Open AccessThe effect of lensing on the identification of SCUBA galaxies
Author(s) -
Chapman S. C.,
Smail Ian,
Ivison R. J.,
Blain A. W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05760.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , galaxy , gravitational lens , population , redshift , astronomy , luminous infrared galaxy , medicine , environmental health
Spectroscopic surveys of submillimetre(submm)‐selected sources have uncovered optically bright galaxies at z ≲ 1 close to the positions of several submm sources. Naive statistical analyses suggest that these galaxies are associated with the submm emission. However, in some cases, it is difficult to understand this association given the relatively modest redshifts and unprepossessing spectral characteristics of the galaxies. These are in stark contrast to those expected from the massive dust‐enshrouded starbursts and AGN thought to power the bulk of the bright submm population. We present new observations of optically bright counterparts to two luminous submm sources, along with a compilation of previously proposed optically bright counterparts with z ≲ 1 . We suggest that the majority of these associations between bright galaxies and submm sources may be as a result of the action of the foreground galaxies as gravitational lenses on the much fainter and more distant submm sources. We discuss the implications of this conclusion for our understanding of the SCUBA population.