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Recent star formation in high-redshift early-type galaxies: insights from the rest-frame UV

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2007

S. Kaviraj*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, U.K.
S. K. Yi
Affiliation:
Yonsei University, Centre for Space Astrophysics, Seoul 120749, Korea
E. Gawiser
Affiliation:
Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8121, U.S.A.
P. G. van Dokkum
Affiliation:
Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8121, U.S.A.
S. Khochfar
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, U.K.
K. Schawinski
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, U.K.
J. Silk
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, U.K.
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Abstract

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We combine deep UBV RIzJK photometry from the MUSYC survey with redshifts from the COMBO-17 survey to study the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) properties of 674 high-redshift (0.5 < z < 1) early-type galaxies, drawn from the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDFS). Galaxy morphologies are determined through visual inspection of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images taken from the GEMS survey. We harness the sensitivity of the UV to young (<1 Gyrs old) stars to quantify the recent star formation history of the early-type population. We find compelling evidence that early-types of all luminosities form stars over the lifetime of the Universe, although the bulk of their star formation is already complete at high redshift. Luminous (−23 < M(V) < −20.5) early-types form 10-15 percent of their mass after z = 1, while their less luminous (M(V) > −20.5) counterparts form 30-60 percent of their mass in the same redshift range.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

References

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