HerMES: Lyman Break Galaxies individually detected at 0.7 < z < 2.0 in GOODS-N with Herschel/SPIRE

TL;DR

This study uses Herschel/SPIRE data to analyze the FIR properties of Lyman Break Galaxies in GOODS-N, revealing that detected galaxies are high-mass, luminous infrared systems with specific color and attenuation characteristics.

Contribution

First detection of individual LBGs at 0.7 < z < 2.0 in FIR with Herschel, linking FIR detection to galaxy mass, luminosity, and evolutionary stage.

Findings

Detected 13 LBGs in FIR, mostly at lower redshifts.

FIR-detected LBGs are high-mass, luminous IR galaxies.

FIR detection correlates with redder UV-optical colors.

Abstract

As part of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey we have investigated the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) properties of a sample of more than 4800 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey North field. Most LBGs are not detected individually, but we do detect a sub-sample of 12 objects at 0.7 < z < 1.6 and one object at z ~ 2.0. The ones detected by Herschel SPIRE have redder observed NUV-U and U-R colors than the others, while the undetected ones have colors consistent with average LBGs at z > 2.5. The UV-to-FIR spectral energy distributions of the objects detected in the rest-frame FIR are investigated using the code CIGALE to estimate physical parameters. We find that LBGs detected by SPIRE are high mass, luminous infrared galaxies. It appears that LBGs are located in a triangle-shaped region in the A_FUV vs. Log L_FUV diagram limited by A_FUV=0 at the bottom and by a diagonal following the temporal evolution of the most massive galaxies from the bottom-right to the top-left of the diagram. This upper envelop can be used as upper limits for the UV dust attenuation as a function of L_FUV}. The limits of this region are well explained using a closed-box model, where the chemical evolution of galaxies produces metals, which in turn lead to higher dust attenuation when the galaxies age.