First Science with SHARDS: emission line galaxies

TL;DR

This paper presents initial scientific results from SHARDS, an ultra-deep spectro-photometric survey, focusing on emission line galaxies at redshifts 1.0-2.3, using medium-band filters to study galaxy evolution.

Contribution

It introduces the first science verification results of SHARDS, demonstrating its capability to identify and analyze emission line galaxies at high redshift.

Findings

Successful detection of emission line galaxies at z=1-2.3

Demonstrated the effectiveness of medium-band filters for galaxy studies

Provided insights into galaxy populations at high redshift

Abstract

SHARDS (Survey for High-z Absorption Red & Dead Sources) is an unbiased ultra-deep spectro-photometric survey with GTC@OSIRIS aimed at selecting and studying massive passively evolving galaxies at z=1.0-2.3 using a set of 24 medium-band filters (FWHM\sim17 nm) at 500-950 nm in GOODS-N. Our observing strategy is optimized to detect at z>1 the prominent Mg absorption feature at rest-frame ~280 nm, a distinctive, necessary, and sufficient feature of evolved stellar populations. Nonetheless, the data quality allow a plethora of studies on galaxy populations, including Emission Lines Galaxies (ELGs) about which we have started our first science verification project presented in this contribution.