Confirming the Quiescent Galaxy Population out to $z=3$: A Stacking Analysis of Mid-, Far-Infrared and Radio Data

Abstract

We present stringent constraints on the average mid-, far-infrared and radio emissions of $\sim$14200 quiescent galaxies (QGs), identified out to $z=3$ in the COSMOS field via their rest-frame NUV$-$r and r$-$J colors, and with stellar masses $M_{\star }=10^{9.8-12.2}{M}_{\odot }$. Stacking in deep Spitzer (MIPS $24\mu$m), Herschel (PACS and SPIRE), and VLA (1.4 GHz) maps reveals extremely low dust-obscured star formation rates for QGs (SFR $<0.1-3M_{\odot }$yr${}^{-1}$ at $z⩽2$ and $<6-18M_{\odot }$yr${}^{-1}$ at $z>2$), consistent with the low unobscured SFRs ($<0.01-1.2M_{\odot }$yr${}^{-1}$) inferred from modeling their ultraviolet-to-near-infrared photometry. The average SFRs of QGs are $>10\times$ below those of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) within the $M_{\star }$- and $z$-ranges considered. The stacked 1.4 GHz signals (S/N $>5$) are, if attributed solely to star formation, in excess of the total (obscured plus unobscured) SFR limits, suggestive of a widespread presence of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN) among QGs. Our results reaffirm the existence of a significant population QGs out to $z=3$, thus corroborating the need for powerful quenching mechanism(s) to terminate star formation in galaxies at earlier epochs.

7 pages, 3 color figures, 2 tables (including a landscape table). Submitted to ApJL. Comments welcome

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