mid-IR Colors Research Articles

On the nature of faint mid-infrared sources in M 33

We investigate the nature of 24micron sources in M33 which have weak or no associated Halpha emission. Both bright evolved stars and embedded star forming regions are visible as compact infrared sources in the 8 and 24micron maps of M33 and contribute to the more diffuse and faint emission in these bands. Can we distinguish the two populations? We carry out deep CO J=2-1 and J=1-0 line searches at the location of compact mid-IR sources to unveil an ongoing star formation process. We use different assumptions to estimate cloud masses from pointed observations and analyze if SED and mid-IR colours can be used to discriminate between evolved stars and star forming regions. Molecular emission has been detected at the location of several sources at the level of 0.3 K km/s or higher in at least one of the CO rotational lines. Even though there are no giant molecular clouds beyond 4kpc in M33, our deep observations have revealed that clouds of smaller mass are very common. Sources which are known to be evolved variable stars show weaker or undetectable CO lines. Evolved stars occupy a well defined region of the IRAC color-color diagrams. Star forming regions are scattered throughout a larger area even though the bulk of the distribution has different IRAC colors than evolved variable stars. We estimate that about half of the 24 micron sources without an Halpha counterpart are genuine embedded star forming regions. Sources with faint but compact Halpha emission have an incomplete Initial Mass Function (IMF) at the high-mass end and are compatible with a population of young clusters with a stochastically sampled, universal IMF.

THESPITZERHIGH-REDSHIFT RADIO GALAXY SURVEY

We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 5.2 using all three cameras on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission associated with the active nucleus in 59. Using a new rest-frame S3 μm/S1.6 μm versus S5 μm/S3 μm criterion, we identify 42 sources where the rest-frame 1.6 μm emission from the stellar population can be measured. For these radio galaxies, the median stellar mass is high, 2 × 1011 M☉, and remarkably constant within the range 1 < z < 3. At z>3, there is tentative evidence for a factor of two decrease in stellar mass. This suggests that radio galaxies have assembled the bulk of their stellar mass by z ∼ 3, but confirmation by more detailed decomposition of stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission is needed. The rest-frame 500 MHz radio luminosities are only marginally correlated with stellar mass but are strongly correlated with the rest-frame 5 μm hot dust luminosity. This suggests that the radio galaxies have a large range of Eddington ratios. We also present new Very Large Array 4.86 and 8.46 GHz imaging of 14 radio galaxies and find that radio core dominance—an indicator of jet orientation—is strongly correlated with hot dust luminosity. While all of our targets were selected as narrow-lined, type 2 AGNs, this result can be understood in the context of orientation-dependent models if there is a continuous distribution of orientations from obscured type 2 to unobscured type 1 AGNs rather than a clear dichotomy. Finally, four radio galaxies have nearby (<6'') companions whose mid-IR colors are suggestive of their being AGNs. This may indicate an association between radio galaxy activity and major mergers.

Optically faint X-ray sources in the Chandra deep field North:Spitzerconstraints

We investigate the properties of the most optically faint sources in the GOODS-N area (R > 26.5 AB). Such extremely optically faint populations present an uncharted territory despite the fact that they represent an appreciable fraction of the X-ray sources in the GOODS-N field. They are believed to contain either red AGN at moderate redshifts or possibly QSO at very high redshift. We compile our sample by first finding the 3.6um IRAC counterparts of the X-ray sources and searching for the optical counterparts of the IRAC sources. 35 sources do not have counterparts in the R-band Subaru optical images. Of these, 18 have HST-ACS counterparts while the remaining have no optical counterparts. The vast majority of our 35 sources are classified as Extremely Red Objects (EROs) on the basis of their V-K lower limits. Their photometric redshifts show that these populate moderate redshifts (median z~2.8), being markedly different from the already spectroscopically identified population which peaks at z~0.7. The Spitzer-IRAC mid-IR colours of the sources which have no HST counterparts tend to lie within the mid-IR colour diagram AGN "wedge", suggesting either QSO, ULIRG (Mrk231), or early-type galaxy templates at z>3. A large fraction of our sources (17/35), regardless of whether they have HST counterparts, can be classified as mid-IR bright/optically faint sources (Dust Obscured Galaxies) a class which is believed to include many heavily absorbed AGN. The co-added X-ray spectrum of the optically faint sources is very flat having a spectral index of Gamma~0.87, significantly flatter than the spectrum of the X-ray background. The optically faint R>26.5 X-ray sources constitute more than 50% of the total X-ray population at redshifts z>2 bearing important implications for the luminosity function and its evolution; considering X-ray sources with 2<z<4 we find good agreement with a modified PLE model.

FAR-INFRARED PROPERTIES OFSPITZER-SELECTED LUMINOUS STARBURSTS

We present SHARC-2 350 μm data on 20 luminous z ∼ 2 starbursts with S1.2 mm > 2 mJy from the Spitzer-selected samples of Lonsdale et al. and Fiolet et al. All the sources were detected, with S350 μm > 25 mJy for 18 of them. With the data, we determine precise dust temperatures and luminosities for these galaxies using both single-temperature fits and models with power-law mass–temperature distributions. We derive appropriate formulae to use when optical depths are non-negligible. Our models provide an excellent fit to the 6 μm–2 mm measurements of local starbursts. We find characteristic single-component temperatures T1 ≃ 35.5 ± 2.2 K and integrated infrared (IR) luminosities around 1012.9 ± 0.1 L☉ for the SWIRE-selected sources. Molecular gas masses are estimated at ≃4 × 1010 M☉, assuming κ850 μm = 0.15 m2 kg−1 and a submillimeter-selected galaxy (SMG)-like gas-to-dust mass ratio. The best-fit models imply ≳2 kpc emission scales. We also note a tight correlation between rest-frame 1.4 GHz radio and IR luminosities confirming star formation as the predominant power source. The far-IR properties of our sample are indistinguishable from the purely submillimeter-selected populations from current surveys. We therefore conclude that our original selection criteria, based on mid-IR colors and 24 μm flux densities, provides an effective means for the study of SMGs at z ∼ 1.5–2.5.

MID-INFRARED VARIABILITY FROM THESPITZERDEEP WIDE-FIELD SURVEY

We use the multi-epoch, mid-infrared Spitzer Deep, Wide-Field Survey to investigate the variability of 474,179 objects in 8.1 deg^2 of the NDWFS Bootes field. We perform a Difference Image Analysis of the four available epochs between 2004 and 2008, focusing on the deeper 3.6 and 4.5 micron bands. We find that 1.1% of the studied sample meet our standard selection criteria for being classed as a variable source. We require that the 3.6 and 4.5 micron light-curves are strongly correlated (r>0.8) and that their joint variance exceeds that for all sources with the same magnitude by 2 sigma. We then examine the mid-IR colors of the variable sources and match them with X-ray sources from the XBootes survey, radio catalogs, 24 micron-selected AGN candidates, and spectroscopically identified AGNs from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES). Based on their mid-IR colors, most of the variable sources are AGNs (76%), with smaller contributions from stars (11%), galaxies (6%), and unclassified objects. Most of the stellar, galaxy and unclassified sources are false positives. For our standard selection criteria, 11-12% of the mid-IR counterparts to X-ray sources, 24 micron-selected AGN candidates and spectroscopically identified AGNs show variability. Mid-IR AGN variability can be well described by a single power-law structure function with a power-law index of 0.5 at both 3.6 and 4.5 microns, and an amplitude of 0.1 mag on rest-frame time scales of 2 years. The variability amplitude is higher for shorter rest-frame wavelengths and lower luminosities. (Abridged)

THE NATURE OF THE STRONG 24 μmSPITZERSOURCE J222557+601148: NOT A YOUNG GALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANT

The nebula J222557+601148, tentatively identified by Morris et al. (2006) as a young Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) from Spitzer Galactic First Look Survey images and a follow-up mid-infrared spectrum, is unlikely to be a SNR remnant based on Halpha, [O III], [S II] images and low dispersion optical spectra. The object is seen in Halpha and [O III] 5007 images as a faint, roughly circular ring nebula with dimensions matching that seen in 24 micron Spitzer images. Low-dispersion optical spectra show it to have narrow Halpha and [N II] 6548, 6583 line emissions with no evidence of broad or high-velocity (v > 300 km/s) line emissions. The absence of any high-velocity optical features, the presence of relatively strong [N II] emissions, a lack of detected [S II] emission which would indicate the presence of shock-heated gas, plus no coincident X-ray or nonthermal radio emissions indicate the nebula is unlikely to be a SNR, young or old. Instead, it is likely a faint, high-excitation planetary nebula (PN) as its elliptical morphology would suggest, lying at a distance of approximately 2 - 3 kpc with unusual but not extraordinary mid-IR colors and spectrum. We have identified a m_r' = 22.4 +/- 0.2 star as a PN central star candidate.

THE MID-INFRARED LUMINOSITIES OF NORMAL GALAXIES OVER COSMIC TIME

Modern population synthesis models estimate that 50% of the restframe K-band light is produced by TP-AGB stars during the first Gyr of a stellar population, with a substantial fraction continuing to be produced by the TP-AGB over a Hubble time. Between 0.2 and 1.5 Gyr, intermediate mass stars evolve into TP-AGB C stars which, due to significant amounts of circumstellar dust, emit half their energy in the mid-IR. We combine these results using published mid-IR colors of Galactic TP-AGB M and C stars to construct simple models for exploring the contribution of the TP-AGB to 24micron data as a function of stellar population age. We compare these empirical models with an ensemble of galaxies in the CDFS from z=0 to z=2, and with high quality imaging in M81. Within the uncertainties, the TP-AGB appears responsible for a substantial fraction of the mid-IR luminosities of galaxies from z=0 to z=2, the maximum redshift to which we can test our hypothesis, while, at the same time, our models reproduce much of the detailed structure observed in mid-IR imaging of M81. The mid-IR is a good diagnostic of star formation over timescales of ~1.5 Gyr, but this implies that on-going star formation rates at z=1 may be overestimated by factors of ~1.5-6, depending on the nature of star formation events. Our results, if confirmed through subsequent work, have strong implications for the star formation rate density of the universe and the growth of stellar mass over time.

HEAVILY OBSCURED AGN IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES ATz≃ 2

We study the properties of a sample of 211 heavily-obscured Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) candidates in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South selecting objects with f_24/f_R>1000 and R-K>4.5. Of these, 18 were detected in X-rays and found to be obscured AGN with neutral hydrogen column densities of ~10^23 cm^-2. In the X-ray undetected sample, the following evidence suggests a large fraction of heavily-obscured (Compton Thick) AGN: (i) The stacked X-ray signal of the sample is strong, with an observed ratio of soft to hard X-ray counts consistent with a population of ~90% heavily obscured AGN combined with 10% star-forming galaxies. (ii) The X-ray to mid-IR ratios for these sources are significantly larger than that of star-forming galaxies and ~2 orders of magnitude smaller than for the general AGN population, suggesting column densities of N_H>5x10^24 cm^-2. (iii) The Spitzer near- and mid-IR colors of these sources are consistent with those of the X-ray-detected sample if the effects of dust self-absorption are considered. Spectral fitting to the rest-frame UV/optical light (dominated by the host galaxy) returns stellar masses of ~10^11 M_sun and <E(B-V)> =0.5, and reveals evidence for a significant young stellar population, indicating that these sources are experiencing considerable star-formation. This sample of heavily-obscured AGN candidates implies a space density at z~2 of ~10^-5 Mpc^-3, finding a strong evolution in the number of L_X>10^44 erg/s sources from z=1.5 to 2.5, possibly consistent with a short-lived heavily-obscured phase before an unobscured quasar is visible.

THE REDSHIFT SEARCH RECEIVER OBSERVATIONS OF {sup 12}CO J = 1 {yields} 0 IN 29 ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We present {sup 12} CO J = 1 {yields} 0 observations of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) obtained using the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the 14 m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. The RSR is a novel, dual-beam, dual-polarization receiver equipped with an ultra-wideband spectrometer backend that is being built as a facility receiver for the Large Millimeter Telescope. Our sample consists of 29 ULIRGs in the redshift range of 0.04-0.11, including 10 objects with no prior {sup 12} CO measurements. We have detected 27 systems (a detection rate of 93%), including 9 ULIRGs that are detected in CO for the first time. Our study has increased the number of local ULIRGs with CO measurements by {approx}15%. The CO line luminosity L'{sub CO}, correlates well with far-infrared luminosity L {sub FIR}, following the general trend of other local ULIRGs. However, compared to previous surveys we probe deeper into the low CO luminosity end of the ULIRG population as a single study by including a number of CO faint objects in the sample. As a result, we find (1) a smoother transition between the ULIRG population and local quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in L {sub FIR}-L'{sub CO} ('star formationmore » efficiency') space, and (2) a broader range of L {sub FIR}/L'{sub CO} flux ratio ({approx} 60-10{sup 3} L {sub sun}/(K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2})) than previously reported. In our new survey, we also have found a small number of ULIRGs with extreme L {sub FIR}/L'{sub CO}, which had been known to be rare. The mid-IR color and radio-excess of 56 local ULIRGs as a function of FIR-to-CO flux ratio is examined and compared with those of spirals/starburst galaxies and low-z QSOs. In this paper, using a large sample of local ULIRGs we explore the origin of their current power source and potential evolution to QSOs.« less

THE REDSHIFT SEARCH RECEIVER OBSERVATIONS OF12COJ= 1 → 0 IN 29 ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We present 12CO J=1-->0 observations of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) obtained using the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the 14-m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. The RSR is a novel, dual-beam, dual-polarization receiver equipped with an ultra-wideband spectrometer backend that is being built as a facility receiver for the Large Millimeter Telescope. Our sample consists of 29 ULIRGs in the redshift range of 0.04-0.11, including 10 objects with no prior 12CO measurements. We have detected 27 systems (a detection rate of 93%), including 9 ULIRGs that are detected in CO for the first time. Our study has increased the number of local ULIRGs with CO measurements by ~15%. The CO line luminosity L'_CO, correlates well with far-infrared luminosity L_FIR, following the general trend of other local ULIRGs. However, compared to previous surveys we probe deeper into the low CO luminosity end of ULIRG population as a single study by including a number of CO faint objects in the sample. As a result, we find 1) a smoother transition between the ULIRG population and local QSOs in L_FIR-L'_CO ("star formation efficiency") space, and 2) a broader range of L_FIR/L'_CO flux ratio (~60--1000 L_sun/[K km/s/pc^2]) than previously reported. In our new survey, we also have found a small number of ULIRGs with extreme L_FIR/L'_CO which had been known to be rare. The mid-IR color and radio-excess of 56 local ULIRGs as a function of FIR-to-CO flux ratio is examined and compared with those of spirals/starburst galaxies and low-z QSOs. In this paper, using a large sample of local ULIRGs we explore the origin of their current power source and potential evolution to QSOs.

CHANDRAANDSPITZERIMAGING OF THE INFRARED CLUSTER IN NGC 2071

We present results of a sensitive Chandra X-ray observation and Spitzer mid-infrared (mid-IR) observations of the IR cluster lying north of the NGC 2071 reflection nebula in the Orion B molecular cloud. We focus on the dense cluster core known as NGC 2071-IR, which contains at least nine IR sources within a 40'' x 40'' region. This region shows clear signs of active star formation including powerful molecular outflows, Herbig-Haro objects, and both OH and H{sub 2}O masers. We use Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) images to aid in X-ray source identification and to determine young stellar object (YSO) classes using mid-IR colors. Spitzer IRAC colors show that the luminous source IRS 1 is a class I protostar. IRS 1 is believed to be driving a powerful bipolar molecular outflow and may be an embedded B-type star or its progenitor. Its X-ray spectrum reveals a fluorescent Fe emission line at 6.4 keV, arising in cold material near the protostar. The line is present even in the absence of large flares, raising questions about the nature of the ionizing mechanism responsible for producing the 6.4 keV fluorescent line. Chandra also detects X-ray sources at or near the positions of IRS 2,more » IRS 3, IRS 4, and IRS 6 and a variable X-ray source coincident with the radio source VLA 1, located just 2'' north of IRS 1. No IR data are yet available to determine a YSO classification for VLA 1, but its high X-ray absorption shows that it is even more deeply embedded than IRS 1, suggesting that it could be an even younger, less-evolved protostar.« less

DISCOVERY OF 5000 ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI BEHIND THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS

We show that using mid-IR color selection to find active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is as effective in dense stellar fields such as the Magellanic Clouds as it is in extragalactic fields with low stellar densities using comparisons between the Spitzer Deep Wide Field Survey data for the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey Bootes region and the SAGE Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We use this to build high-purity catalogs of ~5000 AGN candidates behind the Magellanic Clouds. Once confirmed, these quasars will expand the available astrometric reference sources for the Clouds and the numbers of quasars with densely sampled, long-term (>decade) monitoring light curves by well over an order of magnitude and potentially identify sufficiently bright quasars for absorption line studies of the interstellar medium of the Clouds.

DEEP MIPS OBSERVATIONS OF THE IC 348 NEBULA: CONSTRAINTS ON THE EVOLUTIONARY STATE OF ANEMIC CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS AND THE PRIMORDIAL-TO-DEBRIS DISK TRANSITION

We describe new, deep MIPS photometry and new high signal-to-noise optical spectroscopy of the 2.5 Myr-old IC 348 Nebula. To probe the properties of the IC 348 disk population, we combine these data with previous optical/infrared photometry and spectroscopy to identify stars with gas accretion, to examine their mid-IR colors,and to model their spectral energy distributions. IC 348 contains many sources in different evolutionary states, including protostars and stars surrounded by primordial disks, two kinds of transitional disks, and debris disks. Most disks surrounding eary/intermediate spectral-type stars (> 1.4 Msun at 2.5 Myr) are debris disks; most disks surrounding solar and subsolar-mass stars are primordial disks. At the 1--2 sigma level, more massive stars also have a smaller frequency of gas accretion and smaller mid-IR luminosities than lower-mass stars. These trends are suggestive of a stellar mass-dependent evolution of disks, where most disks around high/intermediate-mass stars shed their primordial disks on rapid, 2.5 Myr timescales. The frequency of MIPS-detected transitional disks is ~ 15--35% for stars plausibly more massive than 0.5 Msun. The relative frequency of transitional disks in IC 348 compared to that for 1 Myr-old Taurus and 5 Myr-old NGC 2362 is consistent with a transition timescale that is a significant fraction of the total primordial disk lifetime.

A MID-INFRARED IMAGING SURVEY OF SUBMILLIMETER-SELECTED GALAXIES WITH THESPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE

We present Spitzer-IRAC and MIPS mid-IR observations of a sample of 73 radio-detected submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) with spectroscopic redshifts, the largest such sample published to date. From our data, we find that IRAC colors of SMGs are much more uniform as compared with rest-frame UV and optical colors, and z> 1.5 SMGs tend to be redder in their mid-IR colors than both field galaxies and lower-z SMGs. However, the IRAC colors of the SMGs overlap those of field galaxies sufficiently that color–magnitude and color–color selection criteria suggested in the literature to identify SMG counterparts produce ambiguous counterparts within an 8 �� radius in 20%–35% of cases. We use a rest-frame J−H versus H−K color–color diagram and a S24/S8.0 versus S8.0/S4.5 color–color diagram to determine that 13%–19% of our sample are likely to contain active galactic nuclei which dominate their mid-IR emission. We observe in the rest-frame JHK colors of our sample that the rest-frame near-IR emission of SMGs does not resemble that of the compact nuclear starburst observed in local ultraluminous IR galaxies and is consistent with more widely distributed star formation. We take advantage of the fact that many high-z galaxy populations selected at different wavelengths are detected by Spitzer to carry out a brief comparison of mid-IR properties of SMGs to UV-selected high-z galaxies, 24 μm-selected galaxies, and high-z radio galaxies, and find that SMGs have mid-IR fluxes and colors which are consistent with being more massive and more reddened than UV-selected galaxies, while the IRAC colors of SMGs are most similar to powerful high-z radio galaxies.

HIGH-REDSHIFT DUST OBSCURED GALAXIES: A MORPHOLOGY-SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION CONNECTION REVEALED BY KECK ADAPTIVE OPTICS

A simple optical to mid-IR color selection, R – [24]>14, i.e., f_ν(24 μm)/f_ν(R) ≳ 1000, identifies highly dust obscured galaxies (DOGs) with typical redshifts of z ~ 2 ± 0.5. Extreme mid-IR luminosities (L_(IR) > 10^(12-14)) suggest that DOGs are powered by a combination of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star formation, possibly driven by mergers. In an effort to compare their photometric properties with their rest-frame optical morphologies, we obtained high-spatial resolution (0.05-0.1) Keck Adaptive Optics K'-band images of 15 DOGs. The images reveal a wide range of morphologies, including small exponential disks (eight of 15), small ellipticals (four of 15), and unresolved sources (two of 15). One particularly diffuse source could not be classified because of low signal-to-noise ratio. We find a statistically significant correlation between galaxy concentration and mid-IR luminosity, with the most luminous DOGs exhibiting higher concentration and smaller physical size. DOGs with high concentration also tend to have spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggestive of AGN activity. Thus, central AGN light may be biasing the morphologies of the more luminous DOGs to higher concentration. Conversely, more diffuse DOGs tend to show an SED shape suggestive of star formation. Two of 15 in the sample show multiple resolved components with separations of ~1 kpc, circumstantial evidence for ongoing mergers.

THE COSMIC EVOLUTION OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN GALAXY CLUSTERS

We present the surface density of luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) associated with a uniformly selected galaxy cluster sample identified in the 8.5 square degree Bootes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. The clusters are distributed over a large range of redshift (0 < z < 1.5) and we identify AGN using three different selection criteria: mid-IR color, radio luminosity, and X-ray luminosity. Relative to the field, we note a clear overdensity of the number of AGN within 0.5 Mpc of the cluster centers at z > 0.5. The amplitude of this AGN overdensity increases with redshift. Although there are significant differences between the AGN populations probed by each selection technique, the rise in cluster AGN surface density generally increases more steeply than that of field quasars. In particular, X-ray selected AGN are at least three times more prevalent in clusters at 1 < z < 1.5 compared to clusters at 0.5 < z < 1. This effect is stronger than can be explained by the evolving median richness of our cluster sample. We thus confirm the existence of a Butcher-Oemler type effect for AGN in galaxy clusters, with the number of AGN in clusters increasing with redshift.

Revealing X-ray obscured quasars in SWIRE sources with extreme mid-IR/optical flux ratios

Recent works have suggested that selection criteria based on mid-IR properties, i.e. extreme colors and bright flux levels, can be used to reveal a population of dust-enshrouded, extremely-luminous quasars at z ~ 1–2. However, the X-ray spectral properties of these intriguing objects still remain largely unexplored. We have performed an X-ray study of a large sample of bright mid-IR (F_(24 μm) > 1.3 mJy) galaxies showing an extreme MIR/Optical flux ratio (F_(24 μm)/F_R > 2000) in order to confirm the presence of a luminous active nucleus in these very red objects. Sampling of a large area is required to pick up objects at the highest luminosities given their low surface density. Accordingly, we have applied our selection criteria to an area of ~6 deg^2 covered by XMM-Newton/Chandra observations within the ~50 deg^2 SWIRE survey, resulting in a final sample of 44 objects. The vast majority of the source redshifts, both spectroscopic and photometric, are in the range 0.7 ≾ z ≾ 2.5. The X-ray coverage of the sample is highly inhomogeneous (from snap-shot 5 ks Chandra observations to medium-deep XMM-Newton exposures of 70 ks) and, consequently, a sizable fraction of them (≈43%) remains undetected in the 0.5–10 keV band. Using spectral or hardness information we were able to estimate the value of the absorbing column density in 23 sources. 95% of them are consistent with being obscured by neutral gas with an intrinsic column density of NH ≥ 1022 cm^(−2). Remarkably, we also find that ~55% of these sources can be classified as type 2 quasars on the basis of their absorption properties and X-ray luminosity. Moreover, most of the X-ray undetected sources show extreme mid-IR colors, consistent with being luminous AGN-powered objects, suggesting they might host heavily obscured (possibly Compton-thick) quasars in X-rays. This demonstrates that our selection criteria applied to a wide area survey is very efficient in finding a large number of type 2 quasars at z ≳ 1. The existence of this class of very powerful, obscured quasars at high z could have important implications in the context of the formation and cosmological evolution of accreting supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.

SPATIALLY RESOLVED STELLAR POPULATIONS OF EIGHT GOODS-SOUTH ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI ATz∼ 1

We present a pilot study of the stellar populations of 8 AGN hosts at z~1 and compare to (1) lower redshift samples and (2) a sample of nonactive galaxies of similar redshift. We utilize K' images in the GOODS South field obtained with the laser guide star adaptive optics (LGSAO) system at Keck Observatory. We combine this K' data with B, V, i, and z imaging from the ACS on HST to give multi-color photometry at a matched spatial resolution better than 100 mas in all bands. The hosts harbor AGN as inferred from their high X-ray luminosities (L_X > 10^42 ergs/s) or mid-IR colors. We find a correlation between the presence of younger stellar populations and the strength of the AGN, as measured with [OIII] line luminosity or X-ray (2-10 keV) luminosity. This finding is consistent with similar studies at lower redshift. Of the three Type II galaxies, two are disk galaxies and one is of irregular type, while in the Type I sample there only one disk-like source and four sources with smooth, elliptical/spheroidal morphologies. In addition, the mid-IR SEDs of the strong Type II AGN indicate that they are excited to LIRG (Luminous InfraRed Galaxy) status via galactic starbursting, while the strong Type I AGN are excited to LIRG status via hot dust surrounding the central AGN. This supports the notion that the obscured nature of Type II AGN at z~1 is connected with global starbursting and that they may be extincted by kpc-scale dusty features that are byproducts of this starbursting.

The Nature of FaintSpitzer‐selected Dust‐obscured Galaxies

We use deep far-IR, submillimeter, radio, and X-ray imaging and mid-IR spectroscopy to explore the nature of a sample of Spitzer-selected dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) in GOODS-N. A sample of 79 galaxies satisfy the criteria R − [ 24] > 14 (Vega) down to S_(24) > 100 μJy (median flux density S_(24) = 180 μJy). Twelve of these galaxies have IRS spectra available, which we use to measure redshifts and classify these objects as being dominated by star formation or active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in the mid-IR. The IRS spectra and Spitzer photometric redshifts confirm that the DOGs lie in a tight redshift distribution around z ~ 2. Based on mid-IR colors, 80% of DOGs are likely dominated by star formation; the stacked X-ray emission from this subsample of DOGs is also consistent with star formation. Since only a small number of DOGs are individually detected at far-IR and submillimeter wavelengths, we use a stacking analysis to determine the average flux from these objects and plot a composite IR (8-1000 μm) spectral energy distribution (SED). The average luminosity of these star-forming DOGs is L_(IR) ~ 1 × 10^(12)L☉. We compare the average star-forming DOG to the average bright (S_(850) > 5 mJy) submillimeter galaxy (SMG); the S_(24) > 100 μJy DOGs are 3 times more numerous but 8 times less luminous in the IR. The far-IR SED shape of DOGs is similar to that of SMGs (average dust temperature of around 30 K), but DOGs have a higher mid-IR-to-far-IR flux ratio. The average star formation-dominated DOG has a star formation rate of 200 M☉ yr^(−1), which, given their space density, amounts to a contribution of 0.01 M☉yr^(−1) Mpc^(−3) (or 5%-10%) to the star formation rate density at z ~ 2.

PROPERTIES OF PROTOSTARS IN THE ELEPHANT TRUNK IN THE GLOBULE IC 1396A

Extremely red objects, identified in the early Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the bright-rimmed globule IC 1396A and photometrically classified as Class I protostars and Class II T Tauri stars based on their mid-infrared (mid-IR) colors, were spectroscopically observed at 5.5-38 μm (Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph), at the 22 GHz water maser frequency (National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank Telescope), and in the optical (Palomar Hale 5 m) to confirm their nature and further elucidate their properties. The sources photometrically identified as Class I, including IC 1396A:α, γ, δ, e, and ζ, are confirmed as objects dominated by accretion luminosity from dense envelopes, with accretion rates 1-10 × 10^–6 M☉ yr^–1 and present stellar masses 0.1-2 M☉. The Class I sources have extremely red continua, still rising at 38 μm, with a deep silicate absorption at 9-11 μm, weaker silicate absorption around 18 μm, and weak ice features including CO2 at 15.2 μm and H2O at 6 μm. The ice/silicate absorption ratio in the envelope is exceptionally low for the IC 1396A protostars, compared to those in nearby star-forming regions, suggesting that the envelope chemistry is altered by the radiation field or globule pressure. Only one 22 GHz water maser was detected in IC 1396A; it is coincident with a faint mid-IR source, offset from near the luminous Class I protostar IC 1396A:γ. The maser source, IC 1396A:γb, has luminosity less than 0.1 L☉, the first H2O maser from such a low-luminosity object. Two near-infrared (NIR) H2 knots on opposite sides of IC 1396A:γ reveal a jet, with an axis clearly distinct from the H2O maser of IC 1396A:γb. The objects photometrically classified as Class II, including IC 1396A:β, θ, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)J 21364964+5722270, 2MASSJ 21362507+5727502, LkHα 349c, Tr 37 11-2146, and Tr 37 11-2037, are confirmed as stars with warm, luminous disks, with a silicate emission feature at 9-11 μm, and bright Hα emission; therefore, they are young, disk-bearing, classical T Tauri stars. The disk properties change significantly with source luminosity: low-mass (G-K) stars have prominent 9-11 emission features due to amorphous silicates while higher-mass (A-F) stars have weaker features requiring abundant crystalline silicates. A mineralogical model that fits the wide- and low-amplitude silicate feature of IC 1396A:θ requires small grains of crystalline olivine (11.3 μm peak) and another material to to explain its 9.1 μm peak; reasonable fits are obtained with a phyllosilicate, quartz, or relatively large (greater than 10 μm) amorphous olivine grains. The distribution of Class I sources is concentrated within the molecular globule, while the Class II sources are more widely scattered. Combined with the spectral results, this suggests two phases of star formation, the first (4 Myr ago) leading to the widespread Class II sources and the central O star of IC 1396 and the second (less than 1 Myr ago) occurring within the globule. The recent phase was likely triggered by the wind and radiation of the central O star of the IC 1396 H II region.