The Radio-to-Submillimeter Flux Density Ratio of Galaxies as a Measure of Redshift

Abstract

Abstract We re-examine the technique of determining the redshifts of galaxies from the ratio of the submillimeter-to-radio continuum flux densities based on a recently published catalog of $850\, {\mu \mathrm {m}}$ sources. We derived the expected variation of this ratio as a function of redshift incorporating the expected average luminosity and the spectral energy distribution (SED) of dust emission and the radio continuum. We find that the existing data for most of the high redshift ($z \gtrsim 1$) sources correspond to our new calculation. Amongst the well-identified sources, there is none with an index significantly higher than predicted. Sources which have an index lower than predicted are either within the error zone or much lower, the latter presumably having AGN-dominated radio-continuum emission. We find the median redshift to be $\sim 2$, which is consistent with that deduced by previous work ($\sim 3$) within the error. We also discuss the various systematic effects that can affect the accuracy of the redshift estimate. We examine other methods of redshift estimation, like photometric ratio in the submillimeter and locating the peak of the SED in the rest system of the objects. We conclude that while the various methods are helpful in identifying high-redshift objects and making a crude estimate of the redshift, they are not, at present, accurate enough for a detailed study of redshift distribution of the submillimeter galaxies.