The VANDELS survey: dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z = 3-4

Journal
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Cullen, F.
•
McLure, R. J.
•
Khochfar, S.
•
Dunlop, J. S.
•
Dalla Vecchia, C.
•
Carnall, A. C.
•
Bourne, N.
•
•
Cimatti, A.
•
Cirasuolo, M.
•
Elbaz, D.
•
Fynbo, J. P. U.
•
•
Koekemoer, A.
•
•
•
Talia, M.
•
Zamorani, G.
DOI
Abstract
We present the results of a new study of dust attenuation at redshifts 3 < z < 4 based on a sample of 236 star-forming galaxies from the VANDELS spectroscopic survey. Motivated by results from the First Billion Years (FiBY) simulation project, we argue that the intrinsic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts have a self-similar shape across the mass range 8.2 ≤ log (M⋆/M☉) ≤ 10.6 probed by our sample. Using FiBY data, we construct a set of intrinsic SED templates which incorporate both detailed star formation and chemical abundance histories, and a variety of stellar population synthesis (SPS) model assumptions. With this set of intrinsic SEDs, we present a novel approach for directly recovering the shape and normalization of the dust attenuation curve. We find, across all of the intrinsic templates considered, that the average attenuation curve for star-forming galaxies at z ≃ 3.5 is similar in shape to the commonly adopted Calzetti starburst law, with an average total-to-selective attenuation ratio of RV = 4.18 ± 0.29. In contrast, we find that an average attenuation curve as steep as the SMC extinction law is strongly disfavoured. We show that the optical attenuation (AV) versus stellar mass (M⋆) relation predicted using our method is consistent with recent ALMA observations of galaxies at 2 < z < 3 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), as well as empirical AV - M⋆ relations predicted by a Calzetti-like law. In fact, our results, combined with other literature data, suggest that the AV-M⋆ relation does not evolve over the redshift range 0 < z < 5, at least for galaxies with log(M⋆/M☉) ≳ 9.5. Finally, we present tentative evidence which suggests that the attenuation curve may become steeper at lower masses log(M⋆/M☉) ≲ 9.0.
Volume
476
Issue
3
Start page
3218
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0035-8711
Ads BibCode
2018MNRAS.476.3218C
Rights
open.access
File(s)
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

sty469.pdf

Description
PDF editoriale
Size

1.9 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

48f75d96d6b60d2f3e03801d6667c7aa

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

1712.01292.pdf

Size

1.52 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

940a6663f4cccb73085f8e2f041edc9f