PAH Emission Within Lyman Alpha Blobs
  We present Spitzer observations of Lya Blobs (LAB) at z=2.38-3.09. The
mid-infrared ratios (4.5/8um and 8/24um) indicate that ~60% of LAB infrared
counterparts are cool, consistent with their infrared output being dominated by
star formation and not active galactic nuclei (AGN). The rest have a
substantial hot dust component that one would expect from an AGN or an extreme
starburst. Comparing the mid-infrared to submillimeter fluxes (~850um or rest
frame far infrared) also indicates a large percentage (~2/3) of the LAB
counterparts have total bolometric energy output dominated by star formation,
although the number of sources with sub-mm detections or meaningful upper
limits remains small (~10). We obtained Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra of
6 infrared-bright sources associated with LABs. Four of these sources have
measurable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features, indicative
of significant star formation, while the remaining two show a featureless
continuum, indicative of infrared energy output completely dominated by an AGN.
Two of the counterparts with PAHs are mixed sources, with PAH line-to-continuum
ratios and PAH equivalent widths indicative of large energy contributions from
both star formation and AGN. Most of the LAB infrared counterparts have large
stellar masses, around 10^11 Mo. There is a weak trend of mass upper limit with
the Lya luminosity of the host blob, particularly after the most likely AGN
contaminants are removed. The range in likely energy sources for the LABs found
in this and previous studies suggests that there is no single source of power
that is producing all the known LABs.
