767 research outputs found
THE CANADA-FRANCE REDSHIFT SURVEY V: Global Properties of the Sample
The photometric and spectroscopic data of the CFRS survey of objects with
17.5 < I_{AB} < 22.5 are combined and analysed. The overall completeness is
85%. The redshift histogram of the sample is presented for 591 field galaxies
with secure redshifts. The median redshift is z = 0.56, and the highest
redshift observed is z = 1.3; 25 galaxies have z > 1 The distributions of
magnitudes and colors demonstrate that galaxies at these high redshifts have
very similar colors to those observed locally. The survey thus represents a
major improvement in our knowledge of field galaxies at large look-back times.
Only ~1% of the galaxies are as compact as stars (on images with FWHM ~ 0.9")
and comparisons of the photometric and spectroscopic data show that only one
galaxy was initially incorrectly classified spectroscopically as a star, and
only two stars were misclassified as galaxies. It is demonstrated that the
redshift distributions in the five fields are statistically consistent with
each other, once the reduction in the effective number of independent galaxies
due to small-scale clustering in redshift is taken into account.
The photometric properties of the spectroscopically-unidentified objects
indicate that most are likely to be galaxies rather than stars. At least half
of these must have the same redshift distribution as the identified galaxies,
and a combination of magnitudes, colors and compactness of the remaining
unidentified galaxies is used to predict their redshifts. The majority are
probably ordinary galaxies at the high redshift end of our sample, including
some quiescent galaxies at z > 1.0, rather than some new or unusual population.Comment: 20 uuencoded postscript pages (first part) with 12 figures (second
part). Also available at http://www.dao.nrc.ca/DAO/SCIENCE/science.html and
coming soon on a CFRS homepage. Accepted June 19, scheduled for Dec 10 issue
of Ap
THE CANADA-FRANCE REDSHIFT SURVEY II: Spectroscopic Program; Data for the 0000-00 and 1000+25 Fields
This paper describes the methods used to obtain the spectroscopic data and
construct redshift catalogs for the Canada-France deep Redshift Survey (CFRS).
The full data set consists of more than one thousand spectra, of objects with
17.5 < I_{AB} < 22.5, obtained from deep multi-slit data with the MARLIN and
MOS-SIS spectrographs at the CFHT. The final spectroscopic catalog contains 200
stars, 591 galaxies with secure redshifts in the range 0 < z < 1.3, 6 QSOs, and
146 objects with very uncertain or unknown redshifts, leading to an overall
success rate of identification of 85%. Additionally, 67 objects affected by
observational problems have been placed in a supplemental list.
We describe here the instrumental set up, and the observing procedures used
to efficiently gather this large data set. New optimal ways of packing spectra
on the detector to significantly increase the multiplexing gain offered by
multi-slit spectroscopy are described. Dedicated data reduction procedures have
been developed under the IRAF environment to allow for fast and accurate
processing.
Very strict procedures have been followed to establish a reliable list of
final spectroscopic measurements. Fully independent processing of the data has
been carried out by three members of the team for each data set associated with
a multi-slit mask, and final redshifts were
assigned only after the careful comparison of the three independent
measurements. A confidence class scheme was established. We strongly emphasize
the benefits of such procedures.
Finally, we present the spectroscopic data obtained for 303 objects in the
0000-00 and 1000+25 fields. The success rate in spectroscopic identification isComment: 16 uuencoded postcript pages with figures 4,5,8,9 and 12. Other
(large) figures available from the authors. Large data table not yet
released. Also available at http://www.dao.nrc.ca/DAO/SCIENCE/science.html
and coming soon on a CFRS homepage. Accepted June 19, scheduled for the Dec
10 issue of Ap
The CANADA-FRANCE REDSHIFT SURVEY I: Introduction to the Survey, Photometric Catalogs and Surface Brightness Selection Effects
The Canada-France Redshift Survey has been undertaken to provide a large
well-defined sample of faint galaxies at high redshift in which the selection
criteria match as closely as possible those of samples of nearby galaxies. The
survey is designed to have a median redshift of z ~ 0.6 corresponding to a
look-back time of half the present age of the Universe for Omega ~ 1. Such a
survey can then be used for studying many different aspects of the evolution of
galaxies over the interval 0 < z < 1. In this paper we describe the selection
of the fields, the multicolor imaging observations and the construction and
validation of the photometric catalogs. Particular attention is paid to
quantifying the unavoidable selection effects in surface brightness and their
impact on the survey is assessed in the context of the properties of known
populations of galaxies. The photometric catalogs contain several thousand
objects brighter than I_{AB}< 22.5 and are essentially complete for central
surface brightnesses as faint as 24.5 mag arcsec.
This should be sufficient to include both normal surface brightness galaxies
and prototypes of extreme low surface brightness galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, 2 tables, 10 postscript figures (in 2 parts), uses
aaspp.sty Also available at http://www.dao.nrc.ca/DAO/SCIENCE/science.html
and coming soon on a CFRS homepag
THE CANADA-FRANCE REDSHIFT SURVEY IX: HST Imaging of High-Redshift Field Galaxies
HST B and I images are presented of 32 CFRS galaxies with secure redshifts in
the range 0.5 < z < 1.2. 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 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 mu_{AB}(B)=20.2 \pm 0.25 mag arcsec^{-2}, about
1.2 mag brighter than the Freeman (1970) value. Some degree of peculiarity is
measurable in 10 (30%) of the galaxies and 4 (13%) show clear signs of
interaction/mergers. There are 9 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.Comment: uuencoded compressed postscript, 8 pages, 1 table + 5 figures in a
separate part. Also available at http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~lilly/CFRS/ .
Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
A search for gravitational lensing in 38 X-ray selected clusters of galaxies
We present the results of a CCD imaging survey for gravitational lensing in a
sample of 38 X-ray-selected clusters of galaxies. Our sample consists of the
most X-ray luminous (Lx>= 2x10^{44} erg s^{-1}) clusters selected from the
Einstein Observatory Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS) that are
observable from Mauna Kea (dec > -40deg). The sample spans a redshift range of
0.15 0.5. CCD images of the
clusters were obtained in excellent seeing. There is evidence of strong
gravitational lensing in the form of giant arcs (length l > 8'', axis ratio l/w
> 10) in 8 of the 38 clusters. Two additional clusters contain shorter arclets,
and 6 more clusters contain candidate arcs that require follow-up observations
to confirm their lensing origin. Since the survey does not have a uniform
surface brightness limit we do not draw any conclusion based on the statistics
of the arcs found. We note, however, that 60% (3 of 5) of the clusters with Lx
> 10^{45} erg s^{-1}, and none of the 15 clusters with Lx < 4x10^{44} erg
s^{-1} contain giant arcs, thereby confirming that high X-ray luminosity does
identify the most massive systems, and thus X-ray selection is the preferred
method for finding true, rich clusters at intermediate and high redshifts. The
observed geometry of the arcs, most of which are thin, have large axis ratios
(l/w > 10), and are aligned orthogonal to the optical major axes of the
clusters, indicate the cluster core mass density profiles must be compact
(steeper than isothermal). In several cases, however, there is also some
evidence, in the form of possible radial arcs, for density profiles with finite
core radii.Comment: Latex file, 17 pages, 7 jpeg figures, to be published in Astronomy
and Astrophysics Supplement
THE CANADA-FRANCE REDSHIFT SURVEY III: "Single Emission Line" Objects, Analysis of Repeat Observations, and Spectroscopic Identifications in the 1415+52 and 2215+00 Fields
This paper is one of a series describing the Canada-France Redshift Survey
(CFRS). It is shown how the shape of the continuum around the emission line can
be used to distinguish between [OII] 3727 at z > 0.76 and H at low
redshift in spectra for which only a single isolated emission line is visible.
Based on this, [OII] 3727 is most likely to be the emission line in most of the
single emission line galaxies in the CFRS. The statistics of the repeated
observations are analyzed to derive an empirical calibration of the reliability
of the spectroscopic identifications in the CFRS, to determine how often
additional observations could lead to the identification of an initially
unidentified object and to provide an estimate of the internal velocity
accuracy. Finally, the results of spectroscopic observations of 413 objects in
the 1415+52 and 2215+00 CFRS survey fields are presented.Comment: 14 uuencoded postscript pages with figures 1,2,3,4,9 and 10. Other
(large) figures available from the authors. Large data table not yet
released. Also available at http://www.dao.nrc.ca/DAO/SCIENCE/science.html
and coming soon on a CFRS homepage. Accepted June 19, scheduled for Dec 10
issue of Ap
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