A PANCHROMATIC STUDY OF BLAST COUNTERPARTS: TOTAL STAR FORMATION RATE, MORPHOLOGY, ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FRACTION, AND STELLAR MASS

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/727/2/83· OSTI ID:21567558

Moncelsi, Lorenzo; Ade, Peter A. R.; Cortese, Luca; Dye, Simon; Eales, Stephen; Griffin, Matthew; Hargrave, Peter C; Mauskopf, Philip; Pascale, Enzo; Tucker, Carole ^[1]; Chapin, Edward L; Halpern, Mark; Marsden, Gaelen; Scott, Douglas; Wiebe, Donald V ^[2]; Devlin, Mark J; Truch, Matthew D. P. ^[3]; Netterfield, Calvin B

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1. Cardiff University, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queens Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA (United Kingdom)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada)
3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States)

We carry out a multi-wavelength study of individual galaxies detected by the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) and identified at other wavelengths, using data spanning the radio to the ultraviolet (UV). We develop a Monte Carlo method to account for flux boosting, source blending, and correlations among bands, which we use to derive deboosted far-infrared (FIR) luminosities for our sample. We estimate total star-formation rates (SFRs) for BLAST counterparts with z {<=} 0.9 by combining their FIR and UV luminosities. Star formation is heavily obscured at L{sub FIR} {approx}> 10{sup 11} L{sub sun}, z {approx}> 0.5, but the contribution from unobscured starlight cannot be neglected at L{sub FIR} {approx}< 10{sup 11} L{sub sun}, z {approx}< 0.25. We assess that about 20% of the galaxies in our sample show indication of a type 1 active galactic nucleus, but their submillimeter emission is mainly due to star formation in the host galaxy. We compute stellar masses for a subset of 92 BLAST counterparts; these are relatively massive objects, with a median mass of {approx}10{sup 11} M{sub sun}, which seem to link the 24 {mu}m and Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) populations, in terms of both stellar mass and star formation activity. The bulk of the BLAST counterparts at z {approx}< 1 appears to be run-of-the-mill star-forming galaxies, typically spiral in shape, with intermediate stellar masses and practically constant specific SFRs. On the other hand, the high-z tail of the BLAST counterparts significantly overlaps with the SCUBA population, in terms of both SFRs and stellar masses, with observed trends of specific SFR that support strong evolution and downsizing.

• OSTI ID: 21567558
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 727; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CALCULATION METHODS
EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
LUMINOSITY
MASS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MORPHOLOGY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS