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Title: AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR Selected Distant RedGalaxies

Abstract

We use deep and wide near infrared (NIR) imaging from the Palomar telescope combined with DEEP2 spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Chandra Space Telescope imaging to investigate the nature of galaxies that are red in NIR colors. We locate these 'distant red galaxies' (DRGs) through the color cut (J - K){sub vega} > 2.3 over 0.7 deg{sup 2}, where we find 1010 DRG candidates down to K{sub s} = 20.5. We combine 95 high quality spectroscopic redshifts with photometric redshifts from BRIJK photometry to determine the redshift and stellar mass distributions for these systems, and morphological/structural and X-ray properties for 107 DRGs in the Extended Groth Strip. We find that many bright (J - K){sub vega} > 2.3 galaxies with K{sub s} < 20.5 are at redshifts z < 2, with 64% between 1 < z < 2. The stellar mass distributions for these galaxies is broad, ranging from 10{sup 9} - 10{sup 12} M{sub {circle_dot}} , but with most z > 2 systems massive with M{sub *} > 10{sup 11} M{sub {circle_dot}}. HST imaging shows that the structural properties and morphologies of DRGs are also diverse, with the majority elliptical/compact (57%), and the remainder edge-on spirals (7%),more » and peculiar galaxies (29%). The DRGs at z < 1.4 with high quality spectroscopic redshifts are generally compact, with small half-light radii, and span a range in rest-frame optical properties. The spectral energy distributions for these objects differ from higher redshift DRGs: they are bluer by one magnitude in observed (I - J) color. A pure IR color selection of high redshift populations is not sufficient to identify unique populations, and other colors, or spectroscopic redshifts are needed to produce homogeneous samples.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Director, Office of Science; National Aeronautics andSpace Administration
OSTI Identifier:
919264
Report Number(s):
LBNL-61754
R&D Project: PHFJN; BnR: 400409900; TRN: US0806338
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-05CH11231; NASA:HST-HF-01165
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 660; Journal Issue: 1; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 05/2007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; COLOR; ENERGY SPECTRA; GALAXIES; MASS DISTRIBUTION; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHOTOMETRY; SPECTROSCOPY; TELESCOPES; Galaxies

Citation Formats

Conselice, C J, Newman, J A, Georgakakis, A, Almaini, O, Coil, A L, Cooper, M C, Eisenhardt, P, Foucaud, S, Koekemoer, A, Lotz, J, Noeske, K, Weiner, B, and Willmer, C N A. AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR Selected Distant RedGalaxies. United States: N. p., 2006. Web.
Conselice, C J, Newman, J A, Georgakakis, A, Almaini, O, Coil, A L, Cooper, M C, Eisenhardt, P, Foucaud, S, Koekemoer, A, Lotz, J, Noeske, K, Weiner, B, & Willmer, C N A. AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR Selected Distant RedGalaxies. United States.
Conselice, C J, Newman, J A, Georgakakis, A, Almaini, O, Coil, A L, Cooper, M C, Eisenhardt, P, Foucaud, S, Koekemoer, A, Lotz, J, Noeske, K, Weiner, B, and Willmer, C N A. 2006. "AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR Selected Distant RedGalaxies". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/919264.
@article{osti_919264,
title = {AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR Selected Distant RedGalaxies},
author = {Conselice, C J and Newman, J A and Georgakakis, A and Almaini, O and Coil, A L and Cooper, M C and Eisenhardt, P and Foucaud, S and Koekemoer, A and Lotz, J and Noeske, K and Weiner, B and Willmer, C N A},
abstractNote = {We use deep and wide near infrared (NIR) imaging from the Palomar telescope combined with DEEP2 spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Chandra Space Telescope imaging to investigate the nature of galaxies that are red in NIR colors. We locate these 'distant red galaxies' (DRGs) through the color cut (J - K){sub vega} > 2.3 over 0.7 deg{sup 2}, where we find 1010 DRG candidates down to K{sub s} = 20.5. We combine 95 high quality spectroscopic redshifts with photometric redshifts from BRIJK photometry to determine the redshift and stellar mass distributions for these systems, and morphological/structural and X-ray properties for 107 DRGs in the Extended Groth Strip. We find that many bright (J - K){sub vega} > 2.3 galaxies with K{sub s} < 20.5 are at redshifts z < 2, with 64% between 1 < z < 2. The stellar mass distributions for these galaxies is broad, ranging from 10{sup 9} - 10{sup 12} M{sub {circle_dot}} , but with most z > 2 systems massive with M{sub *} > 10{sup 11} M{sub {circle_dot}}. HST imaging shows that the structural properties and morphologies of DRGs are also diverse, with the majority elliptical/compact (57%), and the remainder edge-on spirals (7%), and peculiar galaxies (29%). The DRGs at z < 1.4 with high quality spectroscopic redshifts are generally compact, with small half-light radii, and span a range in rest-frame optical properties. The spectral energy distributions for these objects differ from higher redshift DRGs: they are bluer by one magnitude in observed (I - J) color. A pure IR color selection of high redshift populations is not sufficient to identify unique populations, and other colors, or spectroscopic redshifts are needed to produce homogeneous samples.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/919264}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
number = 1,
volume = 660,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 2006},
month = {Fri Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 2006}
}