PAH Emission and Star Formation in the Host of the [FORMULA][F]z~2.56[/F][/FORMULA] Cloverleaf QSO

Abstract

We report the first detection of the 6.2micron and 7.7micron infrared `PAH' emission features in the spectrum of a high redshift QSO, from the Spitzer-IRS spectrum of the Cloverleaf lensed QSO (H1413+117, z~2.56). The ratio of PAH features and rest frame far-infrared emission is the same as in lower luminosity star forming ultraluminous infrared galaxies and in local PG QSOs, supporting a predominantly starburst nature of the Cloverleaf's huge far-infrared luminosity (5.4E12 Lsun, corrected for lensing). The Cloverleaf's period of dominant QSO activity (Lbol ~ 7E13 Lsun) is coincident with an intense (star formation rate ~1000 Msun/yr) and short (gas exhaustion time ~3E7yr) star forming event.