Formation of elliptical galaxies at moderate redshifts

Stephen E. Zepf ()
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Stephen E. Zepf: University of California

Nature, 1997, vol. 390, issue 6658, 377-379

Abstract: Abstract Different cosmological models make specific predictions about the number of elliptical galaxies as a function of redshift1, so observations can in principle be used to discriminate between those models. Traditionally, elliptical galaxies have been thought to have formed in a single, rapid burst of star formation at high redshifts ( z > 5), and then evolved quietly—with no significant further star formation—since that time2,3. Yet evidence suggests that at least some ellipticals formed for the merger of two spiral galaxies4,5. It remains unclear which process dominates the formation of elliptical galaxies. Here I use the results of deep optical6 and near-infrared7,8,9,10 images to show that there are fewer galaxies with very red colours than predicted by models in which typical ellipticals have completed their star formation by z ≈ 5, which means that elliptical galaxies must have significant star formation at z

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/37065

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