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Evolution of the rest-frame UV LF from z ~ 8 to z ~ 4

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

Rychard J. Bouwens  and
Garth D. Illingworth
Rychard J. Bouwens
Affiliation:
UCO/Lick Observatory and Department of Astronomy, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA email: [email protected], [email protected]
Garth D. Illingworth
Affiliation:
UCO/Lick Observatory and Department of Astronomy, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA email: [email protected], [email protected]
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Abstract

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We have assembled large samples of galaxies at redshift z ~ 4, 5 and 6 (totalling >4300 objects, >1000 objects, >500 objects, respectively) from all the deep HST ACS and NICMOS data taken to date (over 2000 orbits of data). From these we have derived rest-frame UV luminosity functions, luminosity densities, and star formation rates in a very robust and consistent way to very faint luminosities (0.01L* to 0.04L*). The faint-end slopes α of these luminosity functions are remarkably uniform and steep (α ~ −1.7), indicating very little evolution from z ~ 6 to z ~ 4. The characteristic luminosity L* brightens considerably (by ~1 mag) over this period, but the overall change in the luminosity function is such as to lead to little change in the luminosity density and star formation rate over this time. We also have detected galaxies at z ~ 7 − 8 and set strong limits at z ~ 10 directly from deep HST NICMOS observations. Spitzer observations of these z ~ 7 galaxies have been used to estimate masses and ages, suggesting substantial formation at z ~ 10 or earlier. These results show that this hierachical build-up continues into the reionization epoch.

Keywords

galaxies: evolutiongalaxies: formationgalaxies: high-redshift
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 2 , Symposium S235: Galaxy Evolution Across the Hubble Time , August 2006 , pp. 373 - 375
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007

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