HerMES: Lyman break galaxies individually detected at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 2.0 in GOODS-N with Herschel/SPIRE

Journal article

As part of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey we have investigated the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) properties of a sample of more than 4800 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey North field. Most LBGs are not detected individually, but we do detect a sub-sample of 12 objects at 0.7 < z < 1.6 and one object at z = 2.0. The LBGs have been selected using color-color diagrams; the ones detected by Herschel SPIRE have redder colors than the others, while the undetected ones have colors consistent with average LBGs at z > 2.5. The spectral energy distributions of the objects detected in the rest-frame FIR are investigated using the code cigale to estimate physical parameters. We include far-UV (FUV) data from GALEX. We find that LBGs detected by SPIRE are high mass, luminous infrared galaxies. It appears that LBGs are located in a triangle-shaped region in the AFUV vs. Log LFUV = 0 diagram limited by A FUV = 0 at the bottom and by a diagonal following the temporal evolution of the most massive galaxies from the bottom-right to the top-left of the diagram. This upper envelop can be used as upper limits for the UV dust attenuation as a function of LFUV. The limits of this region are well explained using a closed-box model, where the chemical evolution of galaxies produces metals, which in turn lead to higher dust attenuation when the galaxies age. © Copyright International Astronomical Union 2011.

Authors: Burgarella, D; Buat, V; Magdis, G

• Journal: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
• Volume: 6
• Issue: S277
• Pages: 313-316
• Publication date: 2010-12-01
• DOI: 10.1017/S1743921311023015
• EISSN: 1743-9221
• ISSN: 1743-9213
• Language: English
• Keywords: galaxies: evolution - galaxies: formation - galaxies: high-redshift - infrared: galaxies - ultraviolet: galaxies