The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise

Chao Wei Tsai; Peter R.M. Eisenhardt; Jingwen Wu; Daniel Stern; Roberto J. Assef; Andrew W. Blain; Carrie R. Bridge; Dominic J. Benford; Roc M. Cutri; Roger L. Griffith; Thomas H. Jarrett; Carol J. Lonsdale; Frank J. Masci; Leonidas A. Moustakas; Sara M. Petty; Jack Sayers; S. Adam Stanford; Edward L. Wright; Lin Yan; David T. Leisawitz; Fengchuan Liu; Amy K. Mainzer; Ian S. McLean; Deborah L. Padgett; Michael F. Skrutskie; Christopher R. Gelino; Charles A. Beichman; Stéphanie Juneau

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90

The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise

Chao Wei Tsai, Peter R.M. Eisenhardt, Jingwen Wu, Daniel Stern, Roberto J. Assef, Andrew W. Blain, Carrie R. Bridge, Dominic J. Benford, Roc M. Cutri, Roger L. Griffith, Thomas H. Jarrett, Carol J. Lonsdale, Frank J. Masci, Leonidas A. Moustakas, Sara M. Petty, Jack Sayers, S. Adam Stanford, Edward L. Wright, Lin Yan, David T. LeisawitzFengchuan Liu, Amy K. Mainzer, Ian S. McLean, Deborah L. Padgett, Michael F. Skrutskie, Christopher R. Gelino, Charles A. Beichman, Stéphanie Juneau

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

142 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present 20 Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected galaxies with bolometric luminosities L_bol > 10¹⁴ L_O;, including five with infrared luminosities L_IR ≡ L_{(rest 8-1000 μm)} > 10¹⁴ L_O. These "extremely luminous infrared galaxies," or ELIRGs, were discovered using the "W1W2-dropout" selection criteria which requires marginal or non-detections at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2, respectively) but strong detections at 12 and 22 μm in the WISE survey. Their spectral energy distributions are dominated by emission at rest-frame 4-10 μm, suggesting that hot dust with T_d ∼ 450 K is responsible for the high luminosities. These galaxies are likely powered by highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and there is no evidence suggesting these systems are beamed or lensed. We compare this WISE-selected sample with 116 optically selected quasars that reach the same L_bol level, corresponding to the most luminous unobscured quasars in the literature. We find that the rest-frame 5.8 and 7.8 μm luminosities of the WISE-selected ELIRGs can be 30%-80% higher than that of the unobscured quasars. The existence of AGNs with L_bol > 10¹⁴ L at z > 3 suggests that these supermassive black holes are born with large mass, or have very rapid mass assembly. For black hole seed masses ∼10³ M_O, either sustained super-Eddington accretion is needed, or the radiative efficiency must be <15%, implying a black hole with slow spin, possibly due to chaotic accretion.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	90
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	805
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90
State	Published - Jun 1 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

galaxies: active
infrared: galaxies
quasars: supermassive black holes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90

Cite this

Tsai, C. W., Eisenhardt, P. R. M., Wu, J., Stern, D., Assef, R. J., Blain, A. W., Bridge, C. R., Benford, D. J., Cutri, R. M., Griffith, R. L., Jarrett, T. H., Lonsdale, C. J., Masci, F. J., Moustakas, L. A., Petty, S. M., Sayers, J., Stanford, S. A., Wright, E. L., Yan, L., ... Juneau, S. (2015). The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise. Astrophysical Journal, 805(2), Article 90. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90

Tsai, CW, Eisenhardt, PRM, Wu, J, Stern, D, Assef, RJ, Blain, AW, Bridge, CR, Benford, DJ, Cutri, RM, Griffith, RL, Jarrett, TH, Lonsdale, CJ, Masci, FJ, Moustakas, LA, Petty, SM, Sayers, J, Stanford, SA, Wright, EL, Yan, L, Leisawitz, DT, Liu, F, Mainzer, AK, McLean, IS, Padgett, DL, Skrutskie, MF, Gelino, CR, Beichman, CA & Juneau, S 2015, 'The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 805, no. 2, 90. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90

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title = "The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise",

abstract = "We present 20 Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected galaxies with bolometric luminosities Lbol > 1014 LO;, including five with infrared luminosities LIR ≡ L(rest 8-1000 μm) > 1014 LO. These {"}extremely luminous infrared galaxies,{"} or ELIRGs, were discovered using the {"}W1W2-dropout{"} selection criteria which requires marginal or non-detections at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2, respectively) but strong detections at 12 and 22 μm in the WISE survey. Their spectral energy distributions are dominated by emission at rest-frame 4-10 μm, suggesting that hot dust with Td ∼ 450 K is responsible for the high luminosities. These galaxies are likely powered by highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and there is no evidence suggesting these systems are beamed or lensed. We compare this WISE-selected sample with 116 optically selected quasars that reach the same Lbol level, corresponding to the most luminous unobscured quasars in the literature. We find that the rest-frame 5.8 and 7.8 μm luminosities of the WISE-selected ELIRGs can be 30%-80% higher than that of the unobscured quasars. The existence of AGNs with Lbol > 1014 L at z > 3 suggests that these supermassive black holes are born with large mass, or have very rapid mass assembly. For black hole seed masses ∼103 MO, either sustained super-Eddington accretion is needed, or the radiative efficiency must be <15%, implying a black hole with slow spin, possibly due to chaotic accretion.",

keywords = "galaxies: active, infrared: galaxies, quasars: supermassive black holes",

author = "Tsai, {Chao Wei} and Eisenhardt, {Peter R.M.} and Jingwen Wu and Daniel Stern and Assef, {Roberto J.} and Blain, {Andrew W.} and Bridge, {Carrie R.} and Benford, {Dominic J.} and Cutri, {Roc M.} and Griffith, {Roger L.} and Jarrett, {Thomas H.} and Lonsdale, {Carol J.} and Masci, {Frank J.} and Moustakas, {Leonidas A.} and Petty, {Sara M.} and Jack Sayers and Stanford, {S. Adam} and Wright, {Edward L.} and Lin Yan and Leisawitz, {David T.} and Fengchuan Liu and Mainzer, {Amy K.} and McLean, {Ian S.} and Padgett, {Deborah L.} and Skrutskie, {Michael F.} and Gelino, {Christopher R.} and Beichman, {Charles A.} and St{\'e}phanie Juneau",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90",

language = "English (US)",

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journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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T1 - The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise

AU - Tsai, Chao Wei

AU - Eisenhardt, Peter R.M.

AU - Wu, Jingwen

AU - Stern, Daniel

AU - Assef, Roberto J.

AU - Blain, Andrew W.

AU - Bridge, Carrie R.

AU - Benford, Dominic J.

AU - Cutri, Roc M.

AU - Griffith, Roger L.

AU - Jarrett, Thomas H.

AU - Lonsdale, Carol J.

AU - Masci, Frank J.

AU - Moustakas, Leonidas A.

AU - Petty, Sara M.

AU - Sayers, Jack

AU - Stanford, S. Adam

AU - Wright, Edward L.

AU - Yan, Lin

AU - Leisawitz, David T.

AU - Liu, Fengchuan

AU - Mainzer, Amy K.

AU - McLean, Ian S.

AU - Padgett, Deborah L.

AU - Skrutskie, Michael F.

AU - Gelino, Christopher R.

AU - Beichman, Charles A.

AU - Juneau, Stéphanie

PY - 2015/6/1

Y1 - 2015/6/1

N2 - We present 20 Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected galaxies with bolometric luminosities Lbol > 1014 LO;, including five with infrared luminosities LIR ≡ L(rest 8-1000 μm) > 1014 LO. These "extremely luminous infrared galaxies," or ELIRGs, were discovered using the "W1W2-dropout" selection criteria which requires marginal or non-detections at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2, respectively) but strong detections at 12 and 22 μm in the WISE survey. Their spectral energy distributions are dominated by emission at rest-frame 4-10 μm, suggesting that hot dust with Td ∼ 450 K is responsible for the high luminosities. These galaxies are likely powered by highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and there is no evidence suggesting these systems are beamed or lensed. We compare this WISE-selected sample with 116 optically selected quasars that reach the same Lbol level, corresponding to the most luminous unobscured quasars in the literature. We find that the rest-frame 5.8 and 7.8 μm luminosities of the WISE-selected ELIRGs can be 30%-80% higher than that of the unobscured quasars. The existence of AGNs with Lbol > 1014 L at z > 3 suggests that these supermassive black holes are born with large mass, or have very rapid mass assembly. For black hole seed masses ∼103 MO, either sustained super-Eddington accretion is needed, or the radiative efficiency must be <15%, implying a black hole with slow spin, possibly due to chaotic accretion.

AB - We present 20 Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected galaxies with bolometric luminosities Lbol > 1014 LO;, including five with infrared luminosities LIR ≡ L(rest 8-1000 μm) > 1014 LO. These "extremely luminous infrared galaxies," or ELIRGs, were discovered using the "W1W2-dropout" selection criteria which requires marginal or non-detections at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2, respectively) but strong detections at 12 and 22 μm in the WISE survey. Their spectral energy distributions are dominated by emission at rest-frame 4-10 μm, suggesting that hot dust with Td ∼ 450 K is responsible for the high luminosities. These galaxies are likely powered by highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and there is no evidence suggesting these systems are beamed or lensed. We compare this WISE-selected sample with 116 optically selected quasars that reach the same Lbol level, corresponding to the most luminous unobscured quasars in the literature. We find that the rest-frame 5.8 and 7.8 μm luminosities of the WISE-selected ELIRGs can be 30%-80% higher than that of the unobscured quasars. The existence of AGNs with Lbol > 1014 L at z > 3 suggests that these supermassive black holes are born with large mass, or have very rapid mass assembly. For black hole seed masses ∼103 MO, either sustained super-Eddington accretion is needed, or the radiative efficiency must be <15%, implying a black hole with slow spin, possibly due to chaotic accretion.

KW - galaxies: active

KW - infrared: galaxies

KW - quasars: supermassive black holes

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DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/805/2/90

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84934882181

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 805

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 90

ER -

The most luminous galaxies discovered by wise

Abstract

Keywords

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