Deep Imaging of the Field of the Z = 4.9 Quasar PC 1247+3406, and Faint Galaxy Counts in the K Band with the Keck Telescope
Abstract
We present deep images in the K_S_ band of the field of the quasar PC 1247+3406 at z = 4.897, obtained using the near-infrared camera on the W. M. Keck telescope. A number of faint sources have been detected, some of which appear to be quite red. Their nature and redshifts remain uncertain at this time. These data are combined with deep Keck infrared images of five additional fields and present galaxy counts reaching down to K_S_ = 22 mag, comparable to the deepest K-band surveys to date. The data presented here are in good agreement with the Hawaii Deep Survey and represent the first independent verification of those results. The slope of the log N-log S relation derived from these data agrees well with the Hawaii Deep Survey, while the counts are slightly higher, especially at the faintest levels probed here. This may be due to a presence of groups or clusters around the target objects at high redshifts.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1086/187148
- Bibcode:
- 1994ApJ...420L...1S
- Keywords:
-
- Faint Objects;
- Galactic Evolution;
- Galaxies;
- Infrared Astronomy;
- Quasars;
- Red Shift;
- Astronomical Photography;
- Cosmology;
- Infrared Photography;
- Sky Surveys (Astronomy);
- Astronomy;
- COSMOLOGY: OBSERVATIONS;
- GALAXIES: GENERAL;
- GALAXIES: QUASARS: INDIVIDUAL ALPHANUMERIC: PC 1247;
- 3406