The clustering evolution of dusty star-forming galaxies

We present predictions for the clustering of galaxies selected by their emission at far-infrared (FIR) and sub-millimetre wavelengths. This includes the first predictions for the effect of clustering biases induced by the coarse angular resolution of single-dish telescopes at these wavelengths. We combine a new version of the GALFORM model of galaxy formation with a self-consistent model for calculating the absorption and re-emission of radiation by interstellar dust. Model galaxies selected at 850 mum reside in dark matter haloes of mass M-halo similar to 10(11.5)-10(12) h(-1) M-circle dot, independent of redshift (for 0.2 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 4) or flux (for 0.25 less than or similar to S-850 (mu m) less than or similar to 4 mJy). At z similar to 2.5, the brightest galaxies (S-850 (mu m) > 4 mJy) exhibit a correlation length of r(0) = 5.5(-0.5)(+0.3) h(-1) Mpc, consistent with observations. We show that these galaxies have descendants with stellar masses M-star similar to 10(11) h(-1) M-circle dot occupying haloes spanning a broad range in mass M-halo similar to 10(12)-10(14) h(-1) M-circle dot. The FIR emissivity at shorter wavelengths (250, 350 and 500 mu m) is also dominated by galaxies in the halo mass range M-halo similar to 10(11.5)-10(12) h(-1) M-circle dot, again independent of redshift (for 0.5 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 5). We compare our predictions for the angular power spectrum of cosmic infrared background anisotropies at these wavelengths with observations, finding agreement to within a factor of similar to 2 over all scales and wavelengths, an improvement over earlier versions of the model. Simulating images at 850 mu m, we show that confusion effects boost the measured angular correlation function on all scales by a factor of similar to 4. This has important consequences, potentially leading to inferred halo masses being overestimated by an order of magnitude.