Bibcode
DOI
Rowan-Robinson, Michael; Babbedge, Tom; Surace, Jason; Shupe, Dave; Fang, Fan; Lonsdale, Carol; Smith, Gene; Polletta, Maria; Siana, Brian; Gonzalez-Solares, Eduardo; Xu, Kevin; Owen, Frazer; Davoodi, Payam; Dole, Herve; Domingue, Donovan; Efstathiou, Andreas; Farrah, Duncan; Fox, Matt; Franceschini, Alberto; Frayer, Dave; Hatziminaoglou, Evanthia; Masci, Frank; Morrison, Glenn; Nandra, Kirpal; Oliver, Seb; Onyett, Natalie; Padgett, Deborah; Perez-Fournon, Ismael; Serjeant, Steve; Stacey, Gordon; Vaccari, Mattia
Bibliographical reference
The Astronomical Journal, Volume 129, Issue 3, pp. 1183-1197.
Advertised on:
3
2005
Citations
127
Refereed citations
110
Description
We discuss optical associations, spectral energy distributions (SEDs),
and photometric redshifts for Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic
(SWIRE) Survey sources in the European Large-Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) N1
area and the Lockman Validation Field (VF). The band-merged Infrared
Array Camera (IRAC) (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm) and Multiband Imaging
Photometer for Spitzer (24, 70, and 160 μm) data have been associated
with optical UgriZ data from the Isaac Newton Telescope Wide Field
Survey in ELAIS N1 and with our own optical Ugri data in Lockman-VF.
Criteria for eliminating spurious infrared sources and for carrying out
star-quasar-galaxy separation are discussed, and statistics of the
identification rate are given. Thirty-two percent of sources in the
ELAIS N1 field are found to be optically blank (to r=23.5) and 16% in
Lockman-VF (to r=25).
The SEDs of selected ELAIS sources in N1 detected by SWIRE, most with
spectroscopic redshifts, are modeled in terms of a simple set of galaxy
and quasar templates in the optical and near-infrared (NIR), and with a
set of dust emission templates (cirrus, M82 starburst, Arp 220
starburst, and active galactic nucleus [AGN] dust torus) in the
mid-infrared.
The optical data, together with the IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 μm data, have
been used to determine photometric redshifts. For galaxies with known
spectroscopic redshifts, there is a notable improvement in the
photometric redshift when the IRAC data are used, with a reduction in
the rms scatter from 10% in (1+z) to 7%. Although further spectroscopic
data are needed to confirm this result, the prospect of determining good
photometric redshifts for much of the SWIRE survey, expected to yield
over 2 million extragalactic objects, is excellent. Some modifications
to the optical templates were required in the previously uninvestigated
wavelength region 2-5 μm.
The photometric redshifts are used to derive the 3.6 and 24 μm
redshift distribution and to compare this with the predictions of
models. For those sources with a clear mid-infrared excess, relative to
the galaxy starlight model used for the optical and NIR, the mid- and
far-infrared data are modeled in terms of the same dust emission
templates (cirrus, M82, Arp 220, and AGN dust torus). The proportions
found of each template type are cirrus, 31%; M82, 29%; Arp 220, 10%; and
AGN dust tori, 29%. The distribution of the different infrared SED types
in the LIR/Lopt versus LIR plane, where
LIR and Lopt are the infrared and optical
bolometric luminosities, respectively, is discussed.
There is an interesting population of luminous cool cirrus galaxies with
LIR>Lopt, implying a substantial dust optical
depth. Galaxies with Arp 220-like SEDs, of which there are a surprising
preponderance compared with preexisting source count models, tend to
have high ratios of infrared to optical bolometric luminosity,
consistent with having very high extinction. There is also a high
proportion of galaxies whose mid-infrared SEDs are fitted by an AGN dust
torus template (29%). Of these only 8% of these are type 1 AGNs
according to the optical-NIR template fitting, whereas 25% are fitted
with galaxy templates in the optical-NIR and have
LIR>Lopt and so have to be type 2 AGN. The
remainder have LIR=75%, is
much higher than that inferred for bright optically selected quasars.