Evidence that FeLoBALs may signify the transition between an ultraluminous infrared galaxy and a quasar

摘要

We present mid/far-infrared photometry of nine FeLoBAL QSOs, taken using theSpitzer space telescope. All nine objects are extremely bright in the infrared,with rest-frame 1-1000 micron luminosities comparable to those of UltraluminousInfrared Galaxies. Furthermore, a significant fraction of the infrared emissionfrom many, and possibly all of the sample is likely to arise from starformation, with star formation rates of order several hundred solar masses peryear. We combine these results with previous work to propose that FeLoBALs markgalaxies and QSOs in which an extremely luminous starburst is approaching itsend, and in which a rapidly accreting supermassive black hole is in the laststages of casting off its dust cocoon. FeLoBAL signatures in high redshift QSOsand galaxies may thus be an efficient way of selecting sources at a criticalpoint in their evolution.