Herschel-ATLAS: multi-wavelength SEDs and physical properties of 250μm selected galaxies at z < 0.5

Authors

D. J. B. Smith, University of NottinghamFollow
L. Dunne, University of NottinghamFollow
E. da Cunha, Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy
K. Rowlands, University of Nottingham
S. J. Maddox, University of Nottingham
H. L. Gomez, Cardiff University
D. G. Bonfield, University of HertfordshireFollow
S. Charlot, Universite Pierre & Marie Curie
S. P. Driver, University of St. AndrewsFollow
C. C. Popescu, University of Central Lancashire
R. J. Tuffs, Max-Planck Institut fur Kernphysik
J. S. Dunlop, University of Edinburgh
M. J. Jarvis, University of HertfordshireFollow
N. Seymour, University College LondonFollow
M. Symeonidis, University College LondonFollow
M. Baes, Universiteit GentFollow
N. Bourne, University of Nottingham
D. L. Clements, Imperial College London
A. Cooray, University of California - IrvineFollow
G. De Zotti, INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico Di PadovaFollow
S. Dye, University of NottinghamFollow
S. Eales, Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy
D. Scott, University of British Columbia
A. Verma, Denys Wilkinson Building
P. van der Werf, Leiden UniversityFollow
E. Andrae, Max-Planck Institut fur Kernphysik
R. Auld, Cardiff UniversityFollow
S. Buttiglione, INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico Di PadovaFollow
A. Cava, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
A. Dariush, Imperial College
J. Fritz, Universiteit GentFollow
R. Hopwood, Universiteit Gent
E. Ibar, UK Astronomy Technology Centre
R. J. Ivison, UK Astronomy Technology Centre
L. Kelvin, University of St. Andrews
B. F. Madore, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution
M. Pohlen, Cardiff University
E. E. Rigby, University of Nottingham
A. Robotham, University of St. AndrewsFollow
M. Seibert, NASA Ames Research Center
P. Temi, University of the Western Cape

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 427, 703–727 (2012); doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21930.x

Abstract

We present a pan-chromatic analysis of an unprecedented sample of 1402 250 μm selected galaxies at z < 0.5 (͞z = 0.24) from the Herschel-ATLAS survey. We complement our Herschel 100–500 μm data with UV–K-band photometry from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and apply the MAGPHYS energy-balance technique to produce pan-chromatic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a representative sample of 250 μm selected galaxies spanning the most recent 5 Gyr of cosmic history. We derive estimates of physical parameters, including star formation rates, stellar masses, dust masses and infrared (IR) luminosities. The typical H-ATLAS galaxy at z < 0.5 has a far-infrared luminosity in the range 10¹⁰–10¹² L_ʘ (SFR: 1–50 M_ʘ yr⁻¹) and thus is broadly representative of normal star-forming galaxies over this redshift range. We show that 250 μm selected galaxies contain a larger mass of dust at a given IR luminosity or star formation rate than previous samples selected at 60 μm from the IRAS. We derive typical SEDs for H-ATLAS galaxies, and show that the emergent SED shape is most sensitive to specific star formation rate. The optical–UV SEDs also become more reddened due to dust at higher redshifts. Our template SEDs are significantly cooler than existing IR templates. They may therefore be most appropriate for inferring total IR luminosities from moderate redshift sub-millimetre selected samples and for inclusion in models of the lower redshift sub-millimetre galaxy populations.