Infrared Luminous Lyman Break Galaxies: A Population that Bridges LBGs and SCUBA Galaxies Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • A deep mid- and far-infrared survey in the extended Groth strip (EGS) area gives 3.6 to 8 m flux densities or upper limits for 253 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). The LBGs are a diverse population but with properties correlated with luminosity. The LBGs show a factor of 30 range in indicated stellar mass and a factor of 10 range in apparent dust content relative to stellar mass. About 5% of LBGs are luminous at all wavelengths, with powerful emission at rest 6 m. In the rest 0.9 to 2 m spectral range these galaxies have stellar spectral slopes with no sign of an AGN power-law component, suggesting that their emission is mainly powered by intensive star formation. Galaxies in this luminous population share the infrared properties of cold Submillimeter Common-User Bolometric Array (SCUBA) sources: both are massive and dusty starburst galaxies at 2 < z < 3; their stellar mass is larger than 10 11 M. We suggest that these galaxies are the progenitors of present-day giant elliptical galaxies, with a substantial fraction of their stars already formed at z 3. 2005. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • The Astrophysical Journal

author list (cited authors)

  • Huang, J., Rigopoulou, D., Willner, S. P., Papovich, C., Shu, C., Ashby, M., ... Fazio, G. G.

citation count

  • 42

complete list of authors

  • Huang, J-S||Rigopoulou, D||Willner, SP||Papovich, C||Shu, C||Ashby, MLN||Barmby, P||Bundy, K||Conselice, C||Egami, E||Pérez-González, PG||Rosenberg, JL||Smith, HA||Wilson, G||Fazio, GG

publication date

  • November 2005