Studies of Faint Radio Galaxies

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A systematic analysis of a unique set of high quality deep survey data that has been collected during the last five years will be carried out. Deep surveys were carried out in several Selected Areas at high galactic latitude with the Very Large Array (VLA) and Westerbork radio telescopes. The surveys were followed up through charge-coupled device (CCD) photometry and imaging with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), Palomar and the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT). The optical data reduction and a thorough analysis of these data will be completed. The following items are the project goals: 1) Establish the nature of faint radio galaxies unambiguously from their morphology on the deep CCD images, the multicolor photometry and the available spectroscopy. 2) A systematic study of the very faint, low surface brightness radio galaxies that constitute the high redshift tail of the radio source population. Radio galaxy redshifts have been measured in the range of z greater than 1 and less than 3. Some of these are good candidate for (elliptical) galaxies in the process of formation. Since these objects are very weak radio sources, they offer a unique opportunity to study the formation of nearly normal galaxies, of their low level active nuclei, and possible mutual relationship in these nearly normal galaxies. 3) A systematic comparison of the optical-infrared data with detailed models for the spectral evolution of galaxies. This will provide important constraints to possible evolutionary models for galaxies, the range in their formation epoch, and the value of the Hubble constant (Ho). These models will incorporate the roll of dust, galactic winds, and red GB, AGB, and Carbon stars.