NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0362
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0362 |
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PI: Duncan Farrah, Virginia Tech, farrah@vt.edu
Address: USA
CoI: Alex Conley, University of Colorado
CoI: Douglas Scott, University of British Columbia
CoI: Scott Chapman, University of Cambridge
CoI: Jim Dunlop, University of Edinburgh
CoI: Ismael Perez-Fournon, IAC, Tenerife
CoI: Carrie Bridge, California Institute of Technology
CoI: Darren Dowell, California Institute of Technology
CoI: Asantha Cooray, UC Irvine
CoI: Hai Fu, UC Irvine
Title: Deep Near-Infrared Imaging of Extreme Starburst Galaxies at 3<z<7
Abstract:
IR-luminous, intensely star-forming galaxies at 3<z<7 can provide crucial
insights into the cosmic history of galaxy formation. They signpost the first
major epoch of galaxy assembly, including the birth of the most massive
galaxies seen locally, and reside in very rare, highly ovderdense peaks in
the dark matter distribution. They are however extremely difficult to
identify and follow up from ground-based sub-mm imaging. Our team is
pioneering a new method to find z>3 starburst galaxies in large numbers,
taking advantage of the capabilities of the Herschel satellite to find
candidates and ground-based sub-mm interferometers to establish positions to
within 2". So far our program has been an unqualified success; all of the
candidates for which we have obtained redshifts lie at z>3.3. Our most
spectacular discovery is a Hyperluminous starburst at z=6.34, only 885Myr
after the Big Bang. As part of this program, we here propose deep near-IR
NIRI imaging of 19 of our best candidates, most of which currently have no
deep optical or near-IR imaging. The NIRI data are thus essential for
enabling further study of these objects, and will form an integral part of
this program. We will use the imaging to measure magnitudes and identify
counterparts to within 0.5" for followup spectroscopy, provide points on the
rest-frame UV/optical SED to constrain stellar masses and extinctions, and
give basic information about morphologies and lensing magnifications.
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-0362 |
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