%0 Journal Article
%A Cristobal Hornillos, David
%A Balcells, Marc
%A Prieto, Mercedes
%A Guzmán, Rafael
%A Gallego Maestro, Jesús
%A Cardiel López, Nicolás
%A Serrano, Ángel
%A Pello, Roser
%T K-s number counts in the Groth and Coppi fields
%D 2003
%@ 0004-637X
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/52425
%X We have used William Herschel Telescope/INGRID K_(s) images on two high-latitude fields, the Coppi and Groth strips, to obtain galaxy number counts over  ~ 180 arcmin^(2), to a depth of K_(s)  ~ 21:0. Detection efficiency corrections as a function of object size have been calculated on each pointing. We have used a signalto-noise threshold in two complementary half-exposure images to remove spurious detections. Our data cover the range from K_(s) = 14.5 to K_(s) = 21.0, so they are useful for investigating a previously reported change in the number count slope (d log N/dm) at K ~ 17. We find a slope ϒ_(b)= 0:54- 0:63 for K < 17.5 and a slope ϒ_(f)= 0.25-0.29 for K > 17.5. A total contribution from galaxies to the extragalactic background light (EBL) in the K band of νI_(ν)=10.5 nW m^(-2) sr^(-1) has been calculated. This K-band EBL coming from galaxies accounts for only ~50% of the recent measurements of the diffuse EBL. Standard number count models fail to reproduce the observed slope change at K ~ 17.5 unless elliptical and spiral formation is pushed to z<̱̱̰2.
%~