Luminous early-type field galaxies at z∼0.4– I. Observations and redshift catalogue of 581 galaxies |
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| Authors: | JP Willis † PC Hewett SJ Warren |
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| Institution: | 1Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA;2Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ |
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| Abstract: | We have compiled a sample of ～ 9600 bright, i ≤18.95 , red, b J? r >2 , candidate galaxies in an area of 220 deg2. These are luminous, L > L * , field early-type galaxies with redshifts 0.3? z ?0.6 . We present a redshift catalogue of a subsample of 581 targets. The galaxies were selected according to their broad-band b J ri colours from United Kingdom Schmidt Telescope plates, and have a surface density on the sky of only ～ 50 deg?2. Such luminous field galaxies are virtually absent from published redshift surveys and the catalogue provides a large sample of the most luminous normal galaxies, at cosmological distances. The statistical properties of the galaxy spectra, including absorption-line and emission-line measures, are presented and a composite spectrum constructed. The nature of the sample, combined with the relatively bright apparent magnitudes, makes the galaxies suitable targets for several key investigations in galaxy evolution and cosmology. |
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| Keywords: | catalogues galaxies: distances and redshifts galaxies: general galaxies: photometry |
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