S. J. Lilly

The Canada-France Redshift Survey: The Luminosity Density and Star Formation History of the Universe to z ~ 1

The comoving luminosity density of the universe, (λ), is estimated from the Canada-France Redshift Survey (CFRS) faint galaxy sample in three wave bands (2800 A, 4400 A, and 1 μm) over the redshift range 0 < z < 1. In all three wave bands, increases markedly with redshift. For a (q0 = 0.5, Ω = 1.0) cosmological model, the comoving luminosity density increases as (1 + z)2.1 ± 0.5 at 1 μm, as (1 + z)2.7 ± 0.5 at 4400 A, and as (1 + z)3.9 ± 0.75 at 2800 A, these exponents being reduced by 0.43 and 1.12 for (0.05, 0.1) and (-0.85, 0.1) cosmological models, respectively. The (λ)-τ relation can be reasonably well modeled by an actively evolving stellar population with a Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) extending to 125 M☉, and a star formation rate declining as τ-2.5 with a turn-on of star formation at early epochs. A Scalo IMF extending to the same mass limit produces too many long-lived low-mass stars. This rapid evolution of the star formation rate and comoving luminosity density of the universe is in good agreement with the conclusions of Pei & Fall from their analysis of the evolving metallicity of the universe. One consequence of this evolution is that the physical luminosity density at short wavelengths has probably declined by 2 orders of magnitude since z ~ 1.

The Canada-UK Deep Submillimeter Survey: first submillimeter images, the source counts, and resolution of the background

We present the first results of a deep unbiased submillimeter survey carried out at 450 and 850 μm. We detected 12 sources at 850 μm at greater than the 3 σ level, giving a surface density of sources with S850μm>2.8 mJy of 0.49 ± 0.16 arcmin-2. If replicated over the sky, our sources would generate a background at 850 μm of 9.6 × 10−11 W m-2 sr-1, which is simeq20% of the value measured by the Far-Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) and a significant fraction of the total background radiation produced by stars. This implies, through the connection between metallicity and background radiation, that a significant fraction of all the stars that have ever been formed were formed in objects like those detected here. The combination of their large contribution to the background radiation and their extreme bolometric luminosities makes these objects excellent candidates for being proto-elliptical galaxies. Optical astronomers have recently shown that the UV luminosity density of the universe increases by a factor of simeq10 between z=0 and z=1-2 and then decreases again at higher redshifts. Using the results of a parallel submillimeter survey of the local universe, we show that both the submillimeter source density and background radiation (as detected by FIRAS) can be explained if the submillimeter luminosity density evolves in a similar way to the UV luminosity density. Thus, if these sources are elliptical galaxies in the process of formation, they are probably forming at relatively modest redshifts.

Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the CFRS and LDSS redshift surveys - IV. Influence of mergers in the evolution of faint field galaxies from z~1

ABSTRA C T Hubble Space Telescope images of a sample of 285 galaxies with measured redshifts from the Canada‐France Redshift Survey (CFRS) and Autofib‐Low Dispersion Spectrograph Survey (LDSS) redshift surveys are analysed to derive the evolution of the merger fraction out to redshifts z , 1. We have performed visual and machine-based merger identifications, as well as counts of bright pairs of galaxies with magnitude differences dm # 1:5 mag. We find that the pair fraction increases with redshift, with up to ,20 per cent of the galaxies being in physical pairs at z , 0:75‐1. We derive a merger fraction varying with redshift as /O1a zU 3:2^0:6 , after correction for line-of-sight contamination, in excellent agreement with the merger fraction derived from the visual classification of mergers for which ma 3:4 ^ 0:6. After correcting for seeing effects on the ground-based selection of survey galaxies, we conclude that the pair fraction evolves as/O1a zU 2:7^0:6 . This implies that an average L* galaxy will have undergone 0.8‐1.8 merger events from za 1t oza 0, with 0.5 to 1.2 merger events occuring in a 2-Gyr time-span at around z , 0:9. This result is consistent with predictions from semi-analytical models of galaxy formation. From the simple coaddition of the observed luminosities of the galaxies in pairs, physical mergers are computed to lead to a brightening of 0.5 mag for each pair on average, and a boost in star formation rate of a factor of 2, as derived from the average [O ii] equivalent widths. Mergers of galaxies are therefore contributing significantly to the evolution of both the luminosity function and luminosity density of the Universe out to z , 1.

15 Micron Infrared Space Observatory Observations of the 1415+52 Canada-France Redshift Survey Field: The Cosmic Star Formation Rate as Derived from Deep Ultraviolet, Optical, Mid-Infrared, and Radio Photometry

The Canada-France Redshift Survey 1452+52 field has been deeply imaged with the Infrared Space Observatory using ISOCAM through the LW3 filter (12-18 μm). Careful data analysis and comparison with deep optical and radio data have allowed us to generate a catalog of 78 15 μm sources with both radio and optical identifications. They are redder and lie at higher redshift than I-band-selected galaxies, with most of them being star-forming galaxies. We have considered the galaxies detected at radio and 15 μm wavelengths, which potentially include all strong and heavily extincted starbursts, up to z=1. Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for each of the sources have been derived using deep radio, mid-IR, near-IR, optical, and UV photometry. The sources were then spectrally classified by comparing with SEDs of well-known nearby galaxies. By deriving their far-IR luminosities by interpolation, we can estimate their star formation rate (SFR) in a way that does not depend sensitively on the extinction. Between 35% and 85% of the star formation at z≤1 is related to IR emission, and the global extinction is in the range AV=0.5-0.85. While heavily extincted starbursts with SFRs in excess of 100 M☉ yr-1 constitute less than 1% of all galaxies, they contribute about 18% of the SFR density out to z=1. Their morphologies range from S0 to Sab, and more than a third are interacting systems. The SFR derived by far-IR fluxes is likely to be ~2.9 times higher than those previously estimated from UV fluxes. The derived stellar mass formed since the redshift of 1 could be too high when compared with the present-day stellar mass density. This might be due to an initial mass function in distant star-forming galaxies different from the solar neighborhood one or an underestimate of the local stellar mass density.

The Canada-United Kingdom Deep Submillimeter Survey. II. First Identifications, Redshifts, and Implications for Galaxy Evolution*

Identifications are sought for 12 submillimeter sources detected in a deep submillimeter survey. Six are securely identified, two have probable identifications, and four remain unidentified with IAB > 25. Spectroscopic and estimated photometric redshifts indicate that four of the sources have z 3. The spectral energy distributions of the identifications, as defined by measurements or upper limits to the flux densities at 8000 A, at 15, 450, 850 μm, and at 6 cm, are consistent with the spectral energy distributions of high-extinction starbursts such as Arp 220. The far-IR luminosities of the sources at z > 0.5 are of order 3 × 1012 h-250 L☉, i.e., slightly larger than that of Arp 220. As with local ultraluminous infrared galaxies, the optical luminosities of the identified galaxies are comparable to present-day L*, and the optical morphologies of many of the galaxies show evidence for mergers or highly disruptive interactions. Based on this small sample, the cumulative bolometric luminosity function shows strong evolution to z~1, but weaker or possibly even negative evolution beyond. The redshift dependence of the far-IR luminosity density does not appear, at this early stage, to be inconsistent with that seen in the ultraviolet luminosity density. Although the computation of bolometric luminosities is quite uncertain, the population of very luminous galaxies that is detected in the surveys at z > 1 is already matching, in the far-IR, the bolometric output in the ultraviolet of the whole optically selected population. Assuming that the energy source in the far-IR is massive stars, this suggests that the total luminous output from star formation in the universe will be dominated by the far-IR emission once the lower luminosity sources, below the current far-IR detection threshold, are included. Furthermore, the detected systems have individual star formation rates (exceeding 300 h-250 M☉ yr-1) that are much higher than seen in the ultraviolet-selected samples and that are sufficient to form substantial stellar populations on dynamical timescales of 108 yr. The association with mergerlike morphologies and the obvious presence of dust makes it attractive to identify these systems as forming the metal-rich spheroid population, in which case we would infer that much of this activity has occurred relatively recently, at z~2.

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the CFRS and LDSS Redshift Surveys. I. Morphological Properties

(Abridged) We analyse Hubble Space Telescope images of a complete sample of 341 galaxies drawn from both the Canada France and Autofib/Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph ground-based redshift surveys. We discuss morphological classifications of these galaxies, and quantify possible biases that may arise from various redshift-dependent effects. We then discuss these biases in the context of automated classifications, and quantify the expected misclassification in our system. After allowing for such biases, the redshift distribution for normal spirals, together with their luminosity function derived as a function of redshift, indicates approximately 1 magnitude of luminosity evolution in B(AB) by z=1. The elliptical sample is too small for precise evolutionary constraints. However, we find a substantial increase in the proportion of galaxies with irregular morphology at large redshift. These galaxies also appear to be the dominant cause of the rapid rise with redshift in the blue luminosity density identified in the redshift surveys. Although galaxies with irregular morphology may well comprise a mixture of different physical systems and might not correspond to present day irregulars, it is clear that the apparently declining abundance and luminosities of our distant ``irregulars holds an important key to understanding recent evolution in the star formation history of normal galaxies.We analyze Hubble Space Telescope images of a complete sample of 341 galaxies drawn from the CFRS and LDSS ground-based redshift surveys. In this, the first paper in the series, each galaxy has been morphologically classified according to a scheme similar to that developed for the Medium Deep Survey. We discuss the reproducibility of these classifications and quantify possible biases that may arise from various redshift-dependent effects. We then discuss automated classifications of the sample and conclude, from several tests, that we can expect an apparent migration with redshift to later Hubble types that corresponds to a misclassification in our adopted machine classification system of ~24% ± 11 of the true spirals as peculiars at a redshift z 0.9. After allowing for such biases, the redshift distribution for normal spirals, together with their luminosity function derived as a function of redshift, indicates approximately 1 mag of luminosity evolution in BAB by z 1. The elliptical sample is too small for precise evolutionary constraints. However, we find a substantial increase in the proportion of galaxies with irregular morphology at large redshift from 9% ± 3% for 0.3 ≤ z ≤ 0.5 to 32% ± 12% for 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 0.9. These galaxies also appear to be the dominant cause of the rapid rise with redshift in the blue luminosity density identified in the redshift surveys. Although galaxies with irregular morphology may well comprise a mixture of different physical systems and might not correspond to present-day irregulars, it is clear that the apparently declining abundance and luminosities of our distant irregulars holds an important key to understanding recent evolution in the star formation history of normal galaxies.

Canada-France Redshift Survey. XIV. Spectral Properties of Field Galaxies up to z = 1

The spectral properties of more than 400 Canada-France Redshift Survey (CFRS) galaxies and their changes over the redshift interval 0 ? z ? 1.3 are investigated. Emission-line intensities and equivalent widths for accessible lines have been measured, as well as continuum color indices based on 200 ? wide spectral regions. Within the CFRS sample, the comoving fraction of galaxies with significant emission lines [W0(O II) > 15 ?] increases from about 13% locally to over 50% at z > 0.5. The fraction of luminous (MB 0.5, the latter fraction being similar to that of early-type galaxies at that redshift. There is considerable evidence in the data presented here that star formation increases from z = 0 to z > 0.5 in disk galaxies. However, the absence of extremely blue colors and the presence of significant Balmer absorption suggests that the star formation is primarily taking place over long periods of time, rather than in short-duration, high-amplitude bursts. There are several indications that the average metallicity and dust opacity were lower in emission-line galaxies at high redshift than those typically seen in luminous galaxies locally. Beyond z = 0.7, almost all the emission-line galaxies, including the most luminous (at 1 ?m at rest) ones, have colors approaching those of present-day irregular galaxies, and one-third of them have indications (primarily from the strength of the 4000 ? break) of metallicities significantly less than solar (Z < 0.2 Z?). It is argued that changes in metallicity and dust extinction could be contributing to the observed evolution of the line and continuum luminosity densities, the luminosity function, and/or the surface brightnesses and morphologies of galaxies in the CFRS. If the Kennicutt (1992) relation is used to convert the large increase in the comoving luminosity density of [O II] 3727 back to z ~ 1 into a star formation rate, then it implies a present stellar mass density in excess of that observed locally. This result suggests that the Kennicutt relation is inappropriate for the CFRS objects, perhaps because of the changes in their metallicities and dust opacities and/or in their initial mass functions. Using the Gallagher et al. (1989) relation for objects having colors of irregular galaxies reduces the production of long-lived stars since z = 1 to 75% of the present-day value. More complex mechanisms are probably responsible for changes seen in the emission-line ratios of H II regions in CFRS galaxies, which show higher ionization parameters than local H II galaxy ones. This change could be due to a higher ionizing efficiency of the photons from hot stars in galaxies at high redshift.The spectral properties of more than 400 CFRS galaxies and their changes over the redshift interval 0 - 1.3 are investigated. Emission line intensities and equivalent widths for accessible lines have been measured, as well as continuum color indices based on 200A wide spectral regions. Within the CFRS sample, the comoving fraction of galaxies with significant emission lines (EW(OII) > 15A) increases from ~13% locally to over 50% at z > 0.5. The fraction of luminous ( M_{B} 0.5, the latter fraction being similar to that of early type galaxies at that redshift. There is considerable evidence in the data presented here that star formation increases from z = 0 to z > 0.5 in disk galaxies. However, the absence of extremely blue colors and the presence of significant Balmer absorption suggests that the star formation is primarily taking place over long periods of time, rather than in short-duration, high-amplitude ``bursts. There are several indications that the average metallicity and dust opacity were lower in emission-line galaxies at high redshift than those typically seen in luminous galaxies locally. Beyond z = 0.7, almost all the emission-line galaxies, including the most luminous (at 1mu at rest) ones, have colors approaching those of present-day irregular galaxies, and a third of them have indications (primarily from the strength of the 4000A break) of metallicities significantly less than solar (Z < 0.2 Z_{sun}). (abbreviated)

The Canada-UK Deep Submillimeter Survey. IV. The Survey of the 14 Hour Field

We have used SCUBA to survey an area of simeq 50 arcmin2, detecting 19 sources down to a 3 σ sensitivity limit of ~3.5 mJy at 850 μm. Monte Carlo simulations have shown that the fluxes of sources in this and similar SCUBA surveys are biased upward by the effects of source confusion and noise, leading to an overestimate by a factor of ~1.4 in the fraction of the 850 μm background that has been resolved by SCUBA. Once a correction is made for this effect, about 20% of the background has been resolved. The simulations have also been used to quantify the effects of confusion on source positions. Of the 19 SCUBA sources, five are microjansky radio sources, and two are ISO 15 μm sources. The radio/submillmeter flux ratios imply that the dust in these galaxies is being heated by young stars rather than active galactic nuclei. The upper limit to the average 450 μm/850 μm flux ratio implies either that the SCUBA galaxies are at z G 2 or, if they are at lower redshifts, that the dust is generally colder than in ULIRGs. We have used simple evolution models to address the major questions about the SCUBA sources: (1) What fraction of the star formation at high redshift is hidden by dust? (2) Does the submillimeter luminosity density reach a maximum at some redshift? (3) If the SCUBA sources are protoellipticals, when exactly did ellipticals form? We show, however, that the observations are not yet good enough to answer these questions. There are, for example, acceptable models in which 10 times as much high-redshift star formation is hidden by dust as is seen at optical wavelengths, but also acceptable ones in which the amount of hidden star formation is less than that seen optically. There are acceptable models in which very little star formation occurred before a redshift of 3 (as might be expected in models of hierarchical galaxy formation), but also ones in which 30% of the stars have formed by this redshift. The key to answering these questions are measurements of the dust temperatures and redshifts of the SCUBA sources.

Measurement of the star formation rate from Halpha in field galaxies at z=1

We report the results of J-band infrared spectroscopy of a sample of 13 z=1 field galaxies drawn from the Canada-France Redshift Survey, targeting galaxies whose redshifts place the rest frame H-alpha line emission from HII regions in between the bright night sky OH lines. As a result we detect emission down to a flux limit of ~10^{-16} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1} corresponding to a luminosity limit of ~10^{41} ergs at this redshift for a H_0=50 km s^{-1} Mpc,^{-1} q_0=0.5 cosmology. From these luminosities we derive estimates of the star-formation rates in these galaxies which are independent of previous estimates based upon their rest-frame ultraviolet (2800A) luminosity. The mean star-formation rate at z=1, from this sample, is found to be at least three times as high as the ultraviolet estimates. The standard dust extinction in these galaxies is inferred to be A_V=0.5-1.0 mags, comparable to local field galaxies, suggesting that the bulk of star-formation is not heavily obscured unless one uses greyer extinction laws. Star-forming galaxies have the bluest colours and a preponderance of disturbed/interacting morphologies. We also investigate the effects of particular star-formation histories, in particular the role of bursts vs continuous star-formation in changing the detailed distribution of UV to H-alpha emission. Generally we find that models dominated by short, overlapping, bursts at typically 0.2 Gyr intervals provide a better model for the data than a constant rate of star-formation. The star-formation history of the Universe from Balmer lines is compiled and found to be typically 2--3times higher than that inferred from the UV {em at all redshifts}. It can not yet be clearly established whether the star-formation rate falls off or remains constant at high-redshift.

Canada-France Redshift Survey: Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of High-Redshift Field Galaxies*

Hubble Space Telescope B and I images are presented of 32 galaxies with secure redshifts in the range 0.5 < z < 1.2 from the Canada-France Redshift Survey, a complete sample of galaxies with 17.5 ≤ IAB ≤ 22.5. These galaxies exhibit the same range of morphological types as seen locally, i.e., ellipticals, spirals, and irregulars. The galaxies look far less regular in the B images (rest-frame ultraviolet) than at longer wavelengths, underlining the fact that optical images of galaxies at still higher redshift should be interpreted with caution. Quantitative analyses of the galaxies yield disk sizes, bulge fractions, and colors for each component. At these redshifts, galaxy disks show clear evidence for surface brightness evolution. The mean rest-frame central surface brightness of the disks of normal late-type galaxies is μAB(B) = 20.2 ± 0.25 mag arcsec-2, about 1.2 mag brighter than the Freeman law for nearby galaxies. Some degree of peculiarity/asymmetry is measurable in 10 (30%) of the galaxies, and four (13%) show clear signs of interaction/mergers. There are nine galaxies (30%) dominated by blue compact components. These components, which appear to be related to star formation, occur most often in peculiar/asymmetric galaxies (some of which appear to be interacting), but a few are in otherwise normal galaxies. Thus, of the galaxies bluer than present-day Sb, one-third are blue nucleated galaxies and half are late-type galaxies with disks which are significantly brighter than normal galaxies at z = 0. Taken together, these two effects must be responsible for much of the observed evolution of the luminosity function of blue galaxies.