The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey

We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 5.2 using all three cameras on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission ass...

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Main Authors: De Breuck, C., Seymour, Nick, Stern, D., Willner, S., Eisenhardt, P., Fazio, G., Galametz, A., Lacy, M., Rettura, A., Rocca-Volmerange, B., Vernet, J.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Institute of Physics Publishing 2010
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41416
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author De Breuck, C.
Seymour, Nick
Stern, D.
Willner, S.
Eisenhardt, P.
Fazio, G.
Galametz, A.
Lacy, M.
Rettura, A.
Rocca-Volmerange, B.
Vernet, J.
author_facet De Breuck, C.
Seymour, Nick
Stern, D.
Willner, S.
Eisenhardt, P.
Fazio, G.
Galametz, A.
Lacy, M.
Rettura, A.
Rocca-Volmerange, B.
Vernet, J.
author_sort De Breuck, C.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 5.2 using all three cameras on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission associated with the active nucleus in 59. Using a new rest-frame S3µm/S 1.6µm versus S5µm/S3µm criterion, we identify 42 sources where the rest-frame 1.6 µm emission from the stellar population can be measured. For these radio galaxies, the median stellar mass is high, 2×1011 M?, and remarkably constant within the range 1 < z < 3. At z >3, there is tentative evidence for a factor of two decrease in stellar mass. This suggests that radio galaxies have assembled the bulk of their stellar mass by z ~ 3, but confirmation by more detailed decomposition of stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission is needed. The rest-frame 500 MHz radio luminosities are only marginally correlated with stellar mass but are strongly correlated with the rest-frame 5 µm hot dust luminosity. This suggests that the radio galaxies have a large range of Eddington ratios.We also present newVery Large Array 4.86 and 8.46 GHz imaging of 14 radio galaxies and find that radio core dominance-an indicator of jet orientation-is strongly correlated with hot dust luminosity.While all of our targets were selected as narrow-lined, type 2 AGNs, this result can be understood in the context of orientation-dependent models if there is a continuous distribution of orientations from obscured type 2 to unobscured type 1 AGNs rather than a clear dichotomy. Finally, four radio galaxies have nearby (<6?) companions whose mid-IR colors are suggestive of their being AGNs. This may indicate an association between radio galaxy activity and major mergers. © 2010. The American Astronomical Society.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-414162023-02-22T06:24:17Z The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey De Breuck, C. Seymour, Nick Stern, D. Willner, S. Eisenhardt, P. Fazio, G. Galametz, A. Lacy, M. Rettura, A. Rocca-Volmerange, B. Vernet, J. We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 5.2 using all three cameras on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission associated with the active nucleus in 59. Using a new rest-frame S3µm/S 1.6µm versus S5µm/S3µm criterion, we identify 42 sources where the rest-frame 1.6 µm emission from the stellar population can be measured. For these radio galaxies, the median stellar mass is high, 2×1011 M?, and remarkably constant within the range 1 < z < 3. At z >3, there is tentative evidence for a factor of two decrease in stellar mass. This suggests that radio galaxies have assembled the bulk of their stellar mass by z ~ 3, but confirmation by more detailed decomposition of stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission is needed. The rest-frame 500 MHz radio luminosities are only marginally correlated with stellar mass but are strongly correlated with the rest-frame 5 µm hot dust luminosity. This suggests that the radio galaxies have a large range of Eddington ratios.We also present newVery Large Array 4.86 and 8.46 GHz imaging of 14 radio galaxies and find that radio core dominance-an indicator of jet orientation-is strongly correlated with hot dust luminosity.While all of our targets were selected as narrow-lined, type 2 AGNs, this result can be understood in the context of orientation-dependent models if there is a continuous distribution of orientations from obscured type 2 to unobscured type 1 AGNs rather than a clear dichotomy. Finally, four radio galaxies have nearby (<6?) companions whose mid-IR colors are suggestive of their being AGNs. This may indicate an association between radio galaxy activity and major mergers. © 2010. The American Astronomical Society. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41416 10.1088/0004-637X/725/1/36 Institute of Physics Publishing unknown
spellingShingle De Breuck, C.
Seymour, Nick
Stern, D.
Willner, S.
Eisenhardt, P.
Fazio, G.
Galametz, A.
Lacy, M.
Rettura, A.
Rocca-Volmerange, B.
Vernet, J.
The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title_full The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title_fullStr The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title_full_unstemmed The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title_short The spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
title_sort spitzer high-redshift radio galaxy survey
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41416