The VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey: Evolution of the galaxy luminosity function up to z=2 in first epoch data
Abstract
We investigate the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function from the VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS) from the present to z=2 in five (U, B, V, R and I) rest-frame band-passes. We use the first epoch VVDS deep sample of 11,034 spectra selected at 17.5 <= I_{AB} <= 24.0, on which we apply the Algorithm for Luminosity Function (ALF), described in this paper. We observe a substantial evolution with redshift of the global luminosity functions in all bands. From z=0.05 to z=2, we measure a brightening of the characteristic magnitude M* included in the magnitude range 1.8-2.5, 1.7-2.4, 1.2-1.9, 1.1-1.8 and 1.0-1.6 in the U, B, V, R and I rest-frame bands, respectively. We confirm this differential evolution of the luminosity function with rest-frame wavelength, from the measurement of the comoving density of bright galaxies (M < M*(z=0.1)). This density increases by a factor of around 2.6, 2.2, 1.8, 1.5, 1.5 between z=0.05 and z=1 in the U, B, V, R, I bands, respectively. We also measure a possible steepening of the faint-end slope of the luminosity functions, with \Delta\alpha ~ -0.3 between z=0.05 and z=1, similar in all bands.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0409134,
title = {The VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey: Evolution of the galaxy luminosity function up to z=2 in first epoch data},
author = {O. Ilbert and L. Tresse and E. Zucca and S. Bardelli and S. Arnouts and G. Zamorani and L. Pozzetti and D. Bottini and B. Garilli and V. LeBrun and O. Le Fèvre and D. Maccagni and J. -P. Picat and R. Scaramella and M. Scodeggio and G. Vettolani and A. Zanichelli and C. Adami and M. Arnaboldi and M. Bolzonella and A. Cappi and S. Charlot and T. Contini and S. Foucaud and P. Franzetti and I. Gavignaud and L. Guzzo and A. Iovino and H. J. McCracken and B. Marano and C. Marinoni and G. Mathez and A. Mazure and B. Meneux and R. Merighi and S. Paltani and R. Pello and A. Pollo and M. Radovich and M. Bondi and A. Bongiorno and G. Busarello and P. Ciliegi and Y. Mellier and P. Merluzzi and V. Ripepi and D. Rizzo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0409134},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
17 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics