Color distribution of galaxies in the CFHTLS-Deep fields

Abstract

We present the results obtained on the color distribution of galaxies in the CFHTLS-Deep Field Survey Data Release 03. Photometric redshifts have been computed using a standard SED fitting approach, with a new version of the public code HyperZ (New-HyperZ). Large samples of galaxies with well determined photometric redshifts in the 0<z<1.3 interval have been selected in the four CFHTLS Deep fields, within the completeness limit in absolute luminosity in u and r bands. We study the restframe color distribution of galaxies as a function of redshift, luminosity and local density. Our results are consistent with a bimodal color distribution, where red galaxies dominate the highest luminosities out to z~0.6. An important population of blue and bright galaxies appears beyond this redshift, increasing with redshift. Out to z~1.3, a strong evolution is observed, at a given redshift, in the color distribution of galaxies as a function of luminosity, together with a mild evolution with the local density at fixed luminosity.