An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115

J. M. Simpson; Ian Smail; Wei Hao Wang; D. Riechers; J. S. Dunlop; Y. Ao; N. Bourne; A. Bunker; S. C. Chapman; Chian Chou Chen; H. Dannerbauer; J. E. Geach; T. Goto; C. M. Harrison; H. S. Hwang; R. J. Ivison; Tadayuki Kodama; C. H. Lee; H. M. Lee; M. Lee; C. F. Lim; M. J. Michałowski; D. J. Rosario; H. Shim; X. W. Shu; A. M. Swinbank; W. L. Tee; Y. Toba; E. Valiante; Junxian Wang; X. Z. Zheng

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115

J. M. Simpson, Ian Smail, Wei Hao Wang, D. Riechers, J. S. Dunlop, Y. Ao, N. Bourne, A. Bunker, S. C. Chapman, Chian Chou Chen, H. Dannerbauer, J. E. Geach, T. Goto, C. M. Harrison, H. S. Hwang, R. J. Ivison, Tadayuki Kodama, C. H. Lee, H. M. Lee, M. LeeC. F. Lim, M. J. Michałowski, D. J. Rosario, H. Shim, X. W. Shu, A. M. Swinbank, W. L. Tee, Y. Toba, E. Valiante, Junxian Wang, X. Z. Zheng

Department of Earth Science Education

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

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

The identification of high-redshift, massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshifts. In this Letter, we analyze deep ALMA/870 μm and SCUBA-2/450 μm imaging of the claimed "post-starburst" galaxy ZF 20115 at z = 3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The rest-frame far-infrared imaging identifies a luminous starburst 0.″4 0.″1 (∼3 kpc in projection) from the position of the ultraviolet/optical emission and is consistent with lying at the redshift of ZF 20115. The star-forming component, with an obscured star formation rate of 100⁺¹⁵ _-70M⊙ yr^-1, is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at rest-frame wavelengths 3500. This contribution from the obscured starburst, especially in the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands, significantly complicates the determination of a reliable stellar mass for the ZF 20015 system, and we conclude that this source does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF 20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially varying star formation history. ZF 20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the James Webb Space Telescope, at mid-infrared wavelengths.

Original language	English
Article number	L10
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	844
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2
State	Published - 20 Jul 2017

Keywords

galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: starburst

Access to Document

10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

Cite this

Simpson, J. M., Smail, I., Wang, W. H., Riechers, D., Dunlop, J. S., Ao, Y., Bourne, N., Bunker, A., Chapman, S. C., Chen, C. C., Dannerbauer, H., Geach, J. E., Goto, T., Harrison, C. M., Hwang, H. S., Ivison, R. J., Kodama, T., Lee, C. H., Lee, H. M., ... Zheng, X. Z. (2017). An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 844(1), Article L10. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

@article{7d5479ce7250415e8621c9969daaa76c,

title = "An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 {"}passive{"} System, ZF 20115",

abstract = "The identification of high-redshift, massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshifts. In this Letter, we analyze deep ALMA/870 μm and SCUBA-2/450 μm imaging of the claimed {"}post-starburst{"} galaxy ZF 20115 at z = 3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The rest-frame far-infrared imaging identifies a luminous starburst 0.″4 0.″1 (∼3 kpc in projection) from the position of the ultraviolet/optical emission and is consistent with lying at the redshift of ZF 20115. The star-forming component, with an obscured star formation rate of 100+15 -70M⊙ yr-1, is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at rest-frame wavelengths 3500. This contribution from the obscured starburst, especially in the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands, significantly complicates the determination of a reliable stellar mass for the ZF 20015 system, and we conclude that this source does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF 20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially varying star formation history. ZF 20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the James Webb Space Telescope, at mid-infrared wavelengths.",

keywords = "galaxies: high-redshift, galaxies: starburst",

author = "Simpson, {J. M.} and Ian Smail and Wang, {Wei Hao} and D. Riechers and Dunlop, {J. S.} and Y. Ao and N. Bourne and A. Bunker and Chapman, {S. C.} and Chen, {Chian Chou} and H. Dannerbauer and Geach, {J. E.} and T. Goto and Harrison, {C. M.} and Hwang, {H. S.} and Ivison, {R. J.} and Tadayuki Kodama and Lee, {C. H.} and Lee, {H. M.} and M. Lee and Lim, {C. F.} and Micha{\l}owski, {M. J.} and Rosario, {D. J.} and H. Shim and Shu, {X. W.} and Swinbank, {A. M.} and Tee, {W. L.} and Y. Toba and E. Valiante and Junxian Wang and Zheng, {X. Z.}",

year = "2017",

month = jul,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2",

language = "English",

volume = "844",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1",

}

Simpson, JM, Smail, I, Wang, WH, Riechers, D, Dunlop, JS, Ao, Y, Bourne, N, Bunker, A, Chapman, SC, Chen, CC, Dannerbauer, H, Geach, JE, Goto, T, Harrison, CM, Hwang, HS, Ivison, RJ, Kodama, T, Lee, CH, Lee, HM, Lee, M, Lim, CF, Michałowski, MJ, Rosario, DJ, Shim, H, Shu, XW, Swinbank, AM, Tee, WL, Toba, Y, Valiante, E, Wang, J & Zheng, XZ 2017, 'An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 844, no. 1, L10. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

TY - JOUR

T1 - An Imperfectly Passive Nature

T2 - Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115

AU - Simpson, J. M.

AU - Smail, Ian

AU - Wang, Wei Hao

AU - Riechers, D.

AU - Dunlop, J. S.

AU - Ao, Y.

AU - Bourne, N.

AU - Bunker, A.

AU - Chapman, S. C.

AU - Chen, Chian Chou

AU - Dannerbauer, H.

AU - Geach, J. E.

AU - Goto, T.

AU - Harrison, C. M.

AU - Hwang, H. S.

AU - Ivison, R. J.

AU - Kodama, Tadayuki

AU - Lee, C. H.

AU - Lee, H. M.

AU - Lee, M.

AU - Lim, C. F.

AU - Michałowski, M. J.

AU - Rosario, D. J.

AU - Shim, H.

AU - Shu, X. W.

AU - Swinbank, A. M.

AU - Tee, W. L.

AU - Toba, Y.

AU - Valiante, E.

AU - Wang, Junxian

AU - Zheng, X. Z.

PY - 2017/7/20

Y1 - 2017/7/20

N2 - The identification of high-redshift, massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshifts. In this Letter, we analyze deep ALMA/870 μm and SCUBA-2/450 μm imaging of the claimed "post-starburst" galaxy ZF 20115 at z = 3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The rest-frame far-infrared imaging identifies a luminous starburst 0.″4 0.″1 (∼3 kpc in projection) from the position of the ultraviolet/optical emission and is consistent with lying at the redshift of ZF 20115. The star-forming component, with an obscured star formation rate of 100+15 -70M⊙ yr-1, is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at rest-frame wavelengths 3500. This contribution from the obscured starburst, especially in the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands, significantly complicates the determination of a reliable stellar mass for the ZF 20015 system, and we conclude that this source does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF 20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially varying star formation history. ZF 20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the James Webb Space Telescope, at mid-infrared wavelengths.

AB - The identification of high-redshift, massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshifts. In this Letter, we analyze deep ALMA/870 μm and SCUBA-2/450 μm imaging of the claimed "post-starburst" galaxy ZF 20115 at z = 3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The rest-frame far-infrared imaging identifies a luminous starburst 0.″4 0.″1 (∼3 kpc in projection) from the position of the ultraviolet/optical emission and is consistent with lying at the redshift of ZF 20115. The star-forming component, with an obscured star formation rate of 100+15 -70M⊙ yr-1, is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at rest-frame wavelengths 3500. This contribution from the obscured starburst, especially in the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands, significantly complicates the determination of a reliable stellar mass for the ZF 20015 system, and we conclude that this source does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF 20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially varying star formation history. ZF 20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the James Webb Space Telescope, at mid-infrared wavelengths.

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - galaxies: starburst

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026483512&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa7cf2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85026483512

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 844

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 1

M1 - L10

ER -

An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 "passive" System, ZF 20115

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this