ST ScI Preprint #1367

Properties of High Redshift Galaxies

I review the characteristics of high redshift galaxies, with particular attention to the effects of dust obscuration on the observed light. Galaxies at redshift z~1 and at z2 are discussed separately, as the accessible information for each redshift range are different. In the z1-2 redshift region, data on the H and mid/far-IR luminosity of the galaxies are becoming increasingly available, effectively complementing the restframe UV data; they offer a better handle on the amount of dust obscuration present in the galaxies, although some ambiguity remains as to the distribution of the dust withing the system and the opacit correction factor this implies. At higher redshifts, most of the available data cover the far-UV region only, representing a challenge for a careful assessment of the effects of dust in galaxies. Finally, I discuss the implications of the dust corrections to the star information rate density of the Universe as a function of redshift.