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Abstract:

We present deep wide-field Ks-band observations of six Hyperluminous Infrared Galaxies (HLIRGs) spanning a redshift range 0.44 < z < 1.55. The sample resides in a wide variety of environments, from the field to Abell 2 clusters, with a mean galaxy-HLIRG clustering amplitude of 〈Bgh〉 = 190 ± 45 Mpc1.77. The range in environments, and the mean clustering level, are both greater than those seen in local IR-luminous galaxies, from which we infer that the range of galaxy evolution processes driving IR-luminous galaxy evolution at z > 0.5 is greater than locally, and includes mergers between gas-rich spiral galaxies in the field, but also includes encounters in clusters and hierarchical build-up. The similarity in the range of environments and mean clustering amplitude between our sample and QSOs over a similar redshift range is consistent with the interpretation where evolutionary connections between IR-luminous galaxies and QSOs are stronger at z > 0.5 than locally, and that, at these redshifts, the processes that drive QSO evolution are similar to those that drive IR-luminous galaxy evolution. From comparison of the HLIRG and QSO host galaxies we further postulate that a larger fraction of IR-luminous galaxies pass through an optical QSO stage at z > 0.5 than locally.

Abstract:

We present the K-baad Hubble diagrams (K-z relations) of submillimetre-selected galaxies and hyperluminous galaxies (HLIRGs). We report the discovery of a remarkably tight K-z relation of HLIRGs, indistinguishable from that of the most luminous radio galaxies. Like radio galaxies, the HLIRG K-z relation at z ∼ 3 is consistent with a passively evolving ∼3L* instantaneous starburst starting from a redshift of z ∼ 10. In contrast, many submillimetre-selected galaxies are ≳2 mag fainter, and the population has a much larger dispersion. We argue that dust obscuration and/or a larger mass range may be responsible for this scatter. The galaxies so far proved to be hyperluminous may have been biased towards higher AGN bolometric contributions than submillimetre-selected galaxies due to the 60-μm selection of some, so the location on the K-z relation may be related to the presence of the most massive active galactic nucleus. Alternatively, a particular host galaxy mass range may be responsible for both extreme star formation and the most massive active nuclei.