SPICA and the chemical evolution of galaxies: The rise of metals and dust

Journal article

The physical processes driving the chemical evolution of galaxies in the last ~ 11Gyr cannot be understood without directly probing the dust-obscured phase of star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei. This phase, hidden to optical tracers, represents the bulk of the star formation and black hole accretion activity in galaxies at 1 < z < 3. Spectroscopic observations with a cryogenic infrared observatory like SPICA, will be sensitive enough to peer through the dust-obscured regions of galaxies and access the rest-frame mid- to far-infrared range in galaxies at high-z. This wavelength range contains a unique suite of spectral lines and dust features that serve as proxies for the abundances of heavy elements and the dust composition, providing tracers with a feeble response to both extinction and temperature. In this work, we investigate how SPICA observations could be exploited to understand key aspects in the chemical evolution of galaxies: the assembly of nearby galaxies based on the spatial distribution of heavy element abundances, the global content of metals in galaxies reaching the knee of the luminosity function up to z ~ 3, and the dust composition of galaxies at high-z. Possible synergies with facilities available in the late 2020s are also discussed.

Authors: Fernandez-Ontiveros, J; Armus, L; Baes, M; Bernard-Salas, J; Bolatto, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
• Volume: 34
• Pages: e053
• Publication date: 2017-11-10
• Acceptance date: 2017-09-11
• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2017.43
• EISSN: 1448-6083
• ISSN: 1323-3580
• Keywords: galaxies: active; techniques: spectroscopic telescopes; infrared: galaxies; galaxies: evolution; galaxies: starburst