A deep imaging and spectroscopic survey of faint galaxies

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169740· OSTI ID:5756633

Lilly, S J; Cowie, L L; Gardner, J P ^[1]

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1. Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA)

Deep images in four optical passbands with limiting magnitudes for galactic images of roughly 27th AB magnitudes are used here to study the population of faint galaxies. While confirming the existence of a blueward trend of galaxy colors at faint magnitudes, it is found that the colors of the faintest galaxies are generally not as blue as found by Tyson (1988). The slope of the B-band source counts appears to decrease below the bright-end slope of 0.465 for magnitudes fainter than B about 24, thus removing the potential divergence of the integrated night-sky brightness. Spectroscopy of a small but representative sample of galaxies with B(AB) less than 24.1 yields a high success rate of spectroscopic identification and redshift determination. It is confirmed that significant evolution must be occurring between B(AB) about 21.5 and about 23.5. The evolution is best characterized as an increase of Phi-asterisk rather than L-asterisk. 42 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5756633
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 369; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BRIGHTNESS
CAMERAS
CATALOGS
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
COLOR
DOCUMENT TYPES
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
IMAGE PROCESSING
IMAGES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOMETRY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POPULATIONS
PROCESSING
RED SHIFT
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SPECTROSCOPY
SURVEYS