Comparison of dust-to-gas ratios in luminous, ultraluminous, and hyperluminous infrared galaxies

The dust-to-gas ratios in three different samples of luminous, ultraluminous, and hyperluminous infrared galaxies are calculated by modelling their radio to soft X-ray spectral energy distributions using composite models which account for the photoionizing radiation from HII regions, starbursts, or AGNs, and for shocks. The models are limited to a set which broadly reproduces the mid-IR fine structure line ratios of local, IR bright, starburst galaxies. The results show that two types of clouds contribute to the IR emission. Those characterized by low shock velocities and low preshock densities explain the far-IR dust emission, while those with higher velocities and densities contribute to mid-IR dust emission. An AGN is found in nearly all of the ultraluminous IR galaxies and in half of the luminous IR galaxies of the sample. High IR luminosities depend on dust-to-gas ratios of about 0.1 by mass, however, most hyperluminous IR galaxies show dust-to-gas ratios much lower than those calculated for the luminous and ultraluminous IR galaxies.Comment: 19 pages+ 7 figures. in press in A

Modelling galaxy spectra at redshifts 0.2<z<2.3 by the [OII]/Hb and [OIII]/Hb line ratios

We present the detailed modelling of line spectra emitted from galaxies at redshifts 0.2<z<2.3. The spectra account only for a few oxygen to Hb line ratios. The results show that [OII]3727+3729/Hb and [OIII]5007+4959/Hb are not sufficient to constrain the models. The data at least of an auroral line, e.g. [OIII]4363, should be known. We have found by modelling the spectra observed from ultrastrong emission line galaxy and faint galaxy samples, O/H relative abundances ranging between 1.8 X 10^{-4} and 6.6 X 10^{-4}.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Activity and quiescence in galaxies at redshifts 1.4<z<3.5. The role of the starburst temperature

We investigate 'activity' and 'quiescence' in galaxies at relatively high redshifts by modelling the line(and continuum) spectra of each object. The models account consistently for photoionization and shocks. We claim that the starburst effective temperature, the flux from an AGN, and the shock velocity are critical to activity. The results confirm that two sample galaxies show intense starburst activity with temperatures reaching Ts=2x10^5K and shock velocities Vs> 250 km/s, while for the remaining galaxies of our sample the models show quiescent star formation with Ts< 7x10^4K. A Seyfert 2 like AGN is proposed in one galaxy. The O/H relative abundances derived by the detailed modelling of the spectra are nearly solar for all the sample galaxies, in contrast to those obtained by direct methods.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, in press in A&