Galaxy evolution in the Northern HDF

Abstract

The history of star formation in the Northern Hubble Deep Field is probed using a combination of optical and near infrared images taken with WFPC2 and NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope. These images cover more than a factor of five in wavelength. This broad wavelength coverage allows accurate photometric determinations of redshift, extinction and intrinsic spectral energy distribution for each galaxy. From these parameters the star formation rate for each galaxy is determined by relating the 1500 angstrom flux to the net star formation rate. We then correct the rates at high redshift for the effects of surface brightness dimming by using a standard form of the star formation intensity distribution. Our measurements show that the star formation rate in the Northern HDF is roughly constant from a redshift of 1 through 6.