The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations

Y. Fudamoto; P. A. Oesch; E. Schinnerer; B. Groves; A. Karim; B. Magnelli; M. T. Sargent; P. Cassata; P. Lang; D. Liu; O. Le Fèvre; S. Leslie; V. Smolčić; L. Tasca

doi:10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948

The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations

Y. Fudamoto^*, P. A. Oesch, E. Schinnerer, B. Groves, A. Karim, B. Magnelli, M. T. Sargent, P. Cassata, P. Lang, D. Liu, O. Le Fèvre, S. Leslie, V. Smolčić, L. Tasca

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

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Abstract

We present results on the dust attenuation of galaxies at redshift ~3-6 by studying the relationship between the UV spectral slope (β_UV) and the infrared excess (IRX; LIR/LUV) using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) far-infrared continuum observations. Our study is based on a sample of 67 massive, star-forming galaxies with a median mass of M* ~ 10¹⁰.7 M_⊙ spanning a redshift range z = 2.6-3.7 (median z = 3.2) that were observed with ALMA at λ_rest = 300 μm. Both the individual ALMA detections (41 sources) and stacks including all galaxies show the IRX-β_UV relationship at z ~ 3 is mostly consistent with that of local starburst galaxies on average. However, we find evidence for a large dispersion around the mean relationship by up to ±0.5 dex. Nevertheless, the locally calibrated dust correction factors based on the IRX-β_UV relation are on average applicable to main-sequence z ~ 3 galaxies. This does not appear to be the case at even higher redshifts, however. Using public ALMA observations of z ~ 4-6 galaxies we find evidence for a significant evolution in the IRX-β_UV and the IRX-M* relations beyond z ~ 3 towards lower IRX values. We discuss several caveats that could affect these results, including the assumed dust temperature. ALMA observations of larger z > 3 galaxy sample spanning a wide range of physical parameters (e.g. lower stellar mass) will be important to investigate this intriguing redshift evolution further.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	483-490
Number of pages	8
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	472
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948
Publication status	Published - 2017

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Fudamoto, Y., Oesch, P. A., Schinnerer, E., Groves, B., Karim, A., Magnelli, B., Sargent, M. T., Cassata, P., Lang, P., Liu, D., Fèvre, O. L., Leslie, S., Smolčić, V., & Tasca, L. (2017). The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 472(1), 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948

@article{f55eb21f5ebb47f39b171357c9d81dc8,

title = "The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations",

abstract = "We present results on the dust attenuation of galaxies at redshift ~3-6 by studying the relationship between the UV spectral slope (βUV) and the infrared excess (IRX; LIR/LUV) using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) far-infrared continuum observations. Our study is based on a sample of 67 massive, star-forming galaxies with a median mass of M* ~ 1010.7 M⊙ spanning a redshift range z = 2.6-3.7 (median z = 3.2) that were observed with ALMA at λrest = 300 μm. Both the individual ALMA detections (41 sources) and stacks including all galaxies show the IRX-βUV relationship at z ~ 3 is mostly consistent with that of local starburst galaxies on average. However, we find evidence for a large dispersion around the mean relationship by up to ±0.5 dex. Nevertheless, the locally calibrated dust correction factors based on the IRX-βUV relation are on average applicable to main-sequence z ~ 3 galaxies. This does not appear to be the case at even higher redshifts, however. Using public ALMA observations of z ~ 4-6 galaxies we find evidence for a significant evolution in the IRX-βUV and the IRX-M* relations beyond z ~ 3 towards lower IRX values. We discuss several caveats that could affect these results, including the assumed dust temperature. ALMA observations of larger z > 3 galaxy sample spanning a wide range of physical parameters (e.g. lower stellar mass) will be important to investigate this intriguing redshift evolution further.",

keywords = "Galaxies: ISM, Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: star formation, Submillimetre: ISM",

author = "Y. Fudamoto and Oesch, {P. A.} and E. Schinnerer and B. Groves and A. Karim and B. Magnelli and Sargent, {M. T.} and P. Cassata and P. Lang and D. Liu and F{\`e}vre, {O. Le} and S. Leslie and V. Smol{\v c}i{\'c} and L. Tasca",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Authors.",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948",

language = "English",

volume = "472",

pages = "483--490",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

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Fudamoto, Y, Oesch, PA, Schinnerer, E, Groves, B, Karim, A, Magnelli, B, Sargent, MT, Cassata, P, Lang, P, Liu, D, Fèvre, OL, Leslie, S, Smolčić, V & Tasca, L 2017, 'The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 472, no. 1, pp. 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948

TY - JOUR

T1 - The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond

T2 - New insights from ALMA observations

AU - Fudamoto, Y.

AU - Oesch, P. A.

AU - Schinnerer, E.

AU - Groves, B.

AU - Karim, A.

AU - Magnelli, B.

AU - Sargent, M. T.

AU - Cassata, P.

AU - Lang, P.

AU - Liu, D.

AU - Fèvre, O. Le

AU - Leslie, S.

AU - Smolčić, V.

AU - Tasca, L.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - We present results on the dust attenuation of galaxies at redshift ~3-6 by studying the relationship between the UV spectral slope (βUV) and the infrared excess (IRX; LIR/LUV) using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) far-infrared continuum observations. Our study is based on a sample of 67 massive, star-forming galaxies with a median mass of M* ~ 1010.7 M⊙ spanning a redshift range z = 2.6-3.7 (median z = 3.2) that were observed with ALMA at λrest = 300 μm. Both the individual ALMA detections (41 sources) and stacks including all galaxies show the IRX-βUV relationship at z ~ 3 is mostly consistent with that of local starburst galaxies on average. However, we find evidence for a large dispersion around the mean relationship by up to ±0.5 dex. Nevertheless, the locally calibrated dust correction factors based on the IRX-βUV relation are on average applicable to main-sequence z ~ 3 galaxies. This does not appear to be the case at even higher redshifts, however. Using public ALMA observations of z ~ 4-6 galaxies we find evidence for a significant evolution in the IRX-βUV and the IRX-M* relations beyond z ~ 3 towards lower IRX values. We discuss several caveats that could affect these results, including the assumed dust temperature. ALMA observations of larger z > 3 galaxy sample spanning a wide range of physical parameters (e.g. lower stellar mass) will be important to investigate this intriguing redshift evolution further.

AB - We present results on the dust attenuation of galaxies at redshift ~3-6 by studying the relationship between the UV spectral slope (βUV) and the infrared excess (IRX; LIR/LUV) using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) far-infrared continuum observations. Our study is based on a sample of 67 massive, star-forming galaxies with a median mass of M* ~ 1010.7 M⊙ spanning a redshift range z = 2.6-3.7 (median z = 3.2) that were observed with ALMA at λrest = 300 μm. Both the individual ALMA detections (41 sources) and stacks including all galaxies show the IRX-βUV relationship at z ~ 3 is mostly consistent with that of local starburst galaxies on average. However, we find evidence for a large dispersion around the mean relationship by up to ±0.5 dex. Nevertheless, the locally calibrated dust correction factors based on the IRX-βUV relation are on average applicable to main-sequence z ~ 3 galaxies. This does not appear to be the case at even higher redshifts, however. Using public ALMA observations of z ~ 4-6 galaxies we find evidence for a significant evolution in the IRX-βUV and the IRX-M* relations beyond z ~ 3 towards lower IRX values. We discuss several caveats that could affect these results, including the assumed dust temperature. ALMA observations of larger z > 3 galaxy sample spanning a wide range of physical parameters (e.g. lower stellar mass) will be important to investigate this intriguing redshift evolution further.

KW - Galaxies: ISM

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: star formation

KW - Submillimetre: ISM

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030174385&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948

DO - 10.1093/MNRAS/STX1948

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 472

SP - 483

EP - 490

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

The dust attenuation of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 3 and beyond: New insights from ALMA observations

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