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ABSTRACT We present the first detailed study of the spatially resolved dust continuum emission of simulated galaxies at 1 < z < 5. We run the radiative transfer code skirt on a sample of submillimetre-bright galaxies drawn from the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. These simulated galaxies reach Milky Way masses by z = 2. Our modelling provides predictions for the full rest-frame far-ultraviolet-to-far-infrared spectral energy distributions of these simulated galaxies, as well as 25-pc resolution maps of their emission across the wavelength spectrum. The derived morphologies are notably different in different wavebands, with the same galaxy often appearing clumpy and extended in the far-ultraviolet yet an ordered spiral at far-infrared wavelengths. The observed-frame 870-$$\mu$$m half-light radii of our FIRE-2 galaxies are $${\sim} 0.5\rm {-}4\, \rm {kpc}$$, consistent with existing ALMA observations of galaxies with similarly high redshifts and stellar masses. In both simulated and observed galaxies, the dust continuum emission is generally more compact than the cold gas and the dust mass, but more extended than the stellar component. The most extreme cases of compact dust emission seem to be driven by particularly compact recent star formation, which generates steep dust temperature gradients. Our results confirm that the spatial extent of the dust continuum emission is sensitive to both the dust mass and star formation rate distributions.
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ALMA characterizes the dust temperature of z ∼ 5.5 star-forming galaxies
ABSTRACT The infrared (IR) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of main-sequence galaxies in the early Universe (z > 4) is currently unconstrained as IR continuum observations are time-consuming and not feasible for large samples. We present Atacama Large Millimetre Array Band 8 observations of four main-sequence galaxies at z ∼ 5.5 to study their IR SED shape in detail. Our continuum data (rest-frame 110 $$\rm \mu m$$, close to the peak of IR emission) allows us to constrain luminosity-weighted dust temperatures and total IR luminosities. With data at longer wavelengths, we measure for the first time the emissivity index at these redshifts to provide more robust estimates of molecular gas masses based on dust continuum. The Band 8 observations of three out of four galaxies can only be reconciled with optically thin emission redward of rest-frame $$100\, {\rm \mu m}$$. The derived dust peak temperatures at z ∼ 5.5 ($$30\!-\!43\, {\rm K}$$) are elevated compared to average local galaxies, however, $$\sim 10\, {\rm K}$$ below what would be predicted from an extrapolation of the trend at z < 4. This behaviour can be explained by decreasing dust abundance (or density) towards high redshifts, which would cause the IR SED at the peak to be more optically thin, making hot dust more visible to the external observer. From the $$850{\hbox{-}}{\rm \mu m}$$ dust continuum, we derive molecular gas masses between 1010 and $$10^{11}\, {\rm M_{\odot }}$$ and gas fractions (gas over total mass) of $$30\!-\!80{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$$ (gas depletion times of $$100\!-\!220\, {\rm Myr}$$). All in all, our results provide a first measured benchmark SED to interpret future millimetre observations of normal, main-sequence galaxies in the early Universe.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1910107
- PAR ID:
- 10330861
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 498
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 4192 to 4204
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2545
