The European Large-Area ISO Survey (ELAIS): The final band-merged catalogue

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 351:4 (2004) 1290-1306

Authors:

M Rowan-Robinson, C Lari, I Perez-Fournon, EA Gonzalez-Solares, F La Franca, M Vaccari, S Oliver, C Gruppioni, P Ciliegi, P Héraudeau, S Serjeant, A Efstathiou, T Babbedge, I Matute, F Pozzi, A Franceschini, P Vaisanen, A Afonso-Luis, DM Alexander, O Almaini, AC Baker, S Basilakos, M Barden, C Del Burgo, I Bellas-Velidis, F Cabrera-Guerra, R Carballo, CJ Cesarsky, DL Clements, H Crockett, L Danese, A Dapergolas, B Drolias, N Eaton, E Egami, D Elbaz, D Fadda, M Fox, R Genzel, P Goldschmidt, JI Gonzalez-Serrano, M Graham, GL Granato, E Hatziminaoglou, U Herbstmeier, M Joshi, E Kontizas, M Kontizas, JK Kotilainen, D Kunze, A Lawrence, D Lemke, MJD Linden-Vørnle, RG Mann, I Márquez, J Masegosa, RG McMahon, G Miley, V Missoulis, B Mobasher, T Morel, H Nørgaard-Nielsen, A Omont, P Papadopoulos, JL Puget, D Rigopoulou, B Rocca-Volmerange, N Sedgwick, L Silva, T Sumner, C Surace, B Vila-Vilaro, P Van Der Werf, A Verma, L Vigroux, M Villar-Martin, CJ Willott, A Carramiñana, R Mujica

Abstract:

We present the final band-merged European Large-Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) Catalogue at 6.7, 15, 90 and 175 μm, and the associated data at U, g′, r′, i′, Z, J, H, K and 20 cm. The origin of the survey, infrared and radio observations, data-reduction and optical identifications are briefly reviewed, and a summary of the area covered and the completeness limit for each infrared band is given. A detailed discussion of the band-merging and optical association strategy is given. The total Catalogue consists of 3762 sources. 23 per cent of the 15-μm sources and 75 per cent of the 6.7-μm sources are stars. For extragalactic sources observed in three or more infrared bands, colour-colour diagrams are presented and discussed in terms of the contributing infrared populations. Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are shown for selected sources and compared with cirrus, M82 and Arp220 starburst, and active galactic nuclei (AGN) dust torus models. Spectroscopic redshifts are tabulated, where available. For the N1 and N2 areas, the Isaac Newton Telescope ugriz Wide Field Survey permits photometric redshifts to be estimated for galaxies and quasars. These agree well with the spectroscopic redshifts, within the uncertainty of the photometric method [∼ 10 per cent in (1 + z) for galaxies]. The redshift distribution is given for selected ELAIS bands and colour-redshift diagrams are discussed. There is a high proportion of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (log10 of 1-1000 μm luminosity Lir > 12.22) in the ELAIS Catalogue (14 per cent of 15-μm galaxies with known z), many with Arp220-like SEDs. 10 per cent of the 15-μm sources are genuine optically blank fields to r′ = 24: these must have very high infrared-to-optical ratios and probably have z > 0.6, so are high-luminosity dusty starbursts or Type 2 AGN. Nine hyperluminous infrared galaxies (Lir > 13.22) and nine extremely red objects (EROs) (r - K > 6) are found in the survey. The latter are interpreted as ultraluminous dusty infrared galaxies at z ∼ 1. The large numbers of ultraluminous galaxies imply very strong evolution in the star formation rate between z = 0 and 1. There is also a surprisingly large population of luminous (Lir > 11.5), cool (cirrus-type SEDs) galaxies, with Lir - L opt > 0, implying Av > 1.

The Nature of the Mid-Infrared Population from Optical Identifications of the ELAIS-S1 Sample

The Astronomical Journal American Astronomical Society 127:6 (2004) 3075-3088

Authors:

F La Franca, C Gruppioni, I Matute, F Pozzi, C Lari, M Mignoli, G Zamorani, DM Alexander, F Cocchia, L Danese, A Franceschini, P Héraudeau, JK Kotilainen, MJD Linden-Vørnle, S Oliver, M Rowan-Robinson, S Serjeant, L Spinoglio, A Verma

The environments of hyperluminous infrared galaxies at 0.44 < z < 1.55

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 349:2 (2004) 518-526

Authors:

D Farrah, J Geach, M Fox, S Serjeant, S Oliver, A Verma, A Kaviani, M Rowan-Robinson

Abstract:

We present deep wide-field Ks-band observations of six Hyperluminous Infrared Galaxies (HLIRGs) spanning a redshift range 0.44 < z < 1.55. The sample resides in a wide variety of environments, from the field to Abell 2 clusters, with a mean galaxy-HLIRG clustering amplitude of 〈Bgh〉 = 190 ± 45 Mpc1.77. The range in environments, and the mean clustering level, are both greater than those seen in local IR-luminous galaxies, from which we infer that the range of galaxy evolution processes driving IR-luminous galaxy evolution at z > 0.5 is greater than locally, and includes mergers between gas-rich spiral galaxies in the field, but also includes encounters in clusters and hierarchical build-up. The similarity in the range of environments and mean clustering amplitude between our sample and QSOs over a similar redshift range is consistent with the interpretation where evolutionary connections between IR-luminous galaxies and QSOs are stronger at z > 0.5 than locally, and that, at these redshifts, the processes that drive QSO evolution are similar to those that drive IR-luminous galaxy evolution. From comparison of the HLIRG and QSO host galaxies we further postulate that a larger fraction of IR-luminous galaxies pass through an optical QSO stage at z > 0.5 than locally.

The K-band Hubble diagram of submillimetre galaxies and hyperluminous galaxies

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 346:4 (2003)

Authors:

S Serjeant, D Farrah, J Geach, T Takagi, A Verma, A Kaviani, M Fox

Abstract:

We present the K-baad Hubble diagrams (K-z relations) of submillimetre-selected galaxies and hyperluminous galaxies (HLIRGs). We report the discovery of a remarkably tight K-z relation of HLIRGs, indistinguishable from that of the most luminous radio galaxies. Like radio galaxies, the HLIRG K-z relation at z ∼ 3 is consistent with a passively evolving ∼3L* instantaneous starburst starting from a redshift of z ∼ 10. In contrast, many submillimetre-selected galaxies are ≳2 mag fainter, and the population has a much larger dispersion. We argue that dust obscuration and/or a larger mass range may be responsible for this scatter. The galaxies so far proved to be hyperluminous may have been biased towards higher AGN bolometric contributions than submillimetre-selected galaxies due to the 60-μm selection of some, so the location on the K-z relation may be related to the presence of the most massive active galactic nucleus. Alternatively, a particular host galaxy mass range may be responsible for both extreme star formation and the most massive active nuclei.

A mid-infrared spectroscopic survey of starburst galaxies: Excitation and abundances

Astronomy & Astrophysics EDP Sciences 403:3 (2003) 829-846

Authors:

A Verma, D Lutz, E Sturm, A Sternberg, R Genzel, W Vacca