GMOS SV program 67

Status: Completed
Data link
Assessment
Title: High-redshift galaxies in the field of the z=4 QSO PMN2314+0201
Modes: Imaging
Additional instrument verification: Data reduction pipeline for imaging data. Flat fielding for deep imaging data.
Telescope verification: Acquisition and guiding with GMOS for tested mode.
Proposed observing sequence: Imaging: Dithered 5min exposures in order to cover the gaps between the CCDs and clean the combined images for bad pixels and cosmic-ray-events.
OT program file: GN-2001B-SV-67.xml
Science background:

The aim of this program is to obtain deep imaging to search for high-redshift galaxies, either associated with the z=4 QSO PMN2314+0201 or in the field. This quasar is radio-loud, which, based on evidence from lower redshifts, may indicate that it lies in a richer cluster environment than radio-quiet counterparts. Deep i and g band imaging has already been obtained during GMOS commissioning (10 sigma limits of about g=27.2, i=26.1 - fainter than L* at z=4) and several very red objects have been identified in the field - essentially g-band dropouts. The deep r band imaging proposed here will allow us to determine whether these objects are likely to be at z about 4 or lower redshift, red galaxies. Low redshift, red galaxies will be red in both g-r and r-i whereas young, high-redshift galaxies will be red in g-r (because of Ly-alpha and Lyman limit absorption) but relatively blue in r-i.

This program will test (a) ability to do deep r-band imaging which has not yet done as part of commissioning (b) ability to colour-select objects from GMOS images (expected to be a common use of GMOS images).

Target(s):
Object RA (J2000) Dec (J2000) z
PMN2314+0201 23:14:48.7 02:01:51 4.109
Observing condition constraints: image quality: 50%-ile
sky transparency (clouds): 50%-ile, 70%-ile
sky transparency (water vapour): Any
sky background: 50%-ile
max air mass: 1.5
Instrument configuration: Imaging: r', CCD binned 2x2
Observing time requirements: Imaging: 24 x 5 min
SV team member(s) responsible for assessment: Isobel Hook

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Last update August 15, 2002; Inger Jørgensen