Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994aj....107....1t&link_type=abstract
The Astronomical Journal, vol. 107, no. 1, p. 1-7
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
30
Elliptical Galaxies, Emission Spectra, Galactic Evolution, Line Spectra, Red Shift, Star Formation, Active Galactic Nuclei, Cosmology, Imaging Techniques, Near Infrared Radiation, Sky Surveys (Astronomy), Spectrum Analysis, Star Formation Rate, Stellar Luminosity
Scientific paper
We discuss the feasibility of detecting the progenitors of normal elliptical galaxies (PGs) undergoing their first massive starbursts at large redshifts using narrow-band imaging in the near infrared. Four strong emission lines are plausible tracers of such objects, viz. (O II) lambda3727, H Beta lambda4861, (O III) lambda5007, and H alpha lambda6563, spanning the reshift range z approximately 1-5.5 in the standard JHK bands. The expected line fluxes are in the range F approximately 10-16 +/- 1.5 erg/sq cm/s, depending on the star-formation history, emission line, amount of dust present, redshift, and cosmology. The brighter end of this flux range is already within the reach of existing technology. We estimate the expected surface density of protogalaxies on the sky and several other related quantities. We report on the results of a pilot project done at Palomar to search in the K band for (O II) lambda3727 emission line galaxies in the fields of three z greater than 4 quasars, using a narrow-band (Delta z = 0.013) imaging technique. The total area surveyed is 0.72 sq arcmin, with a limiting line flux (90% confidence limit) in the range F is approximately (4-10) x 10-16 erg/sq cm/s. The total comoving volume covered is V is approximately 100 cu Mpc, down to limiting rest frame line luminosities in the range L is approximately (0.3-30) x 1043 erg/s, or implied unobscured star-formation rates in the range SFR approximately (30-15 000)solar mass/yr, for a Friedman cosmology with Hzero = 75 km/s/Mpc, Omegazero = 0.2, and Lambdazero = 0. No viable candidate protogalaxies were found, though this was not entirely unexpected given our limited field size and line flux limits, but the limits achieved are an improvement over previously published surveys. Forthcoming experiments should be able to extend these limits by two or more orders of magnitude in comoving volume coverage and one or two orders of magnitude in limiting flux, and could detect young ellipticals if our calculations are representative of their emission-line properties.
Beckwith Steve V. W.
Djorgovski Stanislav
Thompson Dana
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