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C.C. Steidel (California Institute of Technology)
We summarize our recent results from near-IR (rest-frame optical) properties of UV-selected galaxies at z ~3. Most of our results apply to the bright end of the far-UV luminosity function at high redshift. From near-IR spectroscopy performed on the Keck and VLT telescopes, we have investigated the kinematics, chemical abundances, and extinction inferred from the rest-frame optical nebular lines, and compare this to what is inferred from the rest-frame far-UV observations. We have used a near-IR imaging survey of UV-selected Lyman break galaxies to construct the rest-frame optical luminosity function of z ~3 galaxies, and to examine their star formation histories, stellar masses, and degree of extinction by dust. We discuss a possible evolutionary scenario for rapidly star forming galaxies at high redshifts suggested by the results. ~ ~
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: ccs@astro.caltech.edu