z ≳ 7 galaxies with red SPITZER/IRAC [3.6]–[4.5] colors in the full CANDELS data set: The brightest-known galaxies at z ∼ 7–9 and a probable spectroscopic confirmation at z = 7.48
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
- Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States)
- UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
- University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH (United Kingdom)
We identify four unusually bright (H {sub 160,AB} < 25.5) galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Spitzer CANDELS data with probable redshifts z ∼ 7–9. These identifications include the brightest-known galaxies to date at z ≳ 7.5. As Y-band observations are not available over the full CANDELS program to perform a standard Lyman-break selection of z > 7 galaxies, we employ an alternate strategy using deep Spitzer/IRAC data. We identify z ∼ 7.1–9.1 galaxies by selecting z ≳ 6 galaxies from the HST CANDELS data that show quite red IRAC [3.6]−[4.5] colors, indicating strong [O iii]+Hβ lines in the 4.5 μm band. This selection strategy was validated using a modest sample for which we have deep Y-band coverage, and subsequently used to select the brightest z ≥ 7 sources. Applying the IRAC criteria to all HST-selected optical dropout galaxies over the full ∼900 arcmin{sup 2} of the CANDELS survey revealed four unusually bright z ∼ 7.1, 7.6, 7.9, and 8.6 candidates. The median [3.6]−[4.5] color of our selected z ∼ 7.1–9.1 sample is consistent with rest-frame [O iii]+Hβ EWs of ∼1500 Å in the [4.5] band. Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopy has been independently reported for two of our selected sources, showing Lyα at redshifts of 7.7302 ± 0.0006 and 8.683{sub −0.004}{sup +0.001}, respectively. We present similar Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopy for a third selected galaxy with a probable 4.7σ Lyα line at z {sub spec} = 7.4770 ± 0.0008. All three have H{sub 160}-band magnitudes of ∼25 mag and are ∼0.5 mag more luminous (M {sub 1600} ∼ −22.0) than any previously discovered z ∼ 8 galaxy, with important implications for the UV luminosity function (LF). Our three brightest and highest redshift z > 7 galaxies all lie within the CANDELS-EGS field, providing a dramatic illustration of the potential impact of field-to-field variance.
- OSTI ID:
- 22869033
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 823, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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