Interpreting the statistical properties of high-z extragalactic sources detected by the South Pole Telescope survey

TL;DR

This paper analyzes high-redshift dusty galaxies detected by the South Pole Telescope, demonstrating that a physical spheroidal galaxy evolution model accurately matches observed redshift distributions and challenges previous claims of excess z > 4 galaxies.

Contribution

It introduces a physically grounded galaxy evolution model that reproduces observed data without parameter adjustments, clarifying the nature of high-z dusty galaxies.

Findings

The model accurately reproduces the redshift distribution of SPT-detected galaxies.

Data do not support an excess of z > 4 dusty galaxies as previously suggested.

The results challenge galaxy formation models that underpredict high-z galaxy abundance.

Abstract

The results of the recently published spectroscopically complete survey of dusty star-forming galaxies detected by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) over 2500 deg^2 proved to be challenging for galaxy formation models that generally underpredict the observed abundance of high-z galaxies. In this paper we interpret these results in the light of a physically grounded model for the evolution of spheroidal galaxies. The model accurately reproduces the measured redshift distribution of galaxies without any adjustment of the parameters. The data do not support the indications of an excess of z > 4 dusty galaxies reported by some analyses of Herschel surveys.