1.7) x 104 Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. Mʘ yr-1. The carbon emission lines indicate a dense (n ≈ 104 cm-3) photon-dominated region, illuminated by a far-UV radiation field a few thousand times more intense than that in our Galaxy. In conclusion, the physical properties of the high-ɀ galaxy ID 141 are remarkably similar to those of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep 1.2 mm continuum mapping of a 566 arcmin² area within the Lockman Hole North (LHN) field, previously a target of the Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic survey and extremely deep 20 cm mapping with the Very Large Array, which we have obtained using the Max-Planck millimeter bolometer (MAMBO) array on the IRAM 30 m telescope. After filtering, our full map has an rms sensitivity ranging from 0.45 to 1.5 mJy beam-1, with an average of 0.75 mJy beam-1. Using the pixel flux distribution (PFD) in a map made from our best data, we determine the shape, normalization, and approximate flux density cutoff for 1.2 mm number counts well below our nominal sensitivity and confusion limits. After validating our full data set through comparison with this map, we successfully detect 41 1.2 mm sources with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) > 4.0 and S1.2mm≃ 2-5 mJy. We use the most significant of these detections to directly determine the integral number counts down to 1.8 mJy, which are consistent with the results of the PFD analysis. Ninety-three percent of our 41 individual detections have 20 cm counterparts, 49% have Spitzer/MIPS 24 µm counterparts, and one may have a significant Chandra X-ray counterpart. We resolve ≃3% of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) at 1.2 mm into significant detections and directly estimate a 0.05 mJy faint-end cutoff for the counts that is consistent with the full intensity of the 1.2 mm CIB. The median redshift of our 17 detections with spectroscopic or robust photometric redshifts is zmedian = 2.3, and rises to zmedian = 2.9 when we include redshifts estimated from the radio/far-infrared spectral index. By using a nearest neighbor and angular correlation function analysis, we find evidence that our S/N > 4.0 detections are clustered at the 95% confidence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively bright at radio wavelengths but very faint at infrared and optical wavelengths. Here we present sensitive near-infrared observations of a sample of these sources taken as part of the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey. Nearly all the IFRSs are undetected at a level of ~1 µJy in these new deep observations, and even the detections are consistent with confusion with unrelated galaxies. A stacked image implies that the median flux density is S3.6 µm ~ 0.2 µJy or less, giving extreme values of the radio-infrared flux density ratio. Comparison of these objects with known classes of object suggests that the majority are probably high-redshift radio-loud galaxies, possibly suffering from significant dust extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new Herschel photometric and spectroscopic observations of Supernova 1987A, carried out in 2012. Our dedicated photometric measurements provide new 70 μm data and improved imaging quality at 100 and 160 μm compared to previous observations in 2010. Our Herschel spectra show only weak CO line emission, and provide an upper limit for the 63 μm [O I] line flux, eliminating the possibility that line contaminations distort the previously estimated dust mass. The far-infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) is well fitted by thermal emission from cold dust. The newly measured 70 μm flux constrains the dust temperature, limiting it to nearly a single temperature. The far-infrared emission can be fitted by 0.5 ± 0.1 M☼ of amorphous carbon, about a factor of two larger than the current nucleosynthetic mass prediction for carbon. The observation of SiO molecules at early and late phases suggests that silicates may also have formed and we could fit the SED with a combination of 0.3 M☼ of amorphous carbon and 0.5 M☼ of silicates, totalling 0.8 M☼ of dust. Our analysis thus supports the presence of a large dust reservoir in the ejecta of SN 1987A. The inferred dust mass suggests that supernovae can be an important source of dust in the interstellar medium, from local to high-redshift galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad spectral bandwidth at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths provided by the recent upgrades to the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) has made it possible to conduct unbiased searches for molecular CO line emission at redshifts, z > 1.31. We present the discovery of a gas-rich, star-forming galaxy at z = 2.48 through the detection of CO J = 1-0 line emission in the COLDz survey and through a sensitive, Ka-band (31-39 GHz) VLA survey of a 6.5 arcmin2 region of the COSMOS field. We argue that the broad line (FWHM ∼ 570 ± 80 km s–1) is most likely to be CO J = 1-0 at z = 2.48, as the integrated emission is spatially coincident with an infrared-detected galaxy with a photometric redshift estimate of zphot = 3.2 ± 0.4. The CO J = 1-0 line luminosity is K km s–1 pc2, suggesting a cold molecular gas mass of Mgas ∼ (2-8) × 1010M☼ depending on the assumed value of the molecular gas mass to CO luminosity ratio αCO. The estimated infrared luminosity from the (rest-frame) far-infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) is LIR = 2.5 × 1012L☼ and the star formation rate is ∼250 M☼ yr–1, with the SED shape indicating substantial dust obscuration of the stellar light. The infrared to CO line luminosity ratio is ∼114 ± 19 L☼/(K km s–1 pc2), similar to galaxies with similar SFRs selected at UV/optical to radio wavelengths. This discovery confirms the potential for molecular emission line surveys as a route to study populations of gas-rich galaxies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/H160-band observations of a sample of 48 Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array detected submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South field, to study their stellar morphologies and sizes. We detect 79% ± 17% of the SMGs in the H160-band imaging with a median sensitivity of 27.8 mag, and most (80%) of the nondetections are SMGs with 870 μm fluxes of S870 < 3 mJy. With a surface brightness limit of μH ∼ 26 mag arcsec–2, we find that 82% ± 9% of the H160-band-detected SMGs at z = 1-3 appear to have disturbed morphologies, meaning they are visually classified as either irregulars or interacting systems, or both. By determining a Sérsic fit to the H160 surface brightness profiles, we derive a median Sérsic index of n = 1.2 ± 0.3 and a median half-light radius of re = 4.4 kpc for our SMGs at z = 1-3. We also find significant displacements between the positions of the H160 component and 870 μm emission in these systems, suggesting that the dusty starburst regions and less-obscured stellar distribution are not colocated. We find significant differences in the sizes and the Sérsic index between our z = 2-3 SMGs and z ∼ 2 quiescent galaxies, suggesting that a major transformation of the stellar light profile is needed in the quenching processes if SMGs are progenitors of the red-and-dead z ∼ 2 galaxies. Given the short-lived nature of SMGs, we postulate that the majority of the z = 2-3 SMGs with S870 ≳ 2 mJy are early/mid-stage major mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present high-resolution (0.″3) Atacama Large Millimeter Array 870 μm imaging of 52 sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) in the Ultra Deep Survey field to investigate the size and morphology of the sub-millimeter (sub-mm) emission on 2-10 kpc scales. We derive a median intrinsic angular size of FWHM = 0.″30 ± 0.″04 for the 23 SMGs in the sample detected at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) >10. Using the photometric redshifts of the SMGs we show that this corresponds to a median physical half-light diameter of 2.4 ± 0.2 kpc. A stacking analysis of the SMGs detected at S/N <10 shows they have sizes consistent with the 870 μm bright SMGs in the sample. We compare our results to the sizes of SMGs derived from other multi-wavelength studies, and show that the rest-frame ∼250 μm sizes of SMGs are consistent with studies of resolved 12CO (J = 3-2 to 7-6) emission lines, but that sizes derived from 1.4 GHz imaging appear to be approximately two times larger on average, which we attribute to cosmic ray diffusion. The rest-frame optical sizes of SMGs are around four times larger than the sub-millimeter sizes, indicating that the star formation in these galaxies is compact relative to the pre-existing stellar distribution. The size of the starburst region in SMGs is consistent with the majority of the star formation occurring in a central region, a few kiloparsecs in extent, with a median star formation rate surface density of 90 ± 30 M☼ yr–1 kpc–2, which may suggest that we are witnessing an intense period of bulge growth in these galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxies' rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) properties are often used to directly infer the degree to which dust obscuration affects the measurement of star formation rates (SFRs). While much recent work has focused on calibrating dust attenuation in galaxies selected at rest-frame ultraviolet wavelengths, locally and at high-z, here we investigate attenuation in dusty, star forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected at far-infrared wavelengths. By combining multiwavelength coverage across 0.15-500 μm in the COSMOS field, in particular making use of Herschel imaging, and a rich data set on local galaxies, we find an empirical variation in the relationship between the rest-frame UV slope (β) and the ratio of infrared-to-ultraviolet emission (LIR/LUV ≡ IRX) as a function of infrared luminosity, or total SFR. Both locally and at high-z, galaxies above SFR ≳ 50 M☼ yr–1 deviate from the nominal IRX-β relation toward bluer colors by a factor proportional to their increasing IR luminosity. We also estimate contamination rates of DSFGs on high-z dropout searches of ≪1% at z ≲ 4-10, providing independent verification that contamination from very dusty foreground galaxies is low in Lyman-break galaxy searches. Overall, our results are consistent with the physical interpretation that DSFGs, e.g., galaxies with >50 M☼ yr–1, are dominated at all epochs by short-lived, extreme burst events, producing many young O and B stars that are primarily, yet not entirely, enshrouded in thick dust cocoons. The blue rest-frame UV slopes of DSFGs are inconsistent with the suggestion that most DSFGs at z ∼ 2 exhibit steady-state star formation in secular disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a search for submillimeter emission in the vicinity of one of the most distant, luminous galaxies known, HerMES FLS3, at z = 6.34, exploiting it as a signpost to a potentially biased region of the early universe, as might be expected in hierarchical structure formation models. Imaging to the confusion limit with the innovative, wide-field submillimeter bolometer camera, SCUBA-2, we are sensitive to colder and/or less luminous galaxies in the surroundings of HFLS3. We use the Millennium Simulation to illustrate that HFLS3 may be expected to have companions if it is as massive as claimed, but find no significant evidence from the surface density of SCUBA-2 galaxies in its vicinity, or their colors, that HFLS3 marks an overdensity of dusty, star-forming galaxies. We cannot rule out the presence of dusty neighbors with confidence, but deeper 450 μm imaging has the potential to more tightly constrain the redshifts of nearby galaxies, at least one of which likely lies at z ≳ 5. If associations with HFLS3 can be ruled out, this could be taken as evidence that HFLS3 is less biased than a simple extrapolation of the Millennium Simulation may imply. This could suggest either that it represents a rare short-lived, but highly luminous, phase in the evolution of an otherwise typical galaxy, or that this system has suffered amplification due to a foreground gravitational lens and so is not as intrinsically luminous as claimed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the rest-frame ultraviolet emission from the starbursting galaxy HFLS3 at a redshift of 6.34. The galaxy was discovered in Herschel/SPIRE data due to its red color in the submillimeter wavelengths from 250 to 500 μm. Keck/NIRC2 Ks-band adaptive optics imaging data showed two potential near-IR counterparts near HFLS3. Previously, the northern galaxy was taken to be in the foreground at z = 2.1, while the southern galaxy was assumed to be HFLS3's near-IR counterpart. The recently acquired Hubble/WFC3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) imaging data show conclusively that both optically bright galaxies are in the foreground at z < 6. A new lensing model based on the Hubble imaging data and the millimeter-wave continuum emission yields a magnification factor of 2.2 ± 0.3, with a 95% confidence upper limit on the magnification of 3.5. When corrected for lensing, the instantaneous star formation rate is 1320 M☼ yr–1, with the 95% confidence lower limit around 830 M☼ yr–1. The dust and stellar masses of HFLS3 from the same spectral energy distribution (SED) models are at the level of 3 × 108M☼ and ∼5 × 1010M☼, respectively, with large systematic uncertainties on assumptions related to the SED model. With Hubble/WFC3 images, we also find diffuse near-IR emission about 0.5 arcsec (∼3 kpc) to the southwest of HFLS3 that remains undetected in the ACS imaging data. The emission has a photometric redshift consistent with either z ∼ 6 or a dusty galaxy template at z ∼ 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first photometric redshift distribution for a large sample of 870 μm submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with robust identifications based on observations with ALMA. In our analysis we consider 96 SMGs in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, 77 of which have 4-19 band photometry. We model the SEDs for these 77 SMGs, deriving a median photometric redshift of zphot = 2.3 ± 0.1. The remaining 19 SMGs have insufficient photometry to derive photometric redshifts, but a stacking analysis of Herschel observations confirms they are not spurious. Assuming that these SMGs have an absolute H-band magnitude distribution comparable to that of a complete sample of z ∼ 1-2 SMGs, we demonstrate that they lie at slightly higher redshifts, raising the median redshift for SMGs to zphot = 2.5 ± 0.2. Critically we show that the proportion of galaxies undergoing an SMG-like phase at z ⩾ 3 is at most 35% ± 5% of the total population. We derive a median stellar mass of M⋆ = (8 ± 1) × 1010M☼, although there are systematic uncertainties of up to 5 × for individual sources. Assuming that the star formation activity in SMGs has a timescale of ∼100 Myr, we show that their descendants at z ∼ 0 would have a space density and MH distribution that are in good agreement with those of local ellipticals. In addition, the inferred mass-weighted ages of the local ellipticals broadly agree with the look-back times of the SMG events. Taken together, these results are consistent with a simple model that identifies SMGs as events that form most of the stars seen in the majority of luminous elliptical galaxies at the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the far-infrared properties of 498 Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South, using 250, 350, and 500 μm data from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey and 870 μm data from the LABOCA ECDFS Submillimeter Survey. None of the 126, 280, or 92 LAEs at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, respectively, are individually detected in the far-infrared data. We use stacking to probe the average emission to deeper flux limits, reaching 1σ depths of ∼0.1 to 0.4 mJy. The LAEs are also undetected at ⩾3σ in the stacks, although a 2.5σ signal is observed at 870 μm for the z = 2.8 sources. We consider a wide range of far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs), including an M82 and an Sd galaxy template, to determine upper limits on the far-infrared luminosities and far-infrared-derived star formation rates of the LAEs. These star formation rates are then combined with those inferred from the Lyα and UV emission to determine lower limits on the LAEs' Lyα escape fraction (fesc(Lyα)). For the Sd SED template, the inferred LAEs fesc(Lyα) are ≳ 30% (1σ) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, which are all significantly higher than the global fesc(Lyα) at these redshifts. Thus, if the LAEs fesc(Lyα) follows the global evolution, then they have warmer far-infrared SEDs than the Sd galaxy template. The average and M82 SEDs produce lower limits on the LAE fesc(Lyα) of ∼10%-20% (1σ), all of which are slightly higher than the global evolution of fesc(Lyα), but consistent with it at the 2σ-3σ level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Keck spectroscopic observations and redshifts for a sample of 767 Herschel-SPIRE selected galaxies (HSGs) at 250, 350, and 500 μm, taken with the Keck I Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and the Keck II DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph. The redshift distribution of these SPIRE sources from the Herschel Multitiered Extragalactic Survey peaks at z = 0.85, with 731 sources at z < 2 and a tail of sources out to z ∼ 5. We measure more significant disagreement between photometric and spectroscopic redshifts (〈 Δz/(1 + zspec)〉 = 0.29) than is seen in non-infrared selected samples, likely due to enhanced star formation rates and dust obscuration in infrared-selected galaxies. The infrared data are used to directly measure integrated infrared luminosities and dust temperatures independent of radio or 24 μm flux densities. By probing the dust spectral energy distribution (SED) at its peak, we estimate that the vast majority (72%-83%) of z < 2 Herschel-selected galaxies would drop out of traditional submillimeter surveys at 0.85-1 mm. We find that dust temperature traces infrared luminosity, due in part to the SPIRE wavelength selection biases, and partially from physical effects. As a result, we measure no significant trend in SPIRE color with redshift; if dust temperature were independent of luminosity or redshift, a trend in SPIRE color would be expected. Composite infrared SEDs are constructed as a function of infrared luminosity, showing the increase in dust temperature with luminosity, and subtle change in near-infrared and mid-infrared spectral properties. Moderate evolution in the far-infrared (FIR)/radio correlation is measured for this partially radio-selected sample, with qIR∝(1 + z)–0.30 ± 0.02 at z < 2. We estimate the luminosity function and implied star formation rate density contribution of HSGs at z < 1.6 and find overall agreement with work based on 24 μm extrapolations of the LIRG, ULIRG, and total infrared contributions. This work significantly increased the number of spectroscopically confirmed infrared-luminous galaxies at z ≫ 0 and demonstrates the growing importance of dusty starbursts for galaxy evolution studies and the build-up of stellar mass throughout cosmic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present spectroscopic observations for a sample of 36 Herschel-SPIRE 250-500 μm selected galaxies (HSGs) at 2 < z < 5 from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey. Redshifts are confirmed as part of a large redshift survey of Herschel-SPIRE-selected sources covering ∼0.93 deg2 in six extragalactic legacy fields. Observations were taken with the Keck I Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and the Keck II DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph. Precise astrometry, needed for spectroscopic follow-up, is determined by identification of counterparts at 24 μm or 1.4 GHz using a cross-identification likelihood matching method. Individual source luminosities range from log (LIR/L☼) = 12.5-13.6 (corresponding to star formation rates (SFRs) 500-9000 M☼ yr–1, assuming a Salpeter initial mass function), constituting some of the most intrinsically luminous, distant infrared galaxies discovered thus far. We present both individual and composite rest-frame ultraviolet spectra and infrared spectral energy distributions. The selection of these HSGs is reproducible and well characterized across large areas of the sky in contrast to most z > 2 HyLIRGs in the literature, which are detected serendipitously or via tailored surveys searching only for high-z HyLIRGs; therefore, we can place lower limits on the contribution of HSGs to the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) at (7 ± 2) × 10–3M☼ yr–1h3 Mpc–3 at z ∼ 2.5, which is >10% of the estimated total SFRD of the universe from optical surveys. The contribution at z ∼ 4 has a lower limit of 3 × 10–3M☼ yr–1h3 Mpc–3, ≳20% of the estimated total SFRD. This highlights the importance of extremely infrared-luminous galaxies with high SFRs to the buildup of stellar mass, even at the earliest epochs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether supernovae are major sources of dust in galaxies is a long-standing debate. We present infrared and submillimeter photometry and spectroscopy from the Herschel Space Observatory of the Crab Nebula between 51 and 670 μm as part of the Mass Loss from Evolved StarS program. We compare the emission detected with Herschel with multiwavelength data including millimeter, radio, mid-infrared, and archive optical images. We carefully remove the synchrotron component using the Herschel and Planck fluxes measured in the same epoch. The contribution from line emission is removed using Herschel spectroscopy combined with Infrared Space Observatory archive data. Several forbidden lines of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are detected where multiple velocity components are resolved, deduced to be from the nitrogen-depleted, carbon-rich ejecta. No spectral lines are detected in the SPIRE wavebands; in the PACS bands, the line contribution is 5% and 10% at 70 and 100 μm and negligible at 160 μm. After subtracting the synchrotron and line emission, the remaining far-infrared continuum can be fit with two dust components. Assuming standard interstellar silicates, the mass of the cooler component is 0.24+0.32– 0.08M☼ for T = 28.1+5.5– 3.2 K. Amorphous carbon grains require 0.11 ± 0.01 M☼ of dust with T = 33.8+2.3– 1.8 K. A single temperature modified blackbody with 0.14 M☼ and 0.08 M☼ for silicate and carbon dust, respectively, provides an adequate fit to the far-infrared region of the spectral energy distribution but is a poor fit at 24-500 μm. The Crab Nebula has condensed most of the relevant refractory elements into dust, suggesting the formation of dust in core-collapse supernova ejecta is efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present high-resolution maps of stars, dust, and molecular gas in a strongly lensed submillimeter galaxy (SMG) at z = 3.259. HATLAS J114637.9–001132 is selected from the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) as a strong lens candidate mainly based on its unusually high 500 μm flux density (∼300 mJy). It is the only high-redshift Planck detection in the 130 deg2 H-ATLAS Phase-I area. Keck Adaptive Optics images reveal a quadruply imaged galaxy in the K band while the Submillimeter Array and the Jansky Very Large Array show doubly imaged 880 μm and CO(1→0) sources, indicating differentiated distributions of the various components in the galaxy. In the source plane, the stars reside in three major kpc-scale clumps extended over ∼1.6 kpc, the dust in a compact (∼1 kpc) region ∼3 kpc north of the stars, and the cold molecular gas in an extended (∼7 kpc) disk ∼5 kpc northeast of the stars. The emissions from the stars, dust, and gas are magnified by ∼17, ∼8, and ∼7 times, respectively, by four lensing galaxies at z ∼ 1. Intrinsically, the lensed galaxy is a warm (Tdust ∼ 40-65 K), hyper-luminous (LIR ∼ 1.7 × 1013L☼; star formation rate (SFR) ∼2000 M☼ yr–1), gas-rich (Mgas/Mbaryon ∼ 70%), young (Mstellar/SFR ∼ 20 Myr), and short-lived (Mgas/SFR ∼ 40 Myr) starburst. With physical properties similar to unlensed z > 2 SMGs, HATLAS J114637.9–001132 offers a detailed view of a typical SMG through a powerful cosmic microscope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]