Global SEDs and Colors of Local LIRGs
Abstract
Arp 220, one of the most celebrated ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) because of its extreme infrared luminosity (LIR = 1012.28 Lsun) and close distance (D = 87.9 Mpc), is often considered the prototype of local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRG). Its spectral energy distribution (SED) is commonly employed in high-redshift studies as a template for high-z ULIRGs and submillimeter galaxies. However, Arp 220 is in fact a special object on its own with its extreme starbursts and heavily obscured nucleus and therefore should not at all be regarded as representative of the LIRGs in the local universe. Here we present a study based on a complete sample of local LIRGs drawn from the Revised Bright Galaxies Sample, which encompasses the brightest and closest LIRG sources. We examine the characteristics of the full x-ray through radio SEDs generated with mask photometry as measured from ground-based and the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) imaging data. The colors of our sources in relation to the red sequence and the blue cloud of normal galaxies and how that fits into the merger scenario of galaxy evolution will also be discussed.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #215
- Pub Date:
- January 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AAS...21536503U