Dust Obscured Galaxies: Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Distant Universe

Tom Soifer - Caltech

The Spitzer Space Telescope, with its sensitivity gain of a factor of
~ten thousand over previous platforms, has introduced a new era in the
study of the mid-infrared emission from galaxies. "Shallow" surveys at
24 ���� m of tens of square degrees to levels of ~0.3 mJy using the
Multiband Infrared Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) have revealed a new
population of highly luminous, dusty galaxies at redshifts of ~2. In
this talk I will describe some of the Spitzer studies of these
systems, as well as follow-up work using the telescope atop Mauna Kea
(and elsewhere) that have revealed important clues as to the origins
of the enormous luminosities. I will speculate as to where these
galaxies might fit into the zoo of galaxies found in the distant,
dusty universe.