Early-Type Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field: The [FORMULA][F][angl0]μ[INF]e[/INF][angr0]-r[INF]e[/INF][/F][/FORMULA] Relation and the Lack of Large Galaxies at High Redshift

We present the results of the detailed surface photometry of a sample ofearly-type galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field. Effective radii, surfacebrightnesses and total V_606 magnitudes have been obtained, as well as U_300,B_450, I_814, J, H and K colors, which are compared with the predictions ofchemical-spectrophotometric models of population synthesis. Spectroscopicredshifts are available for 23 objects. For other 25 photometric redshifts aregiven. In the -r_e plane the early-type galaxies of the HDF, once theappropriate K+E corrections are applied, turn out to follow the `rest frame'Kormendy relation. This evidence, linked to the dynamical information gatheredby Steidel et al.(1996), indicates that these galaxies, even at z~2-3, lie inthe Fundamental Plane, in a virial equilibrium condition. At the same redshiftsa statistically significant lack of large galaxies [i.e. with Log r_e(kpc) >0.2] is observed.Comment: 30 pages, LaTeX with aasms4.sty macros, 9 embedded postscript figures + 1 postscript Table. To appear in the Astronomical Journa