2005/09/01 by J. Melbourne, David C. Koo, D. C. Koo +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Luminosity #Luminous infrared galaxy #Photometry (optics) #Physics #Redshift #Spiral galaxy #Stars #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/498019
published as Astrophys.J.632:L65-L68,2005 · 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted ApJL
arxiv created 2005/09/01 · openalex publication_date 2005/10/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We combine optical morphologies and photometry from HST , redshifts from Keck, and mid-infrared luminosities from Spitzer for an optically selected sample of ~800 galaxies in GOODS-N to track the morphology evolution of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) since redshift z = 1. We find a 50% decline in the number of LIRGs from z ~ 1 to lower redshift, in agreement with previous studies. In addition, there is evidence for a morphological evolution of the populations of LIRGs. Above z = 0.5, roughly half of all LIRGs are spiral, the peculiar/irregular-to-spiral ratio is ~0.7, and both classes span a similar range of L IR and M B . At low z , spirals account for one-third of LIRGs, the peculiar-to-spiral fraction rises to 1.3, and for a given M B spirals tend to have lower IR luminosity than peculiars. Only a few percent of LIRGs at any redshift are red early-type galaxies. For blue galaxies ( U - B < 0.2), M B is well correlated with log L IR with an rms scatter (about a bivariate linear fit) of ~0.25 dex in IR luminosity. Among blue galaxies that are brighter than M B = -21, 75% are LIRGs, regardless of redshift. These results can be explained by a scenario in which at high z , most large spirals experience an elevated star formation rate as LIRGs. Gas consumption results in a decline of LIRGs, especially in spirals, to lower redshifts.