The impact of Spitzer infrared data on stellar mass estimates - and a revised galaxy stellar mass function at 0 < z < 5

Abstract

Aims: We estimate stellar masses of galaxies in the high redshift universe with the intention of determining the influence of newly available Spitzer/IRAC infrared data on the analysis. Based on the results, we probe the mass assembly history of the universe. Methods: We use the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, which provides multiband photometry from the U--filter to the 8 mum Spitzer band for almost 15,000 galaxies with either spectroscopic (for ~7 % of the sample) or photometric redshifts, and apply a standard model fitting technique to estimate stellar masses. We then repeat our calculations with fixed photometric redshifts excluding Spitzer photometry and directly compare the outcomes to look for systematic deviations. Finally we use our results to compute stellar mass functions and mass densities up to redshift z = 5. Results: We find that stellar masses tend to be overestimated on average if further constraining Spitzer data are not included into the analysis. Whilst this trend is small up to intermediate redshifts z < 2.5 and falls within the typical error in mass, the deviation increases strongly for higher redshifts and reaches a maximum of a factor of three at redshift z = 3.5. Thus, up to intermediate redshifts, results for stellar mass density are in good agreement with values taken from literature calculated without additional Spitzer photometry. At higher redshifts, however, we find a systematic trend towards lower mass densities if Spitzer/IRAC data are included.

10 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A; replaced to match journal version after language editing

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• Evidence for TP-AGB stars in high redshift galaxies, and their effect on deriving stellar population parameters
• What do we learn from IRAC observations of galaxies at 2 < z < 3.5?
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• The stellar masses of 25000 galaxies at 0.2<z<1.0 estimated by the COMBO-17 survey
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• Biases and Uncertainties in Physical Parameter Estimates of Lyman Break Galaxies from Broad-band Photometry
• Galaxy Mergers at z>1 in the HUDF: Evidence for a Peak in the Major Merger Rate of Massive Galaxies
• Constraints on the Faint End of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function at z ~ 4-8 from Deep JWST Data
• A Study of Massive and Evolved Galaxies at High Redshift
• Gamma-ray Bursts and the Early Star-formation History
• Holographic Dark Information Energy
• The Deep Optical Imaging of the Extended Groth Strip
• Halfway to the Peak: The JWST MIRI 5.6 micron number counts and source population