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Pieter van Dokkum

Publications and source records attributed to Pieter van Dokkum.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

Confirmation of Enhanced Dwarf-sensitive Absorption Features in the Spectra of Massive Elliptical Galaxies: Further Evidence for a Non-universal Initial Mass Function

We recently found that massive cluster elliptical galaxies have strong Na I 8183,8195 and FeH 9916 Wing-Ford band absorption, indicating the presence of a very large population of stars with masses <~ 0.3 M_sun. Here we test this result by comparing the elliptical galaxy spectra to those of luminous globular clusters associated with M31. These globular clusters have similar metallicities, abundance ratios and ages as massive elliptical galaxies but their low dynamical mass-to-light ratios rule out steep stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). From high quality Keck spectra we find that the dwarf-sensitive absorption lines in globular clusters are significantly weaker than in elliptical galaxies, and consistent with normal IMFs. The differences in the Na I and Wing-Ford indices are 0.027 +- 0.007 mag and 0.017 +- 0.006 mag respectively. We directly compare the two classes of objects by subtracting the averaged globular cluster spectrum from the averaged elliptical galaxy spectrum. The difference spectrum is well fit by the difference between a stellar population synthesis model with a bottom-heavy IMF and one with a bottom-light IMF. We speculate that the slope of the IMF may vary with velocity dispersion, although it is not yet clear what physical mechanism would be responsible for such a relation.

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The faint stellar halos of massive red galaxies from stacks of more than 42000 SDSS LRG images

We study the properties of massive galaxies at an average redshift of z~0.34 through stacking more than 42000 images of Luminous Red Galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This is the largest dataset ever used for such an analysis and it allows us to explore the outskirts of massive red galaxies at unprecedented physical scales. Our image stacks extend farther than 400 kpc, where the r-band profile surface brightness reaches 30 mag arcsec-2. This analysis confirms that the stellar bodies of luminous red galaxies follow a simple Sersic profile out to 100 kpc. At larger radii the profiles deviate from the best-fit Sersic models and exhibit extra light in the g, r, i and z-band stacks. This excess light can probably be attributed to unresolved intragroup or intracluster light or a change in the light profile itself. We further show that standard analyses of SDSS-depth images typically miss 20% of the total stellar light and underestimate the size of LRGs by 10% compared to our best fit r-band Sersic model of n=5.5 and r_e=13.1 kpc. If the excess light at r>100 kpc is considered to be part of the galaxy, the best fit r-band Sersic parameters are n=5.8 and r_e=13.6 kpc. In addition we study the radially dependent stack ellipticity and find an increase with radius from e=0.25 at r=10 kpc to e=0.3 at r=100 kpc. This provides support that the stellar light that we trace out to at least 100 kpc is physically associated with the galaxies themselves and may confirm that the halos of individual LRGs have higher ellipticities than their central parts. Lastly we show that the broadband color gradients of the stacked images are flat beyond roughly 40 kpc, suggesting that the stellar populations do not vary significantly with radius in the outer parts of massive ellipticals.

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The Spectral Energy Distribution of Post-Starburst Galaxies in the NEWFIRM Medium-Band Survey: A Low Contribution from TP-AGB Stars

Stellar population synthesis (SPS) models are a key ingredient of many galaxy evolution studies. Unfortunately, the models are still poorly calibrated for certain stellar evolution stages. Of particular concern is the treatment of the thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase, as different implementations lead to systematic differences in derived galaxy properties. Post-starburst galaxies are a promising calibration sample, as TP-AGB stars are thought to be most prominently visible during this phase. Here, we use post-starburst galaxies in the NEWFIRM medium-band survey to assess different SPS models. The available photometry allows the selection of a homogeneous and well-defined sample of 62 post-starburst galaxies at 0.7<z<2.0, from which we construct a well-sampled composite spectral energy distribution (SED) over the range 1200-40 000 Angstrom. The SED is well-fit by the Bruzual & Charlot SPS models, while the Maraston models do not reproduce the rest-frame optical and near-infrared parts of the SED simultaneously. When the fitting is restricted to lambda < 6000 Angstrom, the Maraston models overpredict the near-infrared luminosity, implying that these models give too much weight to TP-AGB stars. Using the flexible SPS models by Conroy et al, and assuming solar metallicity, we find that the contribution of TP-AGB stars to the integrated SED is a factor of ~3 lower than predicted by the latest Padova TP-AGB models. Whether this is due to lower bolometric luminosities, shorter lifetimes, and/or heavy dust obscuration of TP-AGB stars remains to be addressed. Altogether, our data demand a low contribution from TP-AGB stars to the SED of post-starburst galaxies.

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Well-Sampled Far-Infrared Spectral Energy Distributions of z ~ 2 Galaxies: Evidence for Scaled up Cool Galaxies

We present an analysis of the far-infrared (FIR) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of two massive K-selected galaxies at z = 2.122 and z = 2.024 detected at 24um, 70um, 160um by Spitzer, 250um, 350um, 500um by BLAST, and 870um by APEX. The large wavelength range of these observations and the availability of spectroscopic redshifts allow us to unambiguously identify the peak of the redshifted thermal emission from dust at ~ 300um. The SEDs of both galaxies are reasonably well fit by synthetic templates of local galaxies with L_IR ~ 10^{11} L_{sun} -- 10^{12} L_{sun} yet both galaxies have L_{IR} ~ 10^{13} L_{sun}. This suggests that these galaxies are not high redshift analogues of the Hyper-LIRGs/ULIRGs used in local templates, but are instead "scaled up" versions of local ULIRGs/LIRGs. For both galaxies the star formation rate determined from the best-fit FIR SEDs (SFR(L_{IR})) agrees with the SFR determined from the dust corrected H-alpha luminosity (SFR(H-alpha)) to within a factor of ~ 2; however, when the SFR of these galaxies is estimated using only the observed 24um flux and the standard luminosity-dependent template method (SFR(24um)), it systematically overestimates the SFR by as much as a factor of 6. A larger sample of 24 K-selected galaxies at z ~ 2.3 drawn from the Kriek et al. (2008) GNIRS sample shows the same trend between SFR(24um) and SFR(H-alpha). Using that sample we show that SFR(24um) and SFR(H-alpha) are in better agreement when SFR(24um) is estimated using the log average of local templates rather than selecting a single luminosity-dependent template, because this incorporates lower luminosity templates. The better agreement between SFRs from lower luminosity templates suggests that the FIR SEDs of the BLAST-detected galaxies may be typical for massive galaxies at z ~ 2, and that the majority are scaled up versions of lower luminosity local galaxies.

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z~7 galaxy candidates from NICMOS observations over the HDF South and the CDF-S and HDF-N GOODS fields

We use ~88 arcmin**2 of deep (>~26.5 mag at 5 sigma) NICMOS data over the two GOODS fields and the HDF South to conduct a search for bright z>~7 galaxy candidates. This search takes advantage of an efficient preselection over 58 arcmin**2 of NICMOS H-band data where only plausible z>~7 candidates are followed up with NICMOS J-band observations. ~248 arcmin**2 of deep ground-based near-infrared data (>~25.5 mag, 5 sigma) is also considered in the search. In total, we report 15 z-dropout candidates over this area -- 7 of which are new to these search fields. Two possible z~9 J-dropout candidates are also found, but seem unlikely to correspond to z~9 galaxies. The present z~9 search is used to set upper limits on the prevalence of such sources. Rigorous testing is undertaken to establish the level of contamination of our selections by photometric scatter, low mass stars, supernovae (SNe), and spurious sources. The estimated contamination rate of our z~7 selection is ~24%. Through careful simulations, the effective volume available to our z>~7 selections is estimated and used to establish constraints on the volume density of luminous (L*(z=3), or -21 mag) galaxies from these searches. We find that the volume density of luminous star-forming galaxies at z~7 is 13_{-5}^{+8}x lower than at z~4 and >25x lower (1 sigma) at z~9 than at z~4. This is the most stringent constraint yet available on the volume density of >~L* galaxies at z~9. The present wide-area, multi-field search limits cosmic variance to <20%. The evolution we find at the bright end of the UV LF is similar to that found from recent Subaru Suprime-Cam, HAWK-I or ERS WFC3/IR searches. The present paper also includes a complete summary of our final z~7 z-dropout sample (18 candidates) identified from all NICMOS observations to date (over the two GOODS fields, the HUDF, galaxy clusters).

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A Substantial Population of Low Mass Stars in Luminous Elliptical Galaxies

The stellar initial mass function (IMF) describes the mass distribution of stars at the time of their formation and is of fundamental importance for many areas of astrophysics. The IMF is reasonably well constrained in the disk of the Milky Way but we have very little direct information on the form of the IMF in other galaxies and at earlier cosmic epochs. Here we investigate the stellar mass function in elliptical galaxies by measuring the strength of the Na I doublet and the Wing-Ford molecular FeH band in their spectra. These lines are strong in stars with masses <0.3 Msun and weak or absent in all other types of stars. We unambiguously detect both signatures, consistent with previous studies that were based on data of lower signal-to-noise ratio. The direct detection of the light of low mass stars implies that they are very abundant in elliptical galaxies, making up >80% of the total number of stars and contributing >60% of the total stellar mass. We infer that the IMF in massive star-forming galaxies in the early Universe produced many more low mass stars than the IMF in the Milky Way disk, and was probably slightly steeper than the Salpeter form in the mass range 0.1 - 1 Msun.

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The evolving relations between size, mass, surface density, and star formation in 3x10^4 galaxies since z=2

The presence of massive, compact, quiescent galaxies at z>2 presents a major challenge for theoretical models of galaxy formation and evolution. Using one of the deepest large public near-IR surveys to date, we investigate in detail the correlations between star formation and galaxy structural parameters (size, stellar mass, and surface density) from z=2 to the present. At all redshifts, massive quiescent galaxies (i.e. those with little or no star formation) occupy the extreme high end of the surface density distribution and follow a tight mass-size correlation, while star-forming galaxies show a broad range of both densities and sizes. Conversely, galaxies with the highest surface densities comprise a nearly-homogeneous population with little or no ongoing star formation, while less dense galaxies exhibit high star-formation rates and varying levels of dust obscuration. Both the sizes and surface densities of quiescent galaxies evolve strongly from z=2-0; we parameterize this evolution for both populations with simple power law functions and present best-fit parameters for comparison to future theoretical models. Higher-mass quiescent galaxies undergo faster structural evolution, consistent with previous results. Interestingly, star-forming galaxies' sizes and densities evolve at rates similar to those of quiescent galaxies. It is therefore possible that the same physical processes drive the structural evolution of both populations, suggesting that "dry mergers" may not be the sole culprit in this size evolution.

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How Massive are Massive Compact Galaxies?

Using a sample of nine massive compact galaxies at z ~ 2.3 with rest-frame optical spectroscopy and comprehensive U through 8um photometry we investigate how assumptions in SED modeling change the stellar mass estimates of these galaxies, and how this affects our interpretation of their size evolution. The SEDs are fit to Tau-models with a range of metallicities, dust laws, as well as different stellar population synthesis codes. These models indicate masses equal to, or slightly smaller than our default masses. The maximum difference is 0.16 dex for each parameter considered, and only 0.18 dex for the most extreme combination of parameters. Two-component populations with a maximally old stellar population superposed with a young component provide reasonable fits to these SEDs using the models of Bruzual & Charlot (2003); however, using models with updated treatment of TP-AGB stars the fits are poorer. The two-component models predict masses that are 0.08 to 0.22 dex larger than the Tau-models. We also test the effect of a bottom-light IMF and find that it would reduce the masses of these galaxies by 0.3 dex. Considering the range of allowable masses from the Tau-models, two-component fits, and IMF, we conclude that on average these galaxies lie below the mass-size relation of galaxies in the local universe by a factor of 3-9, depending on the SED models used.

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Understanding the Astrophysics of Galaxy Evolution: the role of spectroscopic surveys in the next decade

Over the last decade optical spectroscopic surveys have characterized the low redshift galaxy population and uncovered populations of star-forming galaxies back to z ~ 7. This work has shown that the primary epoch of galaxy building and black hole growth occurs at redshifts of 2 to 3. The establishment of the concordance LCDM cosmology shifted the focus of galaxy population studies from constraining cosmological parameters to characterizing the processes which regulate the formation and evolution of galaxies.In the next decade, high redshift observers will attempt to formulate a coherent evolutionary picture connecting galaxies in the high redshift Universe to galaxies today. In order to link galaxy populations at different redshifts, we must not only characterize their evolution in a systematic way, we must establish which physical processes are responsible for it. Considerable progress has already been made in understanding how galaxies evolved from z ~ 1 to the present day. Large spectroscopic surveys in the near infrared are required to push these studies back towards the main epoch of galaxy building. Only then will we understand the full story of the formation of L* galaxies like our own Milky Way. A large near-IR spectroscopic survey will also provide the calibration needed to avoid systematics in the large photometric programs proposed to study the nature of dark matter and dark energy. We provide an outline design for a multi-object 0.4 to 1.8 micron spectrograph, which could be placed on an existing telescope, and which would allow a full characterization of the galaxy population out to z ~ 2. We strongly recommend a serious further study to design a real instrument, which will be required for galaxy formation studies to advance to the next frontier.

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A submillimetre galaxy at z=4.76 in the LABOCA survey of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South

We report on the identification of the highest redshift submm-selected source currently known: LESSJ033229.4-275619. This source was detected in the Large Apex BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS) Submillimetre Survey (LESS), a sensitive 870-um survey (~1.2-mJy rms) of the full 30'x30' ECDFS with the LABOCA camera on the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) telescope. The submm emission is identified with a radio counterpart for which optical spectroscopy provides a redshift of z=4.76. We show that the bolometric emission is dominated by a starburst with a star formation rate of ~1000 Msun/yr, although we also identify a moderate luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) in this galaxy. Thus it has characteristics similar to those of z~2 submm galaxies (SMGs), with a mix of starburst and obscured AGN signatures. This demonstrates that ultraluminous starburst activity is not just restricted to the hosts of the most luminous (and hence rare) QSOs at z~5, but was also occurring in less extreme galaxies at a time when the Universe was less than 10% of its current age. Assuming that we are seeing the major phase of star formation in this galaxy, then we demonstrate that it would be identified as a luminous distant red galaxy at z~3 and that the current estimate of the space density of z>4 SMGs is only sufficient to produce ~10% of the luminous red galaxy population at these early times. However, this leaves open the possibility that some of these galaxies formed through less intense, but more extended star formation events. If the progenitors of all of the luminous red galaxies at z~3 go through an ultraluminous starburst at z>4 then the required volume density of z>4 SMGs will exceed that predicted by current galaxy formation models by more than an order of magnitude.

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Detection of quiescent galaxies in a bicolor sequence from z=0-2

We investigate the properties of quiescent and star-forming galaxy populations to z~2 with purely photometric data, employing a novel rest-frame color selection technique. From the UKIDSS Ultra-Deep Survey Data Release 1, with matched optical and mid-IR photometry taken from the Subaru XMM Deep Survey and Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic Survey respectively, we construct a K-selected galaxy catalog and calculate photometric redshifts. Excluding stars, objects with uncertain z_phot solutions, those that fall in bad or incomplete survey regions, and those for which reliable rest-frame colors could not be derived, 30108 galaxies with K<22.4 (AB) and z<2.5 remain. The galaxies in this sample are found to occupy two distinct populations in the rest-frame U-V vs. V-J color space: a clump of red, quiescent galaxies (analogous to the red sequence) and a track of star-forming galaxies extending from blue to red U-V colors. This bimodal behavior is seen up to z~2. Due to a combination of measurement errors and passive evolution, the color-color diagram is not suitable to distinguish the galaxy bimodality at z>2 for this sample, but we show that MIPS 24um data suggest that a significant population of quiescent galaxies exists even at these higher redshifts. At z=1-2, the most luminous objects in the sample are divided roughly equally between star-forming and quiescent galaxies, while at lower redshifts most of the brightest galaxies are quiescent. Moreover, quiescent galaxies at these redshifts are clustered more strongly than those actively forming stars, indicating that galaxies with early-quenched star formation may occupy more massive host dark matter halos. This suggests that the end of star formation is associated with, and perhaps brought about by, a mechanism related to halo mass.

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A Confirmation of the Strong Clustering of Distant Red Galaxies at 2 < z <3

Recent studies have shown that distant red galaxies (DRGs), which dominate the high-mass end of the galaxy population at z~2.5, are more strongly clustered than the population of blue star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. However these studies have been severely hampered by the small sizes of fields having deep near-infrared imaging. Here we use the large UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey to study the clustering of DRGs. The size and depth of this survey allows for an unprecedented measurement of the angular clustering of DRGs at 2<z_phot<3 and K<21. The correlation function shows the expected power law behavior, but with an apparent upturn at theta<~10". We deproject the angular clustering to infer the spatial correlation length, finding 10.6+-1.6 h^-1 Mpc. We use the halo occupation distribution framework to demonstrate that the observed strong clustering of DRGs is not consistent with standard models of galaxy clustering, confirming previous suggestions that were based on smaller samples. Inaccurate photometric redshifts could artificially enhance the observed clustering, however significant systematic redshift errors would be required to bring the measurements into agreement with the models. Another possibility is that the underlying assumption that galaxies interact with their large-scale environment only through halo mass is not valid, and that other factors drive the evolution of the oldest, most massive galaxies at z~2.

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Mid-infrared Properties and Color Selection for X-ray Detected AGN in the MUSYC ECDF-S field

We present the mid-infrared colors of X-ray-detected AGN and explore mid-infrared selection criteria. Using a statistical matching technique, the likelihood ratio, over 900 IRAC counterparts were identified with a new MUSYC X-ray source catalog that includes ~1000 published X-ray sources in the Chandra Deep Field-South and Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. Most X-ray-selected AGN have IRAC spectral shapes consistent with power-law slopes, f_{nu} ~ nu^{alpha}, and display a wide range of colors, -2 < alpha < 2. Although X-ray sources typically fit to redder (more negative alpha) power-laws than non-X-ray detected galaxies, more than 50% do have flat or blue (galaxy-like) spectral shapes in the observed 3-8 micron band. Only a quarter of the X-ray selected AGN detected at 24 micron are well fit by featureless red power laws in the observed 3.6-24 micron, likely the subset of our sample whose infrared spectra are dominated by emission from the central AGN region. Most IRAC color-selection criteria fail to identify the majority of X-ray-selected AGN, finding only the more luminous AGN, the majority of which have broad emission lines. In deep surveys, these color-selection criteria select 10-20% of the entire galaxy population and miss many moderate luminosity AGN.

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Confirmation of the remarkable compactness of massive quiescent galaxies at z~2.3: early-type galaxies did not form in a simple monolithic collapse

Using deep near-infrared spectroscopy Kriek et al. (2006) found that ~45% of massive galaxies at z~2.3 have evolved stellar populations and little or no ongoing star formation. Here we determine the sizes of these quiescent galaxies using deep, high-resolution images obtained with HST/NIC2 and laser guide star-assisted Keck/AO. Considering that their median stellar mass is 1.7x10^11 Solar masses the galaxies are remarkably small, with a median effective radius of 0.9 kpc. Galaxies of similar mass in the nearby Universe have sizes of ~5 kpc and average stellar densities which are two orders of magnitude lower than the z~2.3 galaxies. These results extend earlier work at z~1.5 and confirm previous studies at z>2 which lacked spectroscopic redshifts and imaging of sufficient resolution to resolve the galaxies. Our findings demonstrate that fully assembled early-type galaxies make up at most ~10% of the population of K-selected quiescent galaxies at z~2.3, effectively ruling out simple monolithic models for their formation. The galaxies must evolve significantly after z~2.3, through dry mergers or other processes, consistent with predictions from hierarchical models.

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Assessing the Predictive Power of Galaxy Formation Models with the Rest-Frame Optical Luminosity Functions at 2.0<z<3.3

We compare recently measured rest-frame V-band luminosity functions (LFs) of galaxies at redshifts 2.0<z<3.3 to predictions of semianalytic models by De Lucia & Blaizot and Bower et al. and hydrodynamic simulations by Dave et al. The models succeed for some luminosity and redshift ranges and fail for others. A notable success is that the Bower et al. model provides a good match to the observed LF at z~3. However, all models predict an increase with time of the rest-frame V-band luminosity density, whereas the observations show a decrease. The models also have difficulty matching the observed rest-frame colors of galaxies. In all models the luminosity density of red galaxies increases sharply from z~3 to z~2.2, whereas it is approximately constant in the observations. Conversely, in the models the luminosity density of blue galaxies is approximately constant, whereas it decreases in the observations. These discrepancies cannot be entirely remedied by changing the treatment of dust and suggest that current models do not yet provide an adequate description of galaxy formation and evolution since z~3.

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Assessing the Predictive Power of Galaxy Formation Models: A Comparison of Predicted and Observed Rest-Frame Optical Luminosity Functions at 2.0<z<3.3

Recent galaxy formation models successfully reproduce the local luminosity function (LF) of galaxies by invoking mechanisms to suppress star formation in low- and high-mass galaxies. As these models are optimized to fit the LF at low redshift, a crucial question is how well they predict the LF at earlier times. Here we compare recently measured rest-frame V-band LFs of galaxies at redshifts 2.0<z<3.3 to predictions of semianalytic models by De Lucia & Blaizot and Bower et al. and hydrodynamic simulations by Dave et al.. The models succeed for some luminosity and redshift ranges and fail for others. A notable success is that the Bower et al. model provides a good match to the observed LF at z~3. However, all models predict an increase with time of the rest-frame V-band luminosity density, whereas the observations show a decrease. The models also have difficulty matching the observed rest-frame colors of galaxies. In all models the luminosity density of red galaxies increases sharply from z~3 to z~2.2, whereas it is approximately constant in the observations. Conversely, in the models the luminosity density of blue galaxies is approximately constant, whereas it decreases in the observations. These discrepancies cannot be entirely remedied by changing the treatment of dust and suggest that current models do not yet provide a complete description of galaxy formation and evolution since z~3.

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Clustering of Intermediate Luminosity X-ray selected AGN at z~3

We present the first clustering results of X-ray selected AGN at z~3. Using Chandra X-ray imaging and UVR optical colors from MUSYC photometry in the ECDF-S field, we selected a sample of 58 z~3 AGN candidates. From the optical data we also selected 1385 LBG at 2.8<z< 3.8 with R<25.5. We performed auto-correlation and cross-correlation analyses, and here we present results for the clustering amplitudes and dark matter halo masses of each sample. For the LBG we find a correlation length of r_0,LBG = 6.7 +/- 0.5 Mpc, implying a bias value of 3.5 +/- 0.3 and dark matter (DM) halo masses of log(Mmin/Msun) = 11.8 +/- 0.1. The AGN-LBG cross-correlation yields r_0,AGN-LBG = 8.7 +/- 1.9 Mpc, implying for AGN at 2.8<z<3.8 a bias value of 5.5 +/- 2.0 and DM halo masses of log(Mmin/Msun) = 12.6 +0.5/-0.8. Evolution of dark matter halos in the Lambda CDM cosmology implies that today these z~3 AGN are found in high mass galaxies with a typical luminosity of 7+4/-2 L*.

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Evidence of Cosmic Evolution of the Stellar Initial Mass Function

Theoretical arguments and indirect observational evidence suggest that the stellar initial mass function (IMF) may evolve with time, such that it is more weighted toward high mass stars at higher redshift. Here we test this idea by comparing the rate of luminosity evolution of massive early-type galaxies in clusters at 0.02 4), and the cosmic star formation history may have a fairly well-defined peak at z~1.5. The M/L_V ratios of galaxies are less affected than their star formation rates, and future data on the stellar mass density at z>3 will provide further constraints on IMF evolution. The formal errors likely underestimate the uncertainties, and confirmation of thes results requires a larger sample of clusters and the inclusion of redder rest-frame colors in the analysis.

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