EDP Sciences Journals List
Advanced Search
Subscriber Authentication Point
Home All issues Volume 440/ 1 Article

Free access article

Issue A&A
Volume 440, Number 1, September II 2005
Page(s) 61 - 66
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20034109



A&A 440, 61-66 (2005)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20034109

FORS spectroscopy of galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field-South

D. Rigopoulou1, 2, W. D. Vacca2, 3, S. Berta4, A. Franceschini4 and H. Aussel5

1  Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
    e-mail: dar@astro.ox.ac.uk
2  Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Postfach 1312, Garching 85741, Germany
3  USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 144-2 Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
4  Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita' di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 2, 35122 Padova, Italy
5  Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA

(Received 24 July 2003 / Accepted 18 December 2004 )

Abstract
We present low resolution multi-object spectroscopy of an I-band magnitude limited ( $I_{{\rm AB}} \simeq$ 23-23.5) sample of galaxies located in an area centered on the Hubble Deep Field-South (HDFS). The observations were obtained using the Focal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS) on the ESO Very Large Telescope. Thirty-two primary spectroscopic targets in the HST-WFPC2 HDFS were supplemented with galaxies detected in the Infrared Space Observatory's survey of the HDFS and the ESO Imaging Deep Survey to comprise a sample of 100 galaxies for spectroscopic observations. Based on detections of several emission lines, such as [OII]$\lambda$3727, H$_{\beta}$ and [OIII]$\lambda$5007, or of other spectroscopic features, we measured accurate redshifts for 50 objects in the central HDFS and flanking fields. The redshift range of the current sample of galaxies is 0.6-1.2, with a median redshift of 1.13 (at I $\simeq$ 23.5 not corrected for completeness). The sample is dominated by starburst galaxies with only a small fraction of ellipticals (~10%). For the emission line objects, the extinction corrected [OII]$\lambda$3727 line strengths yield estimates of star formation rates in the range 0.5-30 $M_{\odot}$ yr-1. We used the present data to derive the [OII]$\lambda$3727 luminosity function up to redshift of 1.2. When combined with [OII]$\lambda$3727 luminosity densities for the local and high redshift Universe, our results confirm the steep rise in the star formation rate (SFR) to z $\simeq$ 1.3.


Key words: cosmology: observations -- surveys -- galaxies: luminosity function, mass function -- galaxies: starburst

SIMBAD Objects
Tables at the CDS



© ESO 2005

What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.
  • If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
  • You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
  • You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.