Morphological Number Counts and Redshift Distributions to [FORMULA][F]I<26[/F][/FORMULA] from the Hubble Deep Field: Implications for the Evolution of Ellipticals, Spirals, and Irregulars
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Abstract
We combine the photometric redshift data of Fernandez-Soto et al. (1997) with the morphological data of Odewahn et al. (1996) for all galaxies with I 24. (2) Spiral galaxies are present in numbers consistent with zero- evolution predictions to I = 22. Beyond this magnitude some net- positive evolution is required. Although the number-counts are consistent with the passive-evolution predictions to I=26.0 the redshift distributions favor number AND luminosity evolution. (3) There is no obvious explanation for the late-type/irregular class and this category requires further subdivision. While a small fraction of the population lies at low redshift (i.e. true irregulars), the majority lie at redshifts, 1 1.5 mergers are frequent and, taken in conjunction with the absence of normal spirals at z > 2, the logical inference is that they represent the progenitors of normal spirals forming via hierarchical merging.
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