A large population of ‘Lyman-break’ galaxies in a protocluster at redshift z ≈ 4.1

George K. Miley (), Roderik A. Overzier, Zlatan I. Tsvetanov, Rychard J. Bouwens, Narciso Benítez, John P. Blakeslee, Holland C. Ford, Garth D. Illingworth, Marc Postman, Piero Rosati, Mark Clampin, George F. Hartig, Andrew W. Zirm, Huub J. A. Röttgering, Bram P. Venemans, David R. Ardila, Frank Bartko, Tom J. Broadhurst, Robert A. Brown, Chris J. Burrows, E. S. Cheng, Nicholas J. G. Cross, Carlos De Breuck, Paul D. Feldman, Marijn Franx, David A. Golimowski, Caryl Gronwall, Leopoldo Infante, André R. Martel, Felipe Menanteau, Gerhardt R. Meurer, Marco Sirianni, Randy A. Kimble, John E. Krist, William B. Sparks, Hien D. Tran, Richard L. White and Wei Zheng
Additional contact information
George K. Miley: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
Roderik A. Overzier: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
Zlatan I. Tsvetanov: Johns Hopkins University
Rychard J. Bouwens: University of California
Narciso Benítez: Johns Hopkins University
John P. Blakeslee: Johns Hopkins University
Holland C. Ford: Johns Hopkins University
Garth D. Illingworth: University of California
Marc Postman: Space Telescope Science Institute
Piero Rosati: European Southern Observatory
Mark Clampin: Space Telescope Science Institute
George F. Hartig: Space Telescope Science Institute
Andrew W. Zirm: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
Huub J. A. Röttgering: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
Bram P. Venemans: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
David R. Ardila: Johns Hopkins University
Frank Bartko: Bartko Science & Technology
Tom J. Broadhurst: Hebrew University
Robert A. Brown: Johns Hopkins University
Chris J. Burrows: Johns Hopkins University
E. S. Cheng: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Centre
Nicholas J. G. Cross: Johns Hopkins University
Carlos De Breuck: European Southern Observatory
Paul D. Feldman: Johns Hopkins University
Marijn Franx: Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
David A. Golimowski: Johns Hopkins University
Caryl Gronwall: Johns Hopkins University
Leopoldo Infante: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
André R. Martel: Johns Hopkins University
Felipe Menanteau: Johns Hopkins University
Gerhardt R. Meurer: Johns Hopkins University
Marco Sirianni: Johns Hopkins University
Randy A. Kimble: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Centre
John E. Krist: Bartko Science & Technology
William B. Sparks: Space Telescope Science Institute
Hien D. Tran: Johns Hopkins University
Richard L. White: Space Telescope Science Institute
Wei Zheng: Johns Hopkins University

Nature, 2004, vol. 427, issue 6969, 47-50

Abstract: Abstract The most massive galaxies and the richest clusters are believed to have emerged from regions with the largest enhancements of mass density1,2,3,4 relative to the surrounding space. Distant radio galaxies may pinpoint the locations of the ancestors of rich clusters, because they are massive systems associated with ‘overdensities’ of galaxies that are bright in the Lyman-α line of hydrogen5,6,7. A powerful technique for detecting high-redshift galaxies is to search for the characteristic ‘Lyman break’ feature in the galaxy colour, at wavelengths just shortwards of Lyα, which is due to absorption of radiation from the galaxy by the intervening intergalactic medium. Here we report multicolour imaging of the most distant candidate7,8,9 protocluster, TN J1338–1942 at a redshift z ≈ 4.1. We find a large number of objects with the characteristic colours of galaxies at that redshift, and we show that this excess is concentrated around the targeted dominant radio galaxy. Our data therefore indicate that TN J1338–1942 is indeed the most distant cluster progenitor of a rich local cluster, and that galaxy clusters began forming when the Universe was only ten per cent of its present age.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02125

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