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K-band Extragalactic Background Light from Deep Galaxy Counts in the Subaru Deep Field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2016

T. Totani
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Y. Yoshii
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
F. Iwamuro
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
T. Maihara
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
K. Motohara
Affiliation:
Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory, 650 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
H. Terada
Affiliation:
Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory, 650 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
M. Gotou
Affiliation:
Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory, 650 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
J. Iwai
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
H. Tanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
T. Taguchi
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
T. Hata
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
S. Oya
Affiliation:
Communications Research Laboratory, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8975, Japan

Abstract

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We report estimates for the extragalactic background light (EBL) in the K band (2.2 μm), obtained by the integration of galaxy counts down to K=25 mag in the Subaru Deep Field (SDF, 2′ x 2′). We have obtained deep galaxy count data by using the 8.2m Subaru telescope, with a total integration time of 10 hours and an average seeing of about 0.4 arcsec. The 5-sigma limiting magnitude is K=23.5, and 350 objects are detected brighter than this magnitude. There has been a significant discrepancy between previous K-count observations, probably because of the systematic uncertainties in the completeness correction. To overcome this problem, we have paid special attention to selection effects and completeness corrections, with realistic theoretical galaxy models taken into account consistently. The faint-end slope is significantly flatter than some earlier observations of K counts, and our results suggest that the bulk of the extragalactic light in this band has been resolved as discrete sources. We estimate the value of the EBL flux obtained from the integration of our counts as 9.8 ± 1.0 nWm−2 sr−1.

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Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2001