Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field
We present the results of a new study of the relationship between infrared excess (IRX ≡ LIR/LUV), ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope (β) and stellar mass at redshifts 2 < z < 3, based on a deep Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3-mm continuum mosaic of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field....
| Päätekijät: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Aineistotyyppi: | Journal article |
| Julkaistu: |
Oxford University Press
2018
|
| _version_ | 1826264742979698688 |
|---|---|
| author | McLure, R Dunlop, J Cullen, F Bourne, N Best, P Khochfar, S Bowler, R Biggs, A Geach, J Scott, D Michalowski, M Rujopakarn, W van Kampen, E Kirkpatrick, A Pope, A |
| author_facet | McLure, R Dunlop, J Cullen, F Bourne, N Best, P Khochfar, S Bowler, R Biggs, A Geach, J Scott, D Michalowski, M Rujopakarn, W van Kampen, E Kirkpatrick, A Pope, A |
| author_sort | McLure, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We present the results of a new study of the relationship between infrared excess (IRX ≡ LIR/LUV), ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope (β) and stellar mass at redshifts 2 < z < 3, based on a deep Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3-mm continuum mosaic of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Excluding the most heavily obscured sources, we use a stacking analysis to show that z ≃ 2.5 star-forming galaxies in the mass range 9.25≤log(M∗/M⊙)≤10.75 are fully consistent with the IRX–β relation expected for a relatively grey attenuation curve, similar to the commonly adopted Calzetti law. Based on a large, mass-complete sample of 2 ≤ z ≤ 3 star-forming galaxies drawn from multiple surveys, we proceed to derive a new empirical relationship between β and stellar mass, making it possible to predict UV attenuation (A1600) and IRX as a function of stellar mass, for any assumed attenuation law. Once again, we find that z ≃ 2.5 star-forming galaxies follow A1600–M* and IRX–M* relations consistent with a relatively grey attenuation law, and find no compelling evidence that star-forming galaxies at this epoch follow a reddening law as steep as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) extinction curve. In fact, we use a simple simulation to demonstrate that previous determinations of the IRX–β relation may have been biased towards low values of IRX at red values of β, mimicking the signature expected for an SMC-like dust law. We show that this provides a plausible mechanism for reconciling apparently contradictory results in the literature and that, based on typical measurement uncertainties, stellar mass provides a cleaner prediction of UV attenuation than β. Although the situation at lower stellar masses remains uncertain, we conclude that for 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies with log(M∗/M⊙)≥9.75, both the IRX–β and IRX–M* relations are well described by a Calzetti-like attenuation law. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:12:44Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:2b1f2c09-3b2d-4406-a33e-2d0d23e63cea |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:12:44Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:2b1f2c09-3b2d-4406-a33e-2d0d23e63cea2022-03-26T12:29:08ZDust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep FieldJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2b1f2c09-3b2d-4406-a33e-2d0d23e63ceaSymplectic Elements at OxfordOxford University Press2018McLure, RDunlop, JCullen, FBourne, NBest, PKhochfar, SBowler, RBiggs, AGeach, JScott, DMichalowski, MRujopakarn, Wvan Kampen, EKirkpatrick, APope, AWe present the results of a new study of the relationship between infrared excess (IRX ≡ LIR/LUV), ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope (β) and stellar mass at redshifts 2 < z < 3, based on a deep Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3-mm continuum mosaic of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Excluding the most heavily obscured sources, we use a stacking analysis to show that z ≃ 2.5 star-forming galaxies in the mass range 9.25≤log(M∗/M⊙)≤10.75 are fully consistent with the IRX–β relation expected for a relatively grey attenuation curve, similar to the commonly adopted Calzetti law. Based on a large, mass-complete sample of 2 ≤ z ≤ 3 star-forming galaxies drawn from multiple surveys, we proceed to derive a new empirical relationship between β and stellar mass, making it possible to predict UV attenuation (A1600) and IRX as a function of stellar mass, for any assumed attenuation law. Once again, we find that z ≃ 2.5 star-forming galaxies follow A1600–M* and IRX–M* relations consistent with a relatively grey attenuation law, and find no compelling evidence that star-forming galaxies at this epoch follow a reddening law as steep as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) extinction curve. In fact, we use a simple simulation to demonstrate that previous determinations of the IRX–β relation may have been biased towards low values of IRX at red values of β, mimicking the signature expected for an SMC-like dust law. We show that this provides a plausible mechanism for reconciling apparently contradictory results in the literature and that, based on typical measurement uncertainties, stellar mass provides a cleaner prediction of UV attenuation than β. Although the situation at lower stellar masses remains uncertain, we conclude that for 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies with log(M∗/M⊙)≥9.75, both the IRX–β and IRX–M* relations are well described by a Calzetti-like attenuation law. |
| spellingShingle | McLure, R Dunlop, J Cullen, F Bourne, N Best, P Khochfar, S Bowler, R Biggs, A Geach, J Scott, D Michalowski, M Rujopakarn, W van Kampen, E Kirkpatrick, A Pope, A Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title | Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title_full | Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title_fullStr | Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title_short | Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field |
| title_sort | dust attenuation in 2 lt z lt 3 star forming galaxies from deep alma observations of the hubble ultra deep field |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mclurer dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT dunlopj dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT cullenf dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT bournen dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT bestp dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT khochfars dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT bowlerr dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT biggsa dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT geachj dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT scottd dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT michalowskim dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT rujopakarnw dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT vankampene dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT kirkpatricka dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield AT popea dustattenuationin2ltzlt3starforminggalaxiesfromdeepalmaobservationsofthehubbleultradeepfield |