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Extragalactic abstracts - IRSA - California Institute of Technology

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Spitzer_Approved_<strong>Extragalactic</strong><br />

Mar 25, 10 16:24 Page 735/742<br />

Spitzer Space Telescope − General Observer Proposal #20577<br />

Nascent starbursts: a missing link in galaxy evolution<br />

Principal Investigator: Helene Roussel<br />

Institution: <strong>California</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Technology</strong><br />

Technical Contact: Helene Roussel, Max−Planck−Institut fur Astronomie<br />

Co−Investigators:<br />

George Helou, IPAC/Caltech<br />

Jim Condon, National Radio Astronomy Observatory<br />

Rainer Beck, Max−Planck−Institut fur Radioastronomie<br />

John−David Smith, University <strong>of</strong> Arizona<br />

Science Category: starburst galaxies<br />

Observing Modes: IracMap IrsMap MipsPhot<br />

Hours Approved: 20.4<br />

Abstract:<br />

We have identified a rare category <strong>of</strong> galaxies characterized by an extreme<br />

deficiency in synchro− tron radiation, relative to dust emission, and very high<br />

dust temperatures. We studied in detail the most extreme such object, and<br />

concluded in favor <strong>of</strong> a starburst just breaking out, less than one megayear old,<br />

in a galaxy having undergone no major star formation episode in the last 100<br />

Myr. Such systems <strong>of</strong>fer a perfect setting to study the initial conditions and<br />

early dynamics <strong>of</strong> starbursts and understand better the regulation <strong>of</strong> the<br />

infrared−radio continuum correlation in galaxies. For the prototypical nascent<br />

starburst, the mid−infrared spectrum is quite peculiar, suggesting tran− sient<br />

dust species and high optical depth; tracers <strong>of</strong> dust and molecular gas are the<br />

only indicators <strong>of</strong> unusual activity, and the active regions are likely very<br />

compact and dust−bounded, suppressing ionization. Only Spitzer data can provide<br />

the needed physical diagnostics for such regions. A sample <strong>of</strong> 25 nascent<br />

starbursts was drawn from the cross−correlation <strong>of</strong> the IRAS Faint Source Catalog<br />

and the NVSS VLA radio survey, and carefully selected based on our<br />

multi−wavelength VLA maps to span a range <strong>of</strong> infrared to radio ratios and<br />

luminosities. This sample allows a first step beyond studying prototypes toward<br />

a statistical analysis addressing systematic physical pro− perties,<br />

classification and search for starburst development sequences. We propose<br />

imaging and spectroscopic observations from 3 to 160 microns to characterize the<br />

state <strong>of</strong> the interstellar medium and the gas and dust excitation origin. Our aim<br />

is to learn from these unique systems how a star formation burst may develop in<br />

its very earliest phases, how it affects the fueling material and the host<br />

galaxy. Acquired observations <strong>of</strong> the radio continuum, cold molecular gas and<br />

tracers <strong>of</strong> shocks and HII regions will help us interpret the rich Spitzer data<br />

set and extract a coherent picture <strong>of</strong> the interstellar medium in our targets.<br />

Spitzer_Approved_<strong>Extragalactic</strong><br />

Printed_by_SSC<br />

Mar 25, 10 16:24 Page 736/742<br />

Spitzer Space Telescope − Directors Discretionary Time Proposal #492<br />

An Extremely Metal−Poor Population <strong>of</strong> L* Galaxies at z~0.35<br />

Principal Investigator: John Salzer<br />

Institution: Indiana University<br />

Technical Contact: Rose Finn, Siena College<br />

Co−Investigators:<br />

Rose Finn, Siena College<br />

George Helou, IPAC/SSC<br />

Science Category: starburst galaxies<br />

Observing Modes: IracMap MipsPhot<br />

Hours Approved: 4.9<br />

Abstract:<br />

We propose to obtain IRAC and MIPS observations <strong>of</strong> seven prototypes <strong>of</strong> a<br />

recently discovered class <strong>of</strong> star−forming galaxies with 0.29 < z < 0.41.<br />

Originally thought to be intermediate−redshift Seyfert 2 galaxies when first<br />

discovered in the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS), recent optical<br />

spectroscopy in the far red has revealed these objects to be very metal−poor<br />

star−forming galaxies. These galaxies follow a luminosity−metallicity (L−Z)<br />

relation that parallels the one defined by low−redshift galaxies, but is <strong>of</strong>fset<br />

by a factor <strong>of</strong> 10 to lower abundances! The amount <strong>of</strong> chemical and/or luminosity<br />

evolution required to place these galaxies on the local L−Z relation is extreme.<br />

Either they are late−forming massive systems, which would challenge the current<br />

paradigm <strong>of</strong> galaxy formation, or they represent intense starbursts in<br />

dwarf−dwarf mergers. In either case, these objects represent an extreme stage <strong>of</strong><br />

galaxy evolution taking place at relatively low redshift. In order to arrive at<br />

a more complete understanding <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong> these objects, we are applying<br />

now to DDT in order to capture a minimum <strong>of</strong> FIR information before Spitzer runs<br />

out <strong>of</strong> He coolant. We stress that the nature <strong>of</strong> these objects has only recently<br />

been recognized, so that it was not possible to apply to observe them during the<br />

most recent call for proposals.<br />

Thursday March 25, 2010 xgal_covers.txt<br />

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