First Mid‐Infrared Spectrum of a Faint High‐ z Galaxy: Observations of CFRS 14.1157 with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope

Abstract

The unprecedented sensitivity of the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope allows for the first time the measurement of mid-infrared spectra from 14 to 38 μm of faint high-z galaxies. This unique capability is demonstrated with observations of sources having 16 μm fluxes of 3.6 mJy (CFRS 14.1157) and 0.35 mJy (CFRS 14.9025). A spectral-fitting technique is illustrated that determines the redshift by fitting emission and absorption features characteristic of nearby galaxies to the spectrum of an unknown source. For CFRS 14.1157, the measured redshift is z = 1.00 ± 0.20, in agreement with the published result of z = 1.15. The spectrum is dominated by emission from an active galactic nucleus, similar to the nucleus of NGC 1068, rather than a typical starburst with strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission like M82. Such spectra will be crucial in characterizing the nature of newly discovered distant galaxies, which are too faint for optical follow-up.