SUB-GALACTIC CLUMPS AT A REDSHIFT OF 2.39 AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GALAXYFORMATION

A large number of very faint, compact objects have been found at a red shift of 2.39 in optical images of the distant Universe. The objects a ppear to be star-forming spheroids smaller than the bulge of a spiral galaxy; they are much smaller and fainter than typical galaxies seen t oday. These objects may be part of a reservoir from which many of toda y's luminous galaxies were formed through repeated mergers.