Mid- and Far-infrared Luminosity Functions and Galaxy Evolution from Multiwavelength Spitzer Observations up to z~2.5

TL;DR

This study uses multiwavelength Spitzer data to derive infrared luminosity functions up to redshift 2.5, revealing galaxy evolution patterns, luminosity-dependent star formation epochs, and a downsizing trend in cosmic IR emission.

Contribution

It provides the first self-consistent IR luminosity functions across multiple wavelengths and redshifts, highlighting luminosity-dependent evolution and galaxy downsizing.

Findings

IR luminosity density peaks at z~1.

Brighter IR galaxies form stars earlier than less luminous ones.

Galaxy IR emission shows downsizing evolution pattern.

Abstract

[Abridged]We exploit a large homogeneous dataset to derive a self-consistent picture of IR emission based on the time-dependent 24, 15, 12 and 8micron monochromatic and bolometric IR luminosity functions (LF) over the 0<z<2.5 redshift range. Our analysis is based on the combination of data from deep Spitzer surveys in the VVDS-SWIRE and GOODS areas. To our limiting flux of S(24)=400microJy our derived sample in VVDS-SWIRE includes 1494 sources, and 666 and 904 sources brighter than S(24)=80microJy are catalogued in GOODS-S and GOODS-N, respectively, for a total area of ~0.9 square degs. We obtain reliable optical identifications and redshifts, providing us a rich and robust dataset for our luminosity function determination. Based on the multi-wavelength information available, we constrain the LFs at 8, 12, 15 and 24micron. We also extrapolate total IR luminosities from our best-fit to the observed SEDs of each source, and use this to derive the bolometric LF and comoving volume emissivity up to z~2.5. In the 0<z<1 interval, the bolometric IR luminosity density evolves as (1+z)^3.8+/-0.4. Although more uncertain at higher-z, our results show a flattening of the IR luminosity density at z>1. The mean redshift of the peak in the source number density shifts with luminosity: the brighest IR galaxies appear to be forming stars earlier in cosmic time (z>1.5), while the less luminous ones keep doing it at more recent epochs (z~1 for L(IR)<10^11L_sun). Our results suggest a rapid increase of the galaxy IR comoving volume emissivity back to z~1 and a constant average emissivity at z>1. We also seem to find a difference in the evolution rate of the source number densities as a function of luminosity, a downsizing evolutionary pattern similar to that reported from other samples of cosmic sources.