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Description
We present a multi-wavelength analysis of 52 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs), identified using ALMA 870{mu}m continuum imaging in a pilot program to precisely locate bright SCUBA-2-selected submillimeter sources in the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) field. Using the available deep (especially near-infrared) panoramic imaging of the UDS field at optical-to-radio wavelengths we characterize key properties of the SMG population. The median photometric redshift of the bright ALMA/SCUBA-2 UDS (AS2UDS) SMGs that are detected in a sufficient number of wavebands to derive a robust photometric redshift is z=2.65+/-0.13. However, similar to previous studies, 27% of the SMGs are too faint at optical-to-near-infrared wavelengths to derive a reliable photometric redshift. Assuming that these SMGs lie at z>~3 raises the median redshift of the full sample to z=2.9+/-0.2. A subset of 23 unlensed, bright AS2UDS SMGs have sizes measured from resolved imaging of their rest- frame far-infrared emission. We show that the extent and luminosity of the far-infrared emission are consistent with the dust emission arising from regions that are, on average, optically thick at a wavelength of {lambda}_0_>=75{mu}m (1{sigma} dispersion of 55-90{mu}m). Using the dust masses derived from our optically thick spectral energy distribution models, we determine that these galaxies have a median hydrogen column density of N_H_=9.8_-0.7_^+1.4^x10^23^cm^-2^, or a corresponding median V-band obscuration of Av=540_-40_^+80^mag, averaged along the line of sight to the source of their rest-frame ~200{mu}m emission. We discuss the implications of this extreme attenuation by dust for the multi-wavelength study of dusty starbursts and reddening-sensitive tracers of star formation.
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