The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies

Details The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies

1998-07-31

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9807341v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

27 pages, 9 figures, MNRAS submitted

Scientific paper

10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02289.x

The number density and clustering properties of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) are consistent with them being the central galaxies of the most massive dark halos present at z~3. This conclusion holds in all currently popular hierarchical models for structure formation, and is almost independent of the global cosmological parameters. We examine whether the sizes, luminosities, kinematics and star-formation rates of LBGs are also consistent with this identification. Simple formation models tuned to give good fits to low redshift galaxies can predict the distribution of these quantities in the LBG population. The LBGs should be small (with typical half-light radii of 0.6-2 kpc/h), should inhabit haloes of moderately high circular velocity (180-290 km/s) but have low stellar velocity dispersions (70-120 km/s) and should have substantial star formation rates (15-100 Msun/yr). The numbers here refer to the predicted median values in the LBG sample of Adelberger et al. (1998); the first assumes an Omega=1 universe and the second a flat universe with Omega=0.3. For either cosmology these predictions are consistent with the current (rather limited) observational data. Following the work of Kennicutt (1998) we assume stars to form more rapidly in gas of higher surface density. This predicts that LBG samples should preferentially contain objects with low angular momentum, and so small size, for their mass. In contrast, samples of damped Lyman alpha systems (DLSs), should be biased towards objects with large angular momentum. Bright LBGs and DLSs may therefore form distinct populations, with very different sizes and star formation rates, LBGs being smaller and more metal-rich than DLSs of similar mass and redshift.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Structure and Clustering of Lyman Break Galaxies will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-288717