No Arabic abstract
We present the IR luminosity function derived from ultra-deep 70 micron imaging of the GOODS-North field. The 70 micron observations are longward of the PAH and silicate features which complicate work in the MIR. We derive far-infrared luminosities for the 143 sources with S_{70} > 2 mJy (S/N > 3 sigma). The majority (81%) of the sources have spectroscopic redshifts, and photometric redshifts are calculated for the remainder. The IR luminosity function at four redshifts (z ~ 0.28, 0.48, 0.78, and 0.97) is derived and compared to the local one. There is considerable degeneracy between luminosity and density evolution. If the evolving luminosity function is described as rho(L, z) = (1 + z)^q rho(L/(1 + z)^p, 0), we find q = -2.19p + 6.09. In the case of pure luminosity evolution, we find a best fit of p = 2.78^{+0.34}_{-0.32}. This is consistent with the results from 24 micron and 1.4 GHz studies. Our results confirm the emerging picture of strong evolution in LIRGs and ULIRGs at 0.4 < z < 1.1, but we find no evidence of significant evolution in the sub-LIRG (L < 10^{11} L_{odot}) population for z < 0.4.
We present the rest-frame 8 micron luminosity function (LF) at redshifts z=1 and ~2, computed from Spitzer 24 micron-selected galaxies in the GOODS fields over an area of 291 sq. arcmin. Using classification criteria based on X-ray data and IRAC colours, we identify the AGN in our sample. The rest-frame 8 micron LF for star-forming galaxies at redshifts z=1 and ~2 have the same shape as at z~0, but with a strong positive luminosity evolution. The number density of star-forming galaxies with log_{10}(nu L_nu(8 micron))>11 increases by a factor >250 from redshift z~0 to 1, and is basically the same at z=1 and ~2. The resulting rest-frame 8 micron luminosity densities associated with star formation at z=1 and ~2 are more than four and two times larger than at z~0, respectively. We also compute the total rest-frame 8 micron LF for star-forming galaxies and AGN at z~2 and show that AGN dominate its bright end, which is well-described by a power-law. Using a new calibration based on Spitzer star-forming galaxies at 0<z<0.6 and validated at higher redshifts through stacking analysis, we compute the bolometric infrared (IR) LF for star-forming galaxies at z=1 and ~2. We find that the respective bolometric IR luminosity densities are (1.2+/-0.2) x 10^9 and (6.6^{+1.2}_{-1.0}) x 10^8 L_sun Mpc^{-3}, in agreement with previous studies within the error bars. At z~2, around 90% of the IR luminosity density associated with star formation is produced by luminous and ultraluminous IR galaxies (LIRG and ULIRG), with the two populations contributing in roughly similar amounts. Finally, we discuss the consistency of our findings with other existing observational results on galaxy evolution.
We present the observed correlations between rest-frame 8, 24, 70 and 160 um monochromatic luminosities and measured total infrared luminosities L_IR of galaxies detected by Spitzer. Our sample consists of 372 star-forming galaxies with individual detections and flux measurements at 8, 24, 70 and 160 um. We have spectroscopic redshifts for 93% of these sources, and accurate photometric redshifts for the remainder. We also used a stacking analysis to measure the IR fluxes of fainter sources at higher redshifts. We show that the monochromatic mid and far-infrared luminosities are strongly correlated with the total infrared luminosity and our stacking analysis confirms that these correlations also hold at higher redshifts. We provide relations between monochromatic luminosities and total infrared luminosities L_IR that should be reliable up to z~2 (z~1.1) for ULIRGs (LIRGs). In particular, we can predict L_IR with accuracies of 37% and 54% from the 8 and 24 um fluxes, while the best tracer is the 70 um flux. Combining bands leads to slightly more accurate estimates. For example, combining the 8 and 24 um luminosities predicts L_IR with an accuracy of 34%. Our results are generally compatible with previous studies, and the small changes are probably due to differences in the sample selection criteria. We can rule out strong evolution in dust properties with redshift up to z~1. Finally, we show that infrared and sub-millimeter observations are complementary means of building complete samples of star-forming galaxies, with the former being more sensitive for z<~2 and the latter at higher z>~2.
We study the far-infrared (IR) and sub-millimeter properties of a sample of ultraviolet (UV) selected galaxies at zsim1.5. Using stacking at 250, 350 and 500 um from Herschel Space Observatory SPIRE imaging of the COSMOS field obtained within the HerMES key program, we derive the mean IR luminosity as a function of both UV luminosity and slope of the UV continuum beta. The IR to UV luminosity ratio is roughly constant over most of the UV luminosity range we explore. We also find that the IR to UV luminosity ratio is correlated with beta. We observe a correlation that underestimates the correlation derived from low-redshift starburst galaxies, but is in good agreement with the correlation derived from local normal star-forming galaxies. Using these results we reconstruct the IR luminosity function of our UV-selected sample. This luminosity function recovers the IR luminosity functions measured from IR selected samples at the faintest luminosities (Lir ~ 10^{11} L_sun), but might underestimate them at the bright-end (Lir > 5.10^{11} L_sun). For galaxies with 10^{11}<Lir/L_sun<10^{13}, the IR luminosity function of a UV selection recovers (given the differences in IR-based estimates) 52-65 to 89-112 per cent of the star-formation rate density derived from an IR selection. The cosmic star-formation rate density derived from this IR luminosity function is 61-76 to 100-133 per cent of the density derived from IR selections at the same epoch. Assuming the latest Herschel results and conservative stacking measurements, we use a toy model to fully reproduce the far IR luminosity function from our UV selection at zsim 1.5. This suggests that a sample around 4 magnitudes deeper (i.e. reaching u sim 30 mag) and a large dispersion of the IR to UV luminosity ratio are required.
We constrain the evolution of the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) luminosity function out to high redshift, by combining several pieces of complementary information provided by the deep Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope surveys at 250, 350 and 500 micron, as well as other FIR and millimetre data. Unlike most other phenomenological models, we characterise the uncertainties in our fitted parameters using Monte Carlo Markov Chains. We use a bivariate local luminosity function that depends only on FIR luminosity and 60-to-100 micron colour, along with a single library of galaxy spectral energy distributions indexed by colour, and apply simple luminosity and density evolution. We use the surface density of sources, Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) measurements and redshift distributions of bright sources, for which identifications have been made, to constrain this model. The precise evolution of the FIR luminosity function across this crucial range has eluded studies at longer wavelengths (e.g., using SCUBA and MAMBO) and at shorter wavelengths (e.g., Spitzer), and should provide a key piece of information required for the study of galaxy evolution. Our adoption of Monte Carlo methods enables us not only to find the best-fit evolution model, but also to explore correlations between the fitted parameters. Our model-fitting approach allows us to focus on sources of tension coming from the combination of data-sets. We specifically find that our choice of parameterisation has difficulty fitting the combination of CIB measurements and redshift distribution of sources near 1 mm. Existing and future data sets will be able to dramatically improve the fits, as well as break strong degeneracies among the models. [abridged]
We present results from the deepest Herschel-PACS (Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer) far-infrared blank field extragalactic survey, obtained by combining observations of the GOODS (Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey) fields from the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) and GOODS-Herschel key programmes. We describe data reduction and the construction of images and catalogues. In the deepest parts of the GOODS-S field, the catalogues reach 3-sigma depths of 0.9, 0.6 and 1.3 mJy at 70, 100 and 160 um, respectively, and resolve ~75% of the cosmic infrared background at 100um and 160um into individually detected sources. We use these data to estimate the PACS confusion noise, to derive the PACS number counts down to unprecedented depths and to determine the infrared luminosity function of galaxies down to LIR=10^11 Lsun at z~1 and LIR=10^12 Lsun at z~2, respectively. For the infrared luminosity function of galaxies, our deep Herschel far-infrared observations are fundamental because they provide more accurate infrared luminosity estimates than those previously obtained from mid-infrared observations. Maps and source catalogues (>3-sigma) are now publicly released. Combined with the large wealth of multi-wavelength data available for the GOODS fields, these data provide a powerful new tool for studying galaxy evolution over a broad range of redshifts.