A limit on the number density of bright z≈ 7 galaxies |
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Authors: | Elizabeth R. Stanway Malcolm N. Bremer Valentina Squitieri Laura S. Douglas Matthew D. Lehnert |
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Affiliation: | H H Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL;School of Physics, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL;Laboratoire d'Etudes des Galaxies, Etoiles, Physique et Instrumentation GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France |
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Abstract: | We present a survey of bright optical dropout sources in two deep, multiwavelength surveys comprising 11 widely separated fields, aimed at constraining the galaxy luminosity function at z ≈ 7 for sources at 5–10 L * ( z = 6) . Our combined survey area is 225 arcmin2 to a depth of J AB= 24.2 (3σ) and 135 arcmin2 to J = 25.3 (4σ). We find that infrared data longwards of 2 μm are essential for classifying optical dropout sources, and in particular for identifying cool Galactic star contaminants. Our limits on the number density of high-redshift sources are consistent with current estimates of the Lyman break galaxy luminosity function at z = 6 . |
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Keywords: | galaxies: evolution galaxies: high-redshift galaxies: starburst |
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