The environment and characteristics of low-redshift galaxies detected by the Herschel-ATLAS

Dariush, A.; Cortese, L.; Eales, S.; Pascale, E.; Smith, M. W. L.; Dunne, L.; Dye, S.; Scott, D.; Auld, R.; Baes, M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Buttiglione, S.; Cava, A.; Clements, D. L.; Cooray, A.; Dezotti, G.; Driver, S.; Fritz, J.; Gomez, H.L.; Hopkins, A.; Hopwood, R.; Ivison, R.J.; Jarvis, M.J.; Jones, D. H.; Kelvin, L.; Khosroshahi, H. G.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Maddox, S.; Madore, B. F.; Michalowski, M. J.; Norberg, P.; Phillipps, S.; Pohlen, M.; Popescu, C. C.; Prescott, M.; Rigby, E.; Robotham, A.; Rodighiero, G.; Seibert, M.; Smith, Daniel; Temi, P.; Tuffs, R. J.; van der Werf, P.

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Author

Dariush, A.

Cortese, L.

Eales, S.

Pascale, E.

Smith, M. W. L.

Dunne, L.

Dye, S.

Scott, D.

Auld, R.

Baes, M.

Bland-Hawthorn, J.

Buttiglione, S.

Cava, A.

Clements, D. L.

Cooray, A.

Dezotti, G.

Driver, S.

Fritz, J.

Gomez, H.L.

Hopkins, A.

Hopwood, R.

Ivison, R.J.

Jarvis, M.J.

Jones, D. H.

Kelvin, L.

Khosroshahi, H. G.

Liske, J.

Loveday, J.

Maddox, S.

Madore, B. F.

Michalowski, M. J.

Norberg, P.

Phillipps, S.

Pohlen, M.

Popescu, C. C.

Prescott, M.

Rigby, E.

Robotham, A.

Rodighiero, G.

Seibert, M.

Smith, Daniel

Temi, P.

Tuffs, R. J.

van der Werf, P.

Abstract

We investigate the ultraviolet and optical properties and environment of low-redshift galaxies detected in the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) science demonstration data. We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey seventh release and the Galaxy and Mass Assembly data base to select galaxies with mag in the redshift range 0.02=z=0.2 and look for their submillimetre counterparts in H-ATLAS. Our results show that at low redshift, H-ATLAS detects mainly blue/star-forming galaxies with a minor contribution from red systems which are highly obscured by dust. In addition we find that the colour of a galaxy rather than the local density of its environment determines whether it is detectable by H-ATLAS. The average dust temperature of galaxies that are simultaneously detected by both PACS and SPIRE is 25 +/- 4K, independent of environment. This analysis provides a glimpse of the potential of the H-ATLAS data to investigate the submillimetre properties of galaxies in the local universe.