[Ultra] Luminous Infrared Galaxies selected at 90 $\mu$m in the AKARI deep field: a study of AGN types contributing to their infrared emission

TL;DR

This study characterizes the properties of ULIRGs and LIRGs detected at 90 μm in the AKARI survey, revealing significant AGN contributions, especially Type 2 AGNs in ULIRGs, and analyzing dust-related relations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of AGN types and their contributions to infrared emission in [U]LIRGs selected at 90 μm, using dual spectral energy distribution fitting methods.

Findings

63% of [U]LIRGs show significant AGN contribution in MIR.

Majority of ULIRGs host Type 2 AGNs.

Dust temperature relations are influenced by dust mass, not heating.

Abstract

The aim of this work is to characterize physical properties of Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) and Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs) detected in the far-infrared (FIR) 90um band in the AKARI Deep Field-South (ADF-S) survey. In particular, we want to estimate the AGN contribution to the [U]LIRGs' infrared emission and which types of AGNs are related to their activity. We examined 69 galaxies at z>0.05 detected at 90um by the AKARI satellite in the ADF-S, with optical counterparts and spectral coverage from the ultraviolet to the FIR. We used two independent spectral energy distribution fitting codes: one fitting the SED from FIR to FUV (CIGALE) and gray-body + power spectrum fit for the infrared part of the spectra (CMCIRSED) in order to identify a subsample of [U]LIRGs, and to estimate their properties. Based on the CIGALE SED fitting, we have found that [U]LIRGs selected at the 90um AKARI band compose ~56% of our sample (we found 17 ULIRGs and 22 LIRGs, spanning over the redshift range 0.06<z<1.23). Their physical parameters, such as stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and specific SFR are consistent with the ones found for other samples selected at IR wavelengths. We have detected a significant AGN contribution to the MIR luminosity for 63% of LIRGs and ULIRGs. Our LIRGs contain Type 1, Type 2, and intermediate types of AGN, whereas for ULIRGs, a majority (more than 50%) of AGN emission originates from Type 2 AGNs. The temperature--luminosity and temperature--mass relations for the dust component of ADF--S LIRGs and ULIRGs indicate that these relations are shaped by the dust mass and not by the increased dust heating. We conclude that LIRGs contain Type 1, Type 2, and intermediate types of AGNs, with an AGN contribution to the MIR emission at the median level of 13+/-3%, whereas the majority of ULIRGs contain Type 2 AGNs, with a median AGN fraction equal to 19+/-8%.