|
Description
The Gemini Deep Deep Survey (GDDS) is an ultradeep (K<20.6mag, I<24.5mag) redshift survey targeting galaxies in the "redshift desert" between z=1 and z=2. The primary goal of the survey is to constrain the space density at high redshift of evolved high-mass galaxies. We obtained 309 spectra in four widely separated 30-arcmin^2^ fields using the Gemini North telescope and the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS). The spectra define a one-in-two sparse sample of the reddest and most luminous galaxies near the I-K versus I color-magnitude track mapped out by passively evolving galaxies in the redshift interval 0.8<z<1.8. This sample is augmented by a one-in-seven sparse sample of the remaining high-redshift galaxy population. The GMOS spectrograph was operating in a nod-and-shuffle mode, which enabled us to remove sky contamination with high precision, even for typical exposures times of 20-30hr per field. The resulting spectra are the deepest ever obtained. In this paper we present our sample of 309 spectra, along with redshifts, identifications of spectral features, and photometry. This makes the GDDS the largest and most complete infrared-selected survey probing the redshift desert. The seven-band (VRIz'JHK_s_) photometry is taken from the Las Campanas Infrared Survey (Cat. <VII/228>).
|
