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Extragalactic abstracts - IRSA - California Institute of Technology

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Mar 25, 10 16:24 Spitzer_Approved_<strong>Extragalactic</strong> Page 329/742<br />

multi−wavelength COSMOS data and source catalogs, to the astronomical community<br />

to ensure maximum scientific return from this survey.<br />

Spitzer_Approved_<strong>Extragalactic</strong><br />

Printed_by_SSC<br />

Mar 25, 10 16:24 Page 330/742<br />

Spitzer Space Telescope − Archive Research Proposal #20792<br />

What Drives the Differential Evolution <strong>of</strong> Lyman Break Galaxies?<br />

Principal Investigator: Marcin Sawicki<br />

Institution: UCSB<br />

Technical Contact: Marcin Sawicki, UCSB<br />

Co−Investigators:<br />

David Thompson, Caltech<br />

Science Category: high−z galaxies (z>0.5)<br />

Dollars Approved: 61000.0<br />

Abstract:<br />

Analysis <strong>of</strong> the luminosity function <strong>of</strong> Lyman Break Galaxies in our deep, wide<br />

Keck Deep Fields survey robustly shows that the evolution <strong>of</strong> the LBG population<br />

is differential with luminosity from z~4 to z~3. Two <strong>of</strong> the possible mechanisms<br />

driving this evolution relate to (1) changes in the properties <strong>of</strong> dust and (2)<br />

changes in the duration <strong>of</strong> starbursting episodes in sub−L* LBGs. We will use<br />

archival Spitzer IRAC, HST, and ground−based imaging <strong>of</strong> GOODS and the HDFs to<br />

compare the spectral energy distributions <strong>of</strong> LBGs as a function <strong>of</strong> redshift and<br />

luminosity and search for related differences in reddening and starburst age.<br />

Finding such differences will not only identify the processes responsible for<br />

the evolution <strong>of</strong> the luminosity function but will thereby also point us towards<br />

the underlying physical mechanisms that control how galaxies form and evolve at<br />

high redshift. The non−detection <strong>of</strong> such differences will mean that the<br />

responsible mechanism lies elsewhere and will give impetus to other lines <strong>of</strong><br />

attacking the problem. We have experience in analyzing the spectral energy<br />

distributions <strong>of</strong> Lyman Break Galaxies and request salary and other support to<br />

allow us to extend our techniques to higher redshifts, larger samples, and<br />

fainter objects with no spectroscopic redshifts that we need to help understand<br />

the observed evolution <strong>of</strong> the luminosity function. Significantly, our analysis<br />

will compare LBG subsamples in a differential and hence very robust way and thus<br />

will help us understand how galaxies are assembled at high redshift.<br />

Thursday March 25, 2010 xgal_covers.txt<br />

165/371

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