Color-Selected High Redshift Galaxies and the HDF

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of color selection techniques, specifically the Lyman break method, to identify high-redshift galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field, discussing their properties, spectroscopic progress, luminosity functions, and infrared data insights.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the Lyman break selection method and summarizes recent spectroscopic and infrared findings on high-redshift galaxies in the HDF.

Findings

Identification of z > 2 galaxies using Lyman break technique

Luminosity function estimates at z ~ 3

Impact of extinction on star formation rate calculations

Abstract

The quality, depth, and multi-color nature of the Hubble Deep Field images makes them an excellent resource for studying galaxies at z > 2 using selection techniques based on the presence of the 912A Lyman break. I present a descriptive review of this method and of the properties of the objects which it identifies, and summarize spectroscopic progress on galaxies with 2 < z < 4 in the HDF. Using ground-based and HDF samples of Lyman break galaxies I discuss the luminosity function of galaxies at z ~ 3, and consider the effects of extinction on the star formation rates that are derived from the UV luminosity information. Infrared observations of the HDF provide data on the rest-frame optical properties of z ~ 3 galaxies, which are briefly described.