The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies

A special issue of Galaxies (ISSN 2075-4434).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 5824

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica—Istituto di Radioastronomia—Italian ARC, Via Gobetti 101,40129 Bologna, Italy
Interests: radio/(sub)mm observations and data handling/mining; applied to the investigation of galaxy formation and evolution; galaxy populations evolutionary properties; and nuclear activity and star formation relations; through survey analysis; multi-band and multi-scale property reconstructions; gravitational lensing characterization

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Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica—Istituto di Radioastronomia—Italian ARC, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Interests: IR and radio galaxy evolution models; galaxy/AGN (co-)evolution; IR spectroscopy; SED modelling and decomposition; statistical properties of galaxies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

It is a pleasure to invite you to join us in the compilation of this Special Issue on “The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies”.

Galaxies detected in the submillimeter regime are the main site for star formation in the early Universe (z>1, Blain 1996; Casey et al. 2014). It is well established that a substantial contribution at the peak of the cosmic star formation rate (SFR) density comes from these heavily dust-obscured objects, featuring a submillimeter flux density >1 mJy and extremely high SFRs, up to ∼10^3 Msun/yr (e.g., Dudzevičiūtė 2020; Simpson et al. 2020, Giulietti et al. 2023). For this reason, they are referred to as Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies (DSFG). Thanks to their huge dust content, these objects are heavily obscured in optical bands and extremely bright in far-IR (FIR)-submm bands, where the light of newborn stars, reprocessed by dust, is re-emitted. Moreover, DSFGs have been identified as the progenitors of massive quiescent early-type galaxies. Therefore, they constitute ideal laboratories for testing galaxy evolutionary models.

In this Special Issue, we aim to summarize the state-of-the-art characterization of DSFG populations that dominate the millimeter-to-FIR extragalactic sky at high redshift, by presenting observations of their components (i.e., dust, stars, gas, chemical enrichment, active nuclei) in different spectral bands. We will also address technical issues associated with blind detection, source extraction, cross-identification in multi-wavelength analysis, and spectral energy distribution (SED) reconstruction. The overall picture will be enclosed in the framework of galaxy evolutionary models, in order to attempt a physical description of the DSFG populations in their various stages of evolution.

Dr. Marcella Massardi
Dr. Matteo Bonato
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • dusty galaxies
  • submillimeter galaxies
  • ALMA
  • SED
  • multi-wavelength
  • galaxy observations
  • galaxy detection

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 872 KiB  
Article
Teaming up Radio and Sub-mm/FIR Observations to Probe Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies
by Meriem Behiri, Marika Giulietti, Vincenzo Galluzzi, Andrea Lapi, Elisabetta Liuzzo and Marcella Massardi
Galaxies 2024, 12(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12020014 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1176
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the benefits of teaming up data from the radio to the far-infrared (FIR) regime for the characterization of dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). These galaxies are thought to be the star-forming progenitors of local massive quiescent galaxies and to [...] Read more.
In this paper, we investigate the benefits of teaming up data from the radio to the far-infrared (FIR) regime for the characterization of dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). These galaxies are thought to be the star-forming progenitors of local massive quiescent galaxies and to play a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the cosmic star formation rate density up to high redshift. Due to their dust-enshrouded nature, DSFGs are often invisible in the near-infrared/optical/UV bands. Therefore, they necessitate observations at longer wavelengths, primarily the FIR band, where dust emission occurs, and the radio band, which is not affected by dust absorption. Combining data from these two spectral windows makes it possible to characterize even the dustiest objects, enabling the retrieval of information about their age, dust temperature, and star-formation status, and facilitates the differentiation between various galaxy populations that evolve throughout cosmic history. Despite the detection of faint radio sources being a challenging task, this study demonstrates that an effective strategy to build statistically relevant samples of DSFGs would be reaching deep sensitivities in the radio band, even restricted to smaller areas, and then combining these radio observations with FIR/submm data. Additionally, this paper quantifies the improvement in the spectral energy distribution (SED) reconstruction of DSFGs by incorporating ALMA band measurements, in particular, in its upgraded status thanks to the anticipated Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies)
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Review

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23 pages, 34923 KiB  
Review
Molecular Gas Kinematics in Local Early-Type Galaxies with ALMA
by Ilaria Ruffa and Timothy A. Davis
Galaxies 2024, 12(4), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12040036 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1037
Abstract
Local early-type galaxies (ETGs) are mostly populated by old stars, with little or no recent star formation activity. For this reason, they have historically been believed to be essentially devoid of cold gas, which is the fuel for the formation of new stars. [...] Read more.
Local early-type galaxies (ETGs) are mostly populated by old stars, with little or no recent star formation activity. For this reason, they have historically been believed to be essentially devoid of cold gas, which is the fuel for the formation of new stars. Over the past two decades, however, increasingly-sensitive instrumentation observing the sky at (sub-)millimetre wavelengths has revealed the presence of significant amounts of cold molecular gas in the hearts of nearby ETGs. The unprecedented capabilities offered by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in particular, have allowed us to obtain snapshots of the central regions of these ETGs with unprecedented detail, mapping this gas with higher sensitivity and resolution than ever before possible. Studies of the kinematics of the observed cold gas reservoirs are crucial for galaxy formation and evolution theories, providing, e.g., constraints on the fundamental properties and fuelling/feedback processes of super-massive black holes (SMBHs) at the centre of these galaxies. In this brief review, we summarise what the first 10 years of ALMA observations have taught us about the distribution and kinematics of the cold molecular gas component in nearby ellipticals and lenticulars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies)
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33 pages, 549 KiB  
Review
Astrochemistry of the Molecular Gas in Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies at the Cosmic Noon
by Francesca Perrotta, Martina Torsello, Marika Giulietti and Andrea Lapi
Galaxies 2024, 12(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12020018 - 22 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1266
Abstract
Far-infrared and submillimeter observations have established the fundamental role of dust-obscured star formation in the assembly of stellar mass over the past ∼12 billion years. At z = 2–4, the so-called “cosmic noon”, the bulk of star formation is enshrouded in dust, and [...] Read more.
Far-infrared and submillimeter observations have established the fundamental role of dust-obscured star formation in the assembly of stellar mass over the past ∼12 billion years. At z = 2–4, the so-called “cosmic noon”, the bulk of star formation is enshrouded in dust, and dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) contain ∼50% of the total stellar mass density. Star formation occurs in dense molecular clouds, and is regulated by a complex interplay between all the ISM components that contribute to the energy budget of a galaxy: gas, dust, cosmic rays, interstellar electromagnetic fields, gravitational field, and dark matter. Molecular gas is the actual link between star-forming gas and its complex environment: much of what we know about star formation comes from observations of molecular line emissions. They provide by far the richest information about the star formation process. However, their interpretation requires complex modeling of the astrochemical networks which regulate molecular formation and establish molecular abundances in a cloud, and a modeling of the physical conditions of the gas in which molecular energy levels become populated. This paper critically reviews the main astrochemical parameters needed to obtain predictions about molecular signals in DSFGs. Molecular lines can be very bright compared to the continuum emission, but radiative transfer models are required to properly interpret the observed brightness. We review the current knowledge and the open questions about the interstellar medium of DSFGs, outlining the key role of molecular gas as a tracer and shaper of the star formation process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies)
20 pages, 479 KiB  
Review
Observing Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies at the Cosmic Noon through Gravitational Lensing: Perspectives from New-Generation Telescopes
by Marika Giulietti, Giovanni Gandolfi, Marcella Massardi, Meriem Behiri and Andrea Lapi
Galaxies 2024, 12(2), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12020009 - 8 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Gravitational lensing, a compelling physical phenomenon, offers a unique avenue to investigate the morphology and physical properties of distant and faint celestial objects. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of observations concerning strongly lensed Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies. [...] Read more.
Gravitational lensing, a compelling physical phenomenon, offers a unique avenue to investigate the morphology and physical properties of distant and faint celestial objects. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of observations concerning strongly lensed Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies. Emphasis is placed on the pivotal role played by cutting-edge facilities like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Square Kilometer Array Observatory. These advanced instruments operating at the two opposite ends of the electromagnetic spectrum, in conjunction with the amplifying effect of gravitational lensing, promise significant steps in our understanding of these sources. The synergy between these observatories is poised to unlock crucial insights into the evolutionary path of high-redshift, dust-obscured systems and unravel the intricate interplay between Active Galactic Nuclei and their host galaxies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Observation and Detection of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies)
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