The Evolutionary History of Lyman Break Galaxies Between Redshift 4 and 6: Observing Successive Generations of Massive Galaxies in Formation

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We present new measurements of the evolution in the Lyman break galaxy (LBG) population between z~4 and z~6.

• By utilizing the extensive multiwavelength datasets available in the GOODS fields, we identify 2443 B, 506 V, and 137 i'-band dropout galaxies likely to be at z~4, 5, and 6.
• With the goal of understanding the duration of typical star formation episodes in galaxies at z>4, we examine the distribution of stellar masses and ages as a function of cosmic time.
• We find that at a fixed rest-UV luminosity, the average stellar masses and ages of galaxies do not increase significantly between z~6 and 4.