NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0348
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0348 |
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PI: Chun Ly, Space Telescope Science Institute, chunly@stsci.edu
Address: 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
CoI: Janice Lee, Space Telescope Science Institute
CoI: Jennifer Lotz, Space Telescope Science Institute
CoI: Daniel Dale, University of Wyoming
CoI: Samir Salim, Indiana University
CoI: Rose Finn, Siena College
CoI: Ivelina Momcheva, Yale University
CoI: Masami Ouchi, University of Tokyo
Title: Extending Deep Wide \Ha Galaxy Surveys to Higher Redshift with NEWFIRM
Abstract: We request two nights to complete NEWFIRM \NBla narrowband imaging for the final field in our campaign to extend \Ha galaxy surveys to intermediate redshift. This field is of particular importance because it overlaps HST near-IR Treasury data taken by the CANDELS survey. The proposed observations will approximately double the number of z=0.8 galaxies in our \Ha-selected, star formation rate limited sample with deep high-resolution imaging from HST, yielding a total sample of N\gtrsim100. When combined with comparable, existing data for \Ha- selected samples at z~0, z=0.24, and ours at z=2.2, the observations will enable a detailed study of the evolution of rest-frame optical morphological properties, and incidence of potential faint galaxy companions, as a function of the specific star formation rate (as traced by the \Ha equivalent width). We will investigate whether (1) the observed order-of-magnitude decline in the cosmic star formation rate volume density may be driven by a decrease in the frequency of minor mergers, and if (2) galaxies with higher specific SFR preferentially show morphological evidence for tidal disruption. Our survey, which focuses on typical star-forming galaxies at z=0.8 and z=2.2, complements past studies that have focused on IR-selected galaxies (e.g., ULIRGs) and on-going HST morphological studies (e.g., 3D- HST) that are observationally limited to z\lesssim1.5.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0348 |
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