Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) in the local Universe are highly centrally concentrated in the mid-infrared (MIR) and substantially more likely than non-(U)LIRGs to be involved in mergers. At higher redshifts, images of radio emission, cold dust, and molecular gas have suggested that (U)LIRGs at cosmic noon and even earlier may be relatively less concentrated than their z ∼ 0 counterparts. Prior to the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), quantifying the extent of obscured star formation in (U)LIRGs at z ∼ 1 was not possible due to the low spatial resolution of previous instruments in the MIR. With JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), it is now possible. We use MIRI imaging to identify a sample of 24 LIRGs at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 1.22 in the Systematic Mid-Infrared Legacy Extragalactic Survey and find that they are generally less centrally concentrated than their z ∼ 0 counterparts. Compared to high-mass star-forming galaxies that are not LIRGs, we find little evidence that LIRGs are more likely to be morphologically disturbed at rest-frame UV, optical, and near-infrared wavelengths at z ∼ 1. This also differs from the local counterparts where strong disturbances and major mergers are closely associated with LIRGs. These results support suggestions that smaller disturbances and perhaps even internal processes can trigger the collapse of gas clouds outside of galactic cores and cause very high levels of extended star formation at z ≳ 1.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Awards: G103270039, G1103442965, G1166668239, G1338664626, G1632446036, G256731684, G3340416472, G4096137220, G433322167, G4518818167, G5568641063, G58316358, G6273510985, 1. SCIENCE INVESTIGATION: SUMMARY IN MY ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE LAUNCH OF SPITZER I PLANNED A JWST PROGRAM ON ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI (AGN) AND THEIR HOST GALAXIES BUILDING ON THEN-FUTURE SPITZER OBSERVATIONS. TOWARD THE END OF THE SPITZER COLD MISSION AS THE PI FOR THE MIPS INSTRUMENT I HAD LED SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAMS ON BOTH EXTRAGALACTIC OBSERVATIONS AND DEBRIS DISKS SO I PROPOSED TO EXPAND MY JWST EFFORT TO INCLUDE BOTH AN EXPANSION THAT WAS APPROVED BY ED WEILER ON OCTOBER 16 2009. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM THEREFORE INCLUDES BOTH OF THESE THEMES. SINCE BOTH PROPOSALS WERE WRITTEN MAJOR NEW CAPABILITIES HAVE ANSWERED SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS AND POSED NEW ONES. IN THE EXTRAGALACTIC ARENA THESE INCLUDE SPITZER ITSELF HERSCHEL THE EXPANDED CAPABILITIES OF THE JVLA AND ALMA. FOR DEBRIS DISKS THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE HERSCHEL ALMA AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ADAPTIVE OPTICS. THEREFORE THE MATERIAL IN THIS PROPOSAL IS RE-THOUGHT TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE CURRENT PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS. EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATIONS DESCRIBED BELOW IS DESCRIBED IN A DETAILED INTERNAL REPORT AND IS READY FOR DETAILED OBSERVATION PLANNING. THIS PROPOSAL GIVES A SUMMARY OF THE HIGH LEVEL GOALS AND REQUIRED OBSERVATIONS ONLY. IT INTENTIONALLY SOMEWHAT OVERSUBSCRIBES MY TIME ALLOTMENT TO ALLOW FOR COLLABORATIONS AND SHARED TIME AS WELL AS FURTHER OPTIMIZATION. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS MY RESEARCH GROUP HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN ALL OF THEM; I HAVE BOLD-FACED CITATIONS OF OUR RELEVANT WORK IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY (ATTACHED AS APPENDIX A). IN ADDITION I WAS ASSIGNED AN ADDITIONAL 60 HOURS OF GTO TIME TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG (MOSTLY) YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAD MADE MAJOR COMMITMENTS IN SUPPORT OF MIRI (ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE GTO TIME FOR MIRI SUPPORT BY THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM (EC)). APPENDIX C INCLUDES SHORT STATUS REPORTS ON THEIR PLANS., G767601387
OpenAlex ID: W4413904048