Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope

J. R. Houck; B. T. Soifer; D. Weedman; S. J.U. Higdon; J. L. Higdon; T. Herter; M. J.I. Brown; A. Dey; B. T. Jannuzi; E. L.E. Floc'h; M. Rieke; L. Armus; V. Charmandaris; B. R. Brandl; H. I. Teplitz

doi:10.1086/429405

Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope

J. R. Houck, B. T. Soifer, D. Weedman, S. J.U. Higdon, J. L. Higdon, T. Herter, M. J.I. Brown, A. Dey, B. T. Jannuzi, E. L.E. Floc'h, M. Rieke, L. Armus, V. Charmandaris, B. R. Brandl, H. I. Teplitz

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197 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have surveyed a field covering 9.0 deg² within the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey region in Bootes with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) to a limiting 24 μm flux density of 0.3 mJy. Thirty-one sources from this survey with F_24μm > 0.75 mJy that are optically very faint (R ≳ 24.5 mag) have been observed with the low-resolution modules of the Infrared Spectrograph on SST (IRS). Redshifts derived primarily from strong silicate absorption features are reported here for 17 of these sources; 10 of these are optically invisible (R ≳ 26 mag), with no counterpart in B_W, R, or I. The observed redshifts for 16 sources are 1.7 < z < 2.8. These represent a newly discovered population of highly obscured sources at high redshift with extreme infrared-to-optical ratios. Using IRS spectra of local galaxies as templates, we find that a majority of the sources have mid-infrared spectral shapes most similar to ultraluminous infrared galaxies powered primarily by active galactic nuclei. Assuming that the same templates also apply at longer wavelengths, bolometric luminosities exceed 10¹³ L⊙.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L105-L108
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	622
Issue number	2 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/429405
State	Published - Apr 1 2005

Keywords

Dust, extinction
Galaxies: Active
Galaxies: High
Galaxies: Starburst
Infrared: Galaxies
Redshift

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/429405

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Houck, J. R., Soifer, B. T., Weedman, D., Higdon, S. J. U., Higdon, J. L., Herter, T., Brown, M. J. I., Dey, A., Jannuzi, B. T., Floc'h, E. L. E., Rieke, M., Armus, L., Charmandaris, V., Brandl, B. R., & Teplitz, H. I. (2005). Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope. Astrophysical Journal, 622(2 II), L105-L108. https://doi.org/10.1086/429405

Houck, JR, Soifer, BT, Weedman, D, Higdon, SJU, Higdon, JL, Herter, T, Brown, MJI, Dey, A, Jannuzi, BT, Floc'h, ELE, Rieke, M, Armus, L, Charmandaris, V, Brandl, BR & Teplitz, HI 2005, 'Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 622, no. 2 II, pp. L105-L108. https://doi.org/10.1086/429405

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title = "Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope",

abstract = "We have surveyed a field covering 9.0 deg2 within the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey region in Bootes with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) to a limiting 24 μm flux density of 0.3 mJy. Thirty-one sources from this survey with F24μm > 0.75 mJy that are optically very faint (R ≳ 24.5 mag) have been observed with the low-resolution modules of the Infrared Spectrograph on SST (IRS). Redshifts derived primarily from strong silicate absorption features are reported here for 17 of these sources; 10 of these are optically invisible (R ≳ 26 mag), with no counterpart in BW, R, or I. The observed redshifts for 16 sources are 1.7 < z < 2.8. These represent a newly discovered population of highly obscured sources at high redshift with extreme infrared-to-optical ratios. Using IRS spectra of local galaxies as templates, we find that a majority of the sources have mid-infrared spectral shapes most similar to ultraluminous infrared galaxies powered primarily by active galactic nuclei. Assuming that the same templates also apply at longer wavelengths, bolometric luminosities exceed 1013 L⊙.",

keywords = "Dust, extinction, Galaxies: Active, Galaxies: High, Galaxies: Starburst, Infrared: Galaxies, Redshift",

author = "Houck, {J. R.} and Soifer, {B. T.} and D. Weedman and Higdon, {S. J.U.} and Higdon, {J. L.} and T. Herter and Brown, {M. J.I.} and A. Dey and Jannuzi, {B. T.} and Floc'h, {E. L.E.} and M. Rieke and L. Armus and V. Charmandaris and Brandl, {B. R.} and Teplitz, {H. I.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank many others on the IRS, MIPS, and Bootes Survey teams for contributing to this effort, especially D. Barry, D. Devost, P. Hall, G. Sloan, H. Dole, P. Appleton, and C. Bian. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. Support for this work was provided by NASA through contract 1257184 issued by JPL/Caltech. This work used data provided by the NDWFS, which is supported by NOAO. NOAO is operated by AURA, Inc., under an agreement with the NSF.",

year = "2005",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1086/429405",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "622",

pages = "L105--L108",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2 II",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope

AU - Houck, J. R.

AU - Soifer, B. T.

AU - Weedman, D.

AU - Higdon, S. J.U.

AU - Higdon, J. L.

AU - Herter, T.

AU - Brown, M. J.I.

AU - Dey, A.

AU - Jannuzi, B. T.

AU - Floc'h, E. L.E.

AU - Rieke, M.

AU - Armus, L.

AU - Charmandaris, V.

AU - Brandl, B. R.

AU - Teplitz, H. I.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank many others on the IRS, MIPS, and Bootes Survey teams for contributing to this effort, especially D. Barry, D. Devost, P. Hall, G. Sloan, H. Dole, P. Appleton, and C. Bian. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. Support for this work was provided by NASA through contract 1257184 issued by JPL/Caltech. This work used data provided by the NDWFS, which is supported by NOAO. NOAO is operated by AURA, Inc., under an agreement with the NSF.

PY - 2005/4/1

Y1 - 2005/4/1

N2 - We have surveyed a field covering 9.0 deg2 within the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey region in Bootes with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) to a limiting 24 μm flux density of 0.3 mJy. Thirty-one sources from this survey with F24μm > 0.75 mJy that are optically very faint (R ≳ 24.5 mag) have been observed with the low-resolution modules of the Infrared Spectrograph on SST (IRS). Redshifts derived primarily from strong silicate absorption features are reported here for 17 of these sources; 10 of these are optically invisible (R ≳ 26 mag), with no counterpart in BW, R, or I. The observed redshifts for 16 sources are 1.7 < z < 2.8. These represent a newly discovered population of highly obscured sources at high redshift with extreme infrared-to-optical ratios. Using IRS spectra of local galaxies as templates, we find that a majority of the sources have mid-infrared spectral shapes most similar to ultraluminous infrared galaxies powered primarily by active galactic nuclei. Assuming that the same templates also apply at longer wavelengths, bolometric luminosities exceed 1013 L⊙.

AB - We have surveyed a field covering 9.0 deg2 within the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey region in Bootes with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) to a limiting 24 μm flux density of 0.3 mJy. Thirty-one sources from this survey with F24μm > 0.75 mJy that are optically very faint (R ≳ 24.5 mag) have been observed with the low-resolution modules of the Infrared Spectrograph on SST (IRS). Redshifts derived primarily from strong silicate absorption features are reported here for 17 of these sources; 10 of these are optically invisible (R ≳ 26 mag), with no counterpart in BW, R, or I. The observed redshifts for 16 sources are 1.7 < z < 2.8. These represent a newly discovered population of highly obscured sources at high redshift with extreme infrared-to-optical ratios. Using IRS spectra of local galaxies as templates, we find that a majority of the sources have mid-infrared spectral shapes most similar to ultraluminous infrared galaxies powered primarily by active galactic nuclei. Assuming that the same templates also apply at longer wavelengths, bolometric luminosities exceed 1013 L⊙.

KW - Dust, extinction

KW - Galaxies: Active

KW - Galaxies: High

KW - Galaxies: Starburst

KW - Infrared: Galaxies

KW - Redshift

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U2 - 10.1086/429405

DO - 10.1086/429405

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:19944386583

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 622

SP - L105-L108

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 II

ER -

Spectroscopic redshifts to z > 2 for optically obscured sources discovered with the spitzer space telescope

Abstract

Keywords

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