2005/09/12 by Nicholas Cross, Cross, Nicholas, the ACS Science Team +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0509288
5 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the "Fabulous Destiny of Galaxies" conference, Marseille, June, 2005
arxiv created 2005/09/12 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
We measure the luminosity function of morphologically selected E/S0 galaxies from z=0.5 to z=1.0 using deep high resolution Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) imaging data. Our data extend 2 magnitudes deeper than the Deep Groth Strip Survey (DGSS). At 0.5<z<0.75, we find MB^*-5log h0.7=-21.1+/-0.3 and α=-0.53+/-0.2, and at 0.75<z<1.0, we find MB^*-5log h0.7=-21.4+/-0.2. Our morphologically selected luminosity functions are similar in both shape and number density to other morphologically selected luminosity functions (e.g., DGSS), but we find significant differences to the luminosity functions of samples selected using morphological proxies like colour or SED. The difference is due to incompleteness from blue E/S0 galaxies, which make up to ~30% of the sample and contamination from early-type spirals. Most of the blue E/S0 galaxies have similar structural properties to the red E/S0s and could passively evolve to form giant red ellipticals at z=0. However, the bluest, (U-V)0<1.2, have much smaller Sersic parameters and would evolve into much fainter galaxies. These may be the progenitors of dwarf ellipticals. We demonstrate the need for both morphological and colour information to constrain the evolution of E/S0 galaxies.