Photometric Redshifts of Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

Abstract

We describe our application of broad-band photometric redshift techniques to faint galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field. To magnitudes AB(8140) < 26, the accuracy of the photometric redshifts is a few tenths and the reliability of the photometric redshifts approaches 100%. At fainter magnitudes the effects of photometric error on the photometric redshifts can be rigorously quantified and accounted for. We argue that broad-band photometric redshift techniques can be applied to accurately and reliably estimate redshifts of galaxies that are up to many magnitudes fainter than the spectroscopic limit.

21 pages, LaTex, 9 figures, to be published in The Hubble Deep Field, proceedings of the Space Telescope Science Institute 1997 May Symposium, ed. M. Livio, S. M. Fall, and P. Madau