This book provides a comprehensive account of the scientific results on high-redshift galaxies accumulated during the past ten years. Apart from summarizing and critically discussing the wealth of observational data, the observational methods which made it possible to study these very distant and extremely faint objects are described in detail. Moreover, the technical feasibilities and physical limitations for existing and for future ground-based and space-based telescopes are discussed. Thus, apart from summarizing the knowledge accumulated so far, the book is designed as a tool for planning future observational and instrumental programs and projects.

In view of the potential importance of the observational results of the high-redshift universe for basic physics the book is written for astronomers as well as for physicists without prior astronomical knowledge. For this purpose it contains introductory chapters describing the basic concepts and notations used in modern astronomy and a brief overview of the present knowledge of the local universe. The individual chapters provide detailed information, summaries and references on all important aspects and problems pertaining to the subject. The objective of the book is therefore to provide a thorough introduction to the topic for interested researchers. Students interested in extragalactic astronomy will find important information not (yet) available in standard academic texts. The book will also be a valuable companion text for special lectures on the high-redshift universe and cosmic evolution. And it will be an important tool for research students starting a thesis in the field of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology.

Auteur
Prof. Immo Appenzeller is the emeritus director of the Heidelberg Observatory (Landessternwarte Heidelberg). From 1994 - 1997 he served as General Secretary of the International Astronomical Union. He was PI or CO of various large national and international instrumentation and research projects. His current main research topics are very distant (young) galaxies, active galaxies and QSOs, massive luminous stars, cosmic X-ray sources, astronomical instrumentation.

Résumé
The high-redshift galaxies became a distinct research ?eld during the ?nal decade of the20thcentury. AtthattimetheLyman-breaktechniquemadeitpossibletoidentify signi?cant samples of such objects, and the new generation of 8 to 10-m telescopes resulted in ?rst good spectroscopic data. Today the high-redshift galaxies have developed into one of the important topics of astrophysics, accounting for about 510% of the publications in the major scienti?c journals devoted to astronomy. Because high-redshift galaxies is a rapidly developing ?eld and since new results are published constantly, writing a book on this topic is challenging. On the other hand, in view of the large amount of individual results now in the literature, and in view of the still growing interest in this topic, it appears worthwhile to summarize and evaluate the available data and to provide an introduction for those who wish to enter this ?eld, or who, for various reasons, might be interested in its results. The end of the ?rst decade of the 21st century appears to be a good point in time to attempt such a summary. The current generation of ground-based 8 to 10-m - optical telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the most important large radio telescopes have by now been in operation since about one or two decades. Although these instruments will continue to produce important scienti?c results for some time to come, many of the initial programs exploiting their unique new possibilities have been completed.

Contenu
I The Context.- The Nearby Universe.- The Past and the Future.- II Methods and Tools.- Basic Techniques and their Limitations.- Finding Very Distant Galaxies.- Deriving Physical Parameters.- III Observational Results and their Interpretation.- Observed Properties of High-redshift Galaxies.- The Space Distribution of High-redshift Galaxies.- Interactions with the Intergalactic Medium.- Implications.- IV An Outlook to the Future.- Ongoing Work.- Future Facilities and their Opportunities.