# An imperfectly passive nature: Bright sub-millimeter emission from dust-obscured star formation in the z=3.717 "passive" system, ZF20115

## TL;DR

Deep multi-wavelength observations reveal that the high-redshift galaxy ZF20115, previously thought to be quiescent, hosts an obscured starburst, emphasizing the importance of sub-millimeter data in classifying galaxy activity.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates that dust-obscured star formation can mimic post-starburst features, challenging previous classifications of high-redshift galaxies as quiescent.

## Key findings

- A luminous starburst is located close to the galaxy's optical emission.
- Obscured star formation significantly affects stellar mass estimates.
- Balmer features are not exclusive to post-starburst galaxies in dusty environments.

## Abstract

The identification of high-redshift massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshift. In this letter, we analyse deep ALMA/870um and SCUBA-2/450um imaging of the claimed "post-starburst" galaxy ZF-20115 at z=3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The far-infrared imaging reveals a luminous starburst located 0.4+/-0.1 arcsec (~3kpc in projection) from the position of the rest-frame ultra-violet/optical emission, with an obscured star-formation rate of 100 Mo/yr. This star-forming component is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at restframe wavelengths >3500A, significantly complicating the determination of a reliable stellar mass. Importantly, in the presence of dust obscuration, strong Balmer features are not a unique signature of a post-starburst galaxy and are indeed frequently observed in infrared-luminous galaxies. We conclude that the ZF20015 system does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation and that deep sub-/millimeter observations are a prerequisite for any claims of quiescence. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially-varying star-formation history. ZF20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the JWST, at mid-infrared wavelengths.