Insights into galaxy evolution from mid-infrared wavelengths

Abstract

In this paper, I have attempted to highlight key results from deep extragalactic surveys at mid-infrared wavelengths. I discuss advances in our understanding of dust enshrouded star-formation and AGN activity at 0 < z < 3 from IRAS, ISO and Spitzer. The data seem to indicate that about 70% of the co-moving star-formation rate density at 0.5 < z < 3 is obscured by dust and that AGN, including obscured sources, account for <20% of the co-moving bolometric luminosity density. There is tentative evidence that the mode of star-formation changes as a function of redshift; star-formation at z ~ 2 is preferentially in massive, ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) while z ~ 1 sources are luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) which are about 1 mag fainter than ULIRGs in the near-infrared. This evolution of the star-formation mode, is similar to the evolution of the redshift distribution of X-ray sources as a function of X-ray luminosity and would suggest an extension of the downsizing hypothesis to include both AGN and star-forming galaxies. Measuring dust-enshrouded star-formation at z > 3 will become possible only with future facilities like ALMA. Currently, the presence of dust can only be assessed in a small fraction of the youngest starbursts at z > 5 by looking for redshifted large equivalent width Hα emission in broadband filters like the IRAC 4.5μm passband. Hα to UV ratios in these objects are a tracer of dust extinction and measuring this ratio in GOODS galaxies indicate dust in ~20% of star-forming galaxies at z > 5. Finally, implications for reionization based on the measured stellar mass density and star-formation rates of galaxies at these redshifts are discussed.

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