Deep Realistic Extragalactic Model (DREaM) Galaxy Catalogs: Predictions for a Roman Ultra-deep Field

Abstract

Abstract In the next decade, deep galaxy surveys from telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Roman Space Telescope will provide transformational data sets that will greatly enhance the understanding of galaxy formation during the epoch of reionization (EoR). In this work, we present the Deep Realistic Extragalactic Model (DREaM) for creating synthetic galaxy catalogs. Our model combines dark matter simulations, subhalo abundance matching and empirical models, and includes galaxy positions, morphologies, and spectral energy distributions. The resulting synthetic catalog extends to redshifts z ∼ 12, and galaxy masses log 10 ( M / M ⊙ ) = 5 covering an area of 1 deg2 on the sky. We use DREaM to explore the science returns of a 1 deg2 Roman ultra-deep field (UDF), and to provide a resource for optimizing ultra-deep survey designs. We find that a Roman UDF to ∼30 m AB will potentially detect more than 106 M UV < − 17 galaxies, with more than 104 at redshifts z > 7, offering an unparalleled data set for constraining galaxy properties during the EoR. Our synthetic catalogs and simulated images are made publicly available to provide the community with a tool to prepare for upcoming data.