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C. Scarlata, M. Stiavelli (Space Telescope Science Institute), S. Lilly (Victoria), T. Treu (Caltech), G. Bertin (Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa), F. Bertola (Universita' di Padova), N. Panagia (Space Telescope Science Institute)
We have used the 12K camera at the CFHT to identify a sample of ~100 galaxies to the limit of B=25 or brighter at z ~2.4 over a total area of 1/3 square degree. The survey is carried out by using a custom medium-band filter to select Lyman \alpha emitting objects, plus a B and an I band image for continuum sutraction and to identify possible low redshift interlopers. We use our data to derive an estimate of the global star formation rate of the Universe at this redshift. The particular redshift we are focussing on is the highest that places all the important optical diagnostic lines such as [OII]3727, [OIII]5007, [NII]6583, and H\alpha into the J, H, and K atmospheric transmission windows. Therefore for the brightest galaxies of the sample it will be possible to measure the internal properties such as dust content, metallicity, and star formation rate by means of IR follow-up spectroscopy with the Gemini telescopes or the VLT.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: scarlata@stsci.edu