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G. Canalizo, A. Stockton (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii)
We present preliminary results of a systematic spectroscopic study of a sample of low-redshift objects that, while recognized as QSOs, share some characteristics with ultraluminous IR galaxies (e.g. overt signs of interaction and warm far IR colors). By modeling high S/N Keck LRIS spectra, we obtain ages for the most recent major starburst events in the host galaxies and interacting companions. We find that nearly all of these objects have dominant, relatively young (a few hundred Myr or younger) post-starburst populations. Using these ages as a rough estimate for the age of the QSO activity, we place these objects on an age sequence which provides the first steps in establishing whether these are transitional objects in an evolutionary sequence connecting ultraluminous IR galaxies and the classical QSO population.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: canaguby@ifa.hawaii.edu