A Near-Infrared Selected Galaxy Redshift Survey

Abstract

This thesis presents work on galaxy evolution at redshifts 0 < z < 1.5 from a near-infrared selected galaxy redshift survey and much larger optically selected galaxy catalogues where distances were derived from photometric redshifts. Changes in the galaxy population are characterised by the evolution of luminosity functions, luminosity density, star-formation rate density and specific star-formation rate. We find that the galaxy luminosity function changes with increasing redshift in the sense that the characteristic luminosity increases but the number density decreases. This effect is smaller at rest-frame near-infrared wavelengths and gets more pronounced at shorter wavelengths. Furthermore, we use the specific star-formation rate to investigate the build-up of stellar mass in galaxies showing that the most massive galaxies formed the bulk of their stellar population at very early times whereas low-mass galaxies still show ongoing (maybe episodic) star-formation activity.

• Item Type: Thesis (Dissertation, LMU Munich)
• Keywords: galaxies, evolution, luminosity function, specific star formation rate, near-infrared surveys
• Dewey Decimal Classification: 600 Natural sciences and mathematics; 600 Natural sciences and mathematics > 530 Physics
• Faculties: Faculty of Physics
• Language: English
• Date Accepted: 22. December 2004
• 1. Referee: Bender, Ralf
• Persistent Identifier (URN): urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-31099
• Signature of the printed copy: 0001/UMC 14264