Exploration of the High Redshift Universe With Lyman-Alpha Emitting Galaxies

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0071208 Hu, Esther M. Exploration of the High Redshift Universe with Lyman-Alpha Emitting Galaxies The goals of this project are to study the history of star formation, structure formation, and possible evolution of the universe at the highest accessible redshifts using the emission-line properties of high-redshift objects. The approach is to use the Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope with narrow-band interference filters centered on redshifted Lyman-alpha emission in the range 4<z<7 and multi-color deep imaging to search for high redshift galaxies in that range. Candidates identified in this way will then be followed up with slit spectroscopy using the Keck, and Gemini telescopes with the DEIMOS spectrograph on the Keck telescope, and the near-infrared spectrographs NIRSPEC and IRCS. The nature of the earliest galaxies -- their properties and evolution -- is a topic of intense interest which has been placed within our reach by the new generation of large telescopes. The present program is intended to explore the very earliest (z=4-7) galaxy formation and the properties of these very high redshift galaxies using the capabilities of the new 8- and 10-m class telescopes. An extensive faint emission-line, faint galaxy survey conducted with deep narrowband imaging searches will be combined with extremely deep imaging in multiple colors to identify distant galaxies in early stages of active star formation. This technique has already been successfully pioneered on the Keck telescope to identify some of the most distant galaxies currently known. This project applies these techniques on the Keck, Gemini, and Subaru telescopes, where very wide field cameras, such as the 0.5 degree X 0.5 degree wide SuprimeCam on the Subaru 8.3-m telescope, and new wide-area spectrographs will be coming on line over the next two years. International cooperation in using these complementary facilities will provide large samples of these most distant galaxies, to explore the global star formation history of the Universe, and the evolution in the numbers and properties of galaxies at very early times. Such galaxies will also be targets for internationally planned future space missions to investigate the early Universe. Funding for this project is provided by the NSF program for Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology (AST/EXC). ***