z {approx} 7 GALAXIES IN THE HUDF: FIRST EPOCH WFC3/IR RESULTS
- Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland)
- UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
- Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
- University of Colorado, Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
We present a sample of 16 robust z {approx} 7 z {sub 850}-drop galaxies detected by the newly installed Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3)/IR on the Hubble Space Telescope. Our analysis is based on the first epoch data of the HUDF09 program covering the Hubble Ultra Deep Field with 60 orbits of Y {sub 105}, J {sub 125}, and H {sub 160} observations. These remarkable data cover 4.7 arcmin{sup 2} and are the deepest near infrared images ever taken, reaching to {approx}29 mag AB (5{sigma}). The 16 z {approx} 6.5-7.5 galaxies have been identified based on the Lyman Break technique utilizing (z {sub 850} - Y {sub 105}) versus (Y {sub 105} - J {sub 125}) colors. They have magnitudes J {sub 125}=26.0-29.0 (AB), an average apparent half-light radius of {approx}0.16 arcsec ({approx}<1 kpc), and show very blue colors (some even {beta} {approx}< -2.5), in particular at low luminosities. The WFC3/IR data confirm previous Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer detections indicating that the dropout selection at z {approx} 7 is very reliable. Our data allow a first determination of the faint-end slope of the z {approx} 7 luminosity function, reaching down to M {sub UV} {approx} -18, a full magnitude fainter than previous measurements. When fixing {phi}{sub *} = 1.4 x 10{sup -3} Mpc{sup -3} mag{sup -1} to the value previously measured at z {approx} 6, we find a best-fit value of {alpha} = -1.77 {+-} 0.20, with a characteristic luminosity of M {sub *} = -19.91 {+-} 0.09. This steep slope is similar to what is seen at z {approx} 2-6 and indicates that low-luminosity galaxies could potentially provide adequate flux to reionize the universe. The remarkable depth and resolution of these new images provide insights into the coming power of the James Webb Space Telescope.
- OSTI ID:
- 21301399
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 709, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/709/1/L16; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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