The Space Density and Colors of Massive Galaxies at 2<z<3: the Predominance of Distant Red Galaxies

Details The Space Density and Colors of Massive Galaxies at 2<z<3: the Predominance of Distant Red Galaxies The Space Density and Colors of Massive Galaxies at 2<z<3: the Predominance of Distant Red Galaxies

2006-01-05

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0601113v3

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

Scientific paper

10.1086/501045

Using the deep multi-wavelength MUSYC, GOODS, and FIRES surveys we construct a stellar mass-limited sample of galaxies at 210^11 Solar masses distributed over four independent fields with a total area of almost 400 sq arcmin. The mean number density of massive galaxies in this redshift range is (2.2+-0.6) x 10^-4 Mpc^-3. We present median values and 25th and 75th percentiles for the distributions of observed R mags, observed J-K colors, and rest-frame UV continuum slopes, M/L(V) ratios, and U-V colors. The galaxies show a large range in all these properties. The ``median galaxy'' is faint in the observer's optical (R=25.9), red in the observed near-IR (J-K=2.48), has a rest-frame UV spectrum which is relatively flat (beta=-0.4), and rest-frame optical colors resembling those of nearby spiral galaxies (U-V=0.62). We determine which galaxies would be selected as Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) or Distant Red Galaxies (DRGs, having J-K>2.3) in this mass-limited sample. By number DRGs make up 69% of the sample and LBGs 20%, with a small amount of overlap. By mass DRGs make up 77% and LBGs 17%. Neither technique provides a representative sample of massive galaxies at 2

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