paper

A Catalog of Color-based Redshift Estimates for z <~ 4 Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

arXiv:astro-ph/9804195 · doi:10.1086/300592

Abstract

We derive simple empirical color-redshift relations for $z\la 4$ galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) using a linear function of three photometric colors (, , ). The dispersion between the estimated redshifts and the spectroscopically observed ones is small for relations derived in several separate color regimes; the dispersions range from to 0.1 for $z\la 2$ galaxies, and from to 0.25 for $z\ga 2 $ galaxies. We apply the color-redshift relations to the HDF photometric catalog and obtain estimated redshifts that are consistent with those derived from spectral template fitting methods. The advantage of these color-redshift relations is that they are simple and easy to use and do not depend on the assumption of any particular spectral templates; they provide model independent redshift estimates for $z\la 4$ galaxies using only multi-band photometry, and they apply to about 90% of all galaxies. We provide a color-based estimated redshift catalog of HDF galaxies to $z\la 4$. We use the estimated redshifts to investigate the redshift distribution of galaxies in the HDF; we find peaks in the redshift distribution that suggest large-scale clustering of galaxies to at least and that are consistent with those identified in spectroscopic probes of the HDF.

arXiv commentMinor changes. Final version to appear in November 1998 issue of The Astronomical Journal

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