Photometric properties of the most massive high-redshift galaxies

We calculate the observable properties of the most massive high-redshift galaxies in the hierarchical formation scenario where stellar spheroid and supermassive black hole growth are fueled by gas-rich mergers. Combining high resolution hydrodynamical simulations of the hierarchical formation of a z similar to 6 quasar, stellar population synthesis models, template active galactic nucleus (AGN) spectra, prescriptions for interstellar and intergalactic absorption, and the response of modern telescopes, the photometric evolution of galaxies destined to host z similar to 6 quasars is modeled at redshifts z similar to 4-14. These massive galaxies, with enormous stellar masses of M-* similar to 10(11.5)-10(12) M-circle dot and star formation rates of SFR similar to 10(3)-10(4) M-circle dot yr(-1) at z >= 7, satisfy a variety of photometric selection criteria based on Lyman break techniques, including V-band dropouts at z >= 5, i-band dropouts at z >= 6, and z-band dropouts at z >= 7. The observability of the most massive high-redshift galaxies is assessed and compared with a wide range of existing and proposed photometric surveys, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey ( SDSS), Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS)/Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), National Optical Astronomy Observatory Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS), UKIRT Infared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) Shallow Survey, Ultradeep Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy ( VISTA), Dark Universe Explorer ( DUNE), Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), and Supernova/ Acceleration Probe (SNAP). Massive stellar spheroids descended from z similar to 6 quasars will likely be detected at z similar to 4 by existing surveys, but owing to their low number densities the discovery of quasar progenitor galaxies at z > 7 will likely require future surveys of large portions of the sky (>= 0.5%) at wavelengths lambda >= 1 mu m. The detection of rare, starbursting, massive galaxies at redshifts z >= 6 would provide support for the hierarchical formation of the earliest quasars and characterize the primitive star formation histories of the most luminous elliptical galaxies.