The capability of WFC3 of detecting galaxies at high redshifts

This ISR documents the capability of WFC3 to detect high redshift galaxies using the Lyman break technique. We show that the broad wavelength coverage of the camera and its filter set allow efficient color selection of star-forming galaxy candidates over the redshift range 1<z<10. In multi-band imaging programs of ~100,000 seconds of total time, the instrument reaches the sensitivity required to identify galaxies with star formation rates ranging from ~0.5 Msun/yr at z~1 to ~20 Msun/yr at z~10. Thus, WFC3 will allow observations of nascent galaxies fainter than the rest-frame ultraviolet M* (M*=-21.2 at z=3, corresponding to ~20 Msun/yr) over cosmic times that span a full order of magnitude in redshift and cover the epochs where galaxy formation is predicted to take place.