Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey

Tilvi, V; Papovich, C; Tran, K-VH; Labbe, I; Spitler, LR; Straatman, Caroline; Persson, SE; Monson, A; Glazebrook, K; Quadri, RF; van Dokkum, P; Ashby, MLN; Faber, SM; Fazio, GG; Finkelstein, SL; Ferguson, HC; Grogin, NA; Kacprzak, GG; Kelson, DD; Koekemoer, AM; Murphy, D; McCarthy, PJ; Newman, JA; Salmon, B; Willner, SP

Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey

V Tilvi, C Papovich, K-VH Tran, I Labbe, LR Spitler, Caroline Straatman (UGent) , SE Persson, A Monson, K Glazebrook, RF Quadri, et al.

(2013) ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. 768(1).

Author

V Tilvi, C Papovich, K-VH Tran, I Labbe, LR Spitler, Caroline Straatman (UGent) , SE Persson, A Monson, K Glazebrook, RF Quadri, P van Dokkum, MLN Ashby, SM Faber, GG Fazio, SL Finkelstein, HC Ferguson, NA Grogin, GG Kacprzak, DD Kelson, AM Koekemoer, D Murphy, PJ McCarthy, JA Newman, B Salmon and SP Willner

Organization

Department of Physics and astronomy

Abstract

Star-forming galaxies at redshiftsz > 6 are likely responsible for the reionization of the universe, and it is important to study the nature of these galaxies. We present three candidates for z similar to 7 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) from a 155 arcmin(2) area in the CANDELS/COSMOS field imaged by the deep FourStar Galaxy Evolution (zFourGE) survey. The FourStar medium-band filters provide the equivalent of R similar to 10 spectroscopy, which cleanly distinguishes between z similar to 7 LBGs and brown dwarf stars. The distinction between stars and galaxies based on an object's angular size can become unreliable even when using Hubble Space Telescope imaging; there exists at least one very compact z similar to 7 candidate (FWHM similar to 0.5-1 kpc) that is indistinguishable from a point source. The medium-band filters provide narrower redshift distributions compared with broadband-derived redshifts. The UV luminosity function derived using the three z similar to 7 candidates is consistent with previous studies, suggesting an evolution at the bright end (MUV similar to -21.6 mag) from z similar to 7 to z similar to 5. Fitting the galaxies' spectral energy distributions, we predict Ly alpha equivalent widths for the two brightest LBGs, and find that the presence of a Ly alpha line affects the medium-band flux thereby changing the constraints on stellar masses and UV spectral slopes. This illustrates the limitations of deriving LBG properties using only broadband photometry. The derived specific star-formation rates for the bright LBGs are similar to 13 Gyr(-1), slightly higher than the lower-luminosity LBGs, implying that the star-formation rate increases with stellar mass for these galaxies.

Keywords

ULTRA-DEEP-FIELD, HUBBLE-SPACE-TELESCOPE, STAR-FORMING GALAXIES, LY-ALPHA EMITTERS, UV LUMINOSITY FUNCTION, STELLAR MASS DENSITY, HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES, EXTRAGALACTIC LEGACY SURVEY, REST-FRAME, ULTRAVIOLET, Z-DROPOUT GALAXIES, galaxies: formation, galaxies: high-redshift, galaxies: luminosity function - mass function, galaxies: star formation

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8582628

MLA: Tilvi, V, C Papovich, K-VH Tran, et al. “Discovery of Lyman Break Galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE Survey.” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 768.1 (2013): n. pag. Print.
APA: Tilvi, V., Papovich, C., Tran, K.-V., Labbe, I., Spitler, L., Straatman, C., Persson, S., et al. (2013). Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 768(1).
Chicago author-date: Tilvi, V, C Papovich, K-VH Tran, I Labbe, LR Spitler, Caroline Straatman, SE Persson, et al. 2013. “Discovery of Lyman Break Galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE Survey.” Astrophysical Journal 768 (1).
Chicago author-date (all authors): Tilvi, V, C Papovich, K-VH Tran, I Labbe, LR Spitler, Caroline Straatman, SE Persson, A Monson, K Glazebrook, RF Quadri, P van Dokkum, MLN Ashby, SM Faber, GG Fazio, SL Finkelstein, HC Ferguson, NA Grogin, GG Kacprzak, DD Kelson, AM Koekemoer, D Murphy, PJ McCarthy, JA Newman, B Salmon, and SP Willner. 2013. “Discovery of Lyman Break Galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE Survey.” Astrophysical Journal 768 (1).
Vancouver: 1.
Tilvi V, Papovich C, Tran K-V, Labbe I, Spitler L, Straatman C, et al. Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. 2013;768(1).
IEEE: [1]
V. Tilvi et al., “Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey,” ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 768, no. 1, 2013.

@article{8582628,
  abstract     = {{Star-forming galaxies at redshiftsz > 6 are likely responsible for the reionization of the universe, and it is important to study the nature of these galaxies. We present three candidates for z similar to 7 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) from a 155 arcmin(2) area in the CANDELS/COSMOS field imaged by the deep FourStar Galaxy Evolution (zFourGE) survey. The FourStar medium-band filters provide the equivalent of R similar to 10 spectroscopy, which cleanly distinguishes between z similar to 7 LBGs and brown dwarf stars. The distinction between stars and galaxies based on an object's angular size can become unreliable even when using Hubble Space Telescope imaging; there exists at least one very compact z similar to 7 candidate (FWHM similar to 0.5-1 kpc) that is indistinguishable from a point source. The medium-band filters provide narrower redshift distributions compared with broadband-derived redshifts. The UV luminosity function derived using the three z similar to 7 candidates is consistent with previous studies, suggesting an evolution at the bright end (MUV similar to -21.6 mag) from z similar to 7 to z similar to 5. Fitting the galaxies' spectral energy distributions, we predict Ly alpha equivalent widths for the two brightest LBGs, and find that the presence of a Ly alpha line affects the medium-band flux thereby changing the constraints on stellar masses and UV spectral slopes. This illustrates the limitations of deriving LBG properties using only broadband photometry. The derived specific star-formation rates for the bright LBGs are similar to 13 Gyr(-1), slightly higher than the lower-luminosity LBGs, implying that the star-formation rate increases with stellar mass for these galaxies.}},
  articleno    = {{56}},
  author       = {{Tilvi, V and Papovich, C and Tran, K-VH and Labbe, I and Spitler, LR and Straatman, Caroline and Persson, SE and Monson, A and Glazebrook, K and Quadri, RF and van Dokkum, P and Ashby, MLN and Faber, SM and Fazio, GG and Finkelstein, SL and Ferguson, HC and Grogin, NA and Kacprzak, GG and Kelson, DD and Koekemoer, AM and Murphy, D and McCarthy, PJ and Newman, JA and Salmon, B and Willner, SP}},
  issn         = {{0004-637X}},
  journal      = {{ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL}},
  keywords     = {{ULTRA-DEEP-FIELD,HUBBLE-SPACE-TELESCOPE,STAR-FORMING GALAXIES,LY-ALPHA EMITTERS,UV LUMINOSITY FUNCTION,STELLAR MASS DENSITY,HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES,EXTRAGALACTIC LEGACY SURVEY,REST-FRAME,ULTRAVIOLET,Z-DROPOUT GALAXIES,galaxies: formation,galaxies: high-redshift,galaxies: luminosity function - mass function,galaxies: star formation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{17}},
  title        = {{Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/56}},
  volume       = {{768}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}

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Discovery of Lyman break galaxies at z ∼ 7 from the zFourGE survey

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