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Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at z=1-3 in the HST/WFC3 Early Release Science Observations
Astrophysical Journal (2012)
  • N. P. Hathi
  • S. H. Cohen
  • R. E. Ryan, Jr.
  • S. L. Finkelstein
  • P. J. McCarthy
  • R. A. Windhorst
  • H. Yan
  • A. M. Koekemoer
  • M. J. Rutkowski
  • R. W. O'Connell
  • A. N. Straughn
  • B. Balick
  • H. E. Bond
  • Daniela Calzetti, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • M. J. Disney
  • M. A. Dopita
  • Jay A. Frogel
  • D. N. B. Hall
  • J. A. Holtzman
  • R. A. Kimble
  • F. Paresce
  • A. Saha
  • J. I. Silk
  • J. T. Trauger
  • A. R. Walker
  • B. C. Whitmore
  • E. T. Young
Abstract
We analyze the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z=1-3 selected using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) UVIS channel filters. These HST/WFC3 observations cover about 50 sq. arcmin in the GOODS-South field as a part of the WFC3 Early Release Science program. These LBGs at z=1-3 are selected using dropout selection criteria similar to high redshift LBGs. The deep multi-band photometry in this field is used to identify best-fit SED models, from which we infer the following results: (1) the photometric redshift estimate of these dropout selected LBGs is accurate to within few percent; (2) the UV spectral slope {\beta} is redder than at high redshift (z>3), where LBGs are less dusty; (3) on average, LBGs at z=1-3 are massive, dustier and more highly star-forming, compared to LBGs at higher redshifts with similar luminosities, though their median values are similar within 1{\sigma} uncertainties. This could imply that identical dropout selection technique, at all redshifts, find physically similar galaxies; and (4) stellar masses of these LBGs are directly proportional to their UV luminosities with a logarithmic slope of ~0.46, and star-formation rates are proportional to their stellar masses with a logarithmic slope of ~0.90. These relations hold true --- within luminosities probed in this study --- for LBGs from z~1.5 to 5. The star-forming galaxies selected using other color-based techniques show similar correlations at z~2, but to avoid any selection biases, and for direct comparison with LBGs at z>3, a true Lyman break selection at z~2 is essential. The future HST UV surveys, both wider and deeper, covering a large luminosity range are important to better understand LBG properties, and their evolution.
Keywords
  • galaxies: high redshift,
  • galaxies: fundamental parameters,
  • ultraviolet: galaxies,
  • galaxies: evolution
Publication Date
2012
Publisher Statement
This paper was harvested from ArXiv.org and ArXiv identifier is arXiv:1206.6116
Citation Information
N. P. Hathi, S. H. Cohen, R. E. Ryan, S. L. Finkelstein, et al.. "Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at z=1-3 in the HST/WFC3 Early Release Science Observations" Astrophysical Journal (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/daniela_calzetti/6/