This thesis presents spectroscopic observations of z ≥ 7 galaxy candidates in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which were selected with HST WFC3 imaging, using the Lyman-Break technique. Four z-band (z ≈ 7) dropout galaxies were targeted with Gemini/GNIRS, one z-band dropout galaxy and three Y -band (z ≈ 8 − 9) dropout galaxies with VLT/XSHOOTER, and 22 z-band dropouts with VLT/FORS2, where 15 of the latter are strong candidates. No evidence of Lyman-α emission is found, and the upper limits on the Lyman-α flux and the broad-band magnitudes are used to constrain the rest-frame equivalent widths for this line emission. Amongst the targeted objects, observations were made of HUDF.YD3, a relatively bright Y -band dropout galaxy likely to be at z ≈ 8 − 9 on the basis of its colours in the HST ACS and WFC3 images. Lehnert et al. (2010) observed this galaxy using the VLT/SINFONI integral field spectrograph and claim that it exhibits Lyman-α emission at z = 8.55. In observations of this object described in this thesis, which were made with VLT/XSHOOTER and Subaru/MOIRCS, this line was not reproduced despite the expected signal in the combined MOIRCS & XSHOOTER data being 5σ. Hence it appears unlikely that the reported Lyman-α line emission at z > 8 is real. Accounting for incomplete spectral coverage, in total (across all spectro- graphs) 9.63 z-band dropouts and 1.15 Y -band dropouts are surveyed to a Lyman-α rest-frame Equivalent Width better than 75 ̊A. A model where the fraction of high rest-frame equivalent width emitters follows the trend seen at z = 3−6.5 is inconsistent with these non-detections at z = 7−9 at a confidence level of ∼ 91%, which may indicate that a significant neutral HI fraction (χHI) in the intergalactic medium suppresses the Lyman-α line at z > 7. In particular, the lack of detection of Lyman-α emission in this spectroscopy is compared with results at lower redshift by Stark et al. (2010), who derive a mapping between Lyman-α fractions and χHI based on radiative transfer simulations by McQuinn et al. (2007). These results suggest a lower limit of χHI ~ 0.5.

Depuis le milieu des années 1990, la taille des échantillons de galaxies situées à très grande distance (“redshift”) de nous, au tout début de la vie de l'univers a augmenté grace à la sensibilité croissante des télescopes optiques / infrarouge proche. Cependant, les propriétés des poussières continues dans ces galaxies sont mal connues en raison de l'absence d'observations profondes en infrarouge lointain et en sous-mm. Cette thèse explore les propriétés multi-longueur d'onde d'une population de galaxies observées ~ 2Gyr après le Big Bang. Notre échantillon comprend 22000 galaxies, et il a été sélectionné à partir de la discontinuité de Lyman. Nous utilisons une technique statistique, appelée analyse d'empilement, qui combine le signal provenant d'un grand nombre de sources individuellement non détectées dans le but d’ameliorer les limites de détection par rapport aux observations actuelles, à ces longueurs d'onde. Elle nous permet d'obtenir une distribution spectrale d’énergie complete de l’ultraviolet lointain à l’infrarouge lointain, et d'étudier la formation des étoiles et l'atténuation par la poussière sur ces galaxies. / Since the mid-1990s, the sample of galaxies in the early universe has been growing thanks to the increasing sensitivities in the Optical/NIR telescopes. However, their dust properties are poorly known due to the lack of deep far-infrared or sub-mm observations. This thesis explores the multi-wavelength properties of a population of galaxies observed ~2Gyr after the Big Bang. Our sample includes 22000 galaxies, and it has been selected by the classical U-dropout or Lyman Break technique. We use a statistical technique, called stacking analysis, that combines the signal from a large number of sources to lower the detection limits on the current long wavelengths observations. It allows us to obtain data over the full FUV-to-FIR spectral domain, and study the star formation and dust attenuation of these galaxies.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / I combine 610 MHz Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) data, 1.4 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) data and 1.4 GHz Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) observations, encompassing a ∼ 4 square degree field (sq. deg. field) centred on the verification strip of the Spitzer First Look Survey (FLS) field (RA = 17h18m00s, Dec = 59◦30′30′′), to study radio sources down to fluxes of about 0.1 mJy. The results of an analysis of a sample of 107 multi-component radio sources obtained by cross-correlating the VLA and GMRT catalogues are shown. The spectral index analysis shows that the majority of multi-component sources are steep-spectrum sources. Nevertheless the spread in the spectral distribution is wide, with a significant number of ultrasteep,flat or inverted sources. By cross-correlating 107 multi-component radio sources with the optical catalogues of Marleau et al. (2007) and Papovich et al. (2006), 23 objects were identified and spectroscopically classified as galaxies. Some of them are classified as star-forming or star-burst galaxies, perhaps indicating that AGN and starformation activity are ongoing in the same galaxy. The measured redshifts span the range 0 < z < 1.8 and peak at z ∼ 0.2. According to their radio power (P), 6 of the identified objects are in the range of FR II sources (P1.4GHz > 1024.5W/Hz) while 17 are in the range of FR I sources (P1.4GHz < 1024.5W/Hz). Most of the sources having P1.4GHz < 1024.5W/Hz are compact and few are extended and peculiar, while all sources in the range of P1.4GHz > 1024.5W/Hz are extended. Further optical followup is recommended to allow a more complete census of the sub-mJy population and more information on AGN feedback from such sources.

Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe. Their masses are dominated by dark matter ($\sim$85\% of the mass) with stars representing 1-4\% of their masses. A hot, X-ray emitting gas called the intracluster medium makes most of their baryonic mass. The presence of this gas and of numerous neighbouring galaxies prematurely stop the star formation in clusters. In other terms, more galaxies in clusters are passive than in the general population of galaxies. This effect is mass and position-dependant: high-mass galaxies are more likely to be passive than less massive ones; galaxies inhabiting the cluster core are also less likely to form stars than those in the outskirts. The fraction of passive galaxies is greater in local clusters than in high-redshift ones, because they had more time to evolve. Much is unknown about the cessation of star formation, called quenching, in clusters. Thus, although many examples of infalling galaxies being stripped of their gas have been reported for low-mass galaxies, it is unclear if the most massive members became quenched before or after they become cluster members. The relationship between quenching and the cluster mass is also poorly understood. Despite the variety of methods devised to find clusters of galaxies, most of what we know about quenching in $z\gtrsim 1$ clusters was discovered with optically/infrared-selected cluster samples (clusters found as overdensities of galaxies), or samples of mixed origin. Yet, there is tentative evidence that optically/infrared-selected samples are biased toward having more passive galaxies than those that were X-ray selected. In the present dissertation, quenching is explored in X-ray selected cluster samples. A sample of high-redshift, low-mass galaxy clusters is built by finding galaxy overdensities coincident with sources of extended X-ray emission. A photometry-based analysis reveals that the fraction of quenched galaxies in these clusters is very variable. Moreover, the brightest cluster galaxies are also diverse. Yet, for all the information that photometry can provide, this sample candidate clusters need to be confirmed with spectroscopy. Spectroscopic observations obtained for four candidate clusters are reduced and analysed. The results show that three of them are clusters, the fourth candidate being a superposition of structures. Member spectra are examined to infer their star formation history, and the results shows the existence of an intermediary population of galaxies, where an old stellar population coexists with weak star formation. Finally, the galaxies of a $z=1.98$ X-ray selected cluster, XLSSC 122 are investigated in detail. Photometric data in 12 bands are organized to perform spectral energy distribution fittings, a technique that allows a simplified reconstitution of the history of the star formation. Results show that the members were formed at diverse epochs, the oldest being about 2.5 Gyrs old. Simulations drawn from the Multi Dark Planck 2 are used to infer the mass-scale of the cluster when the oldest galaxies were formed, something that has never been done before. The oldest galaxies were probably formed when XLSSC 122 had accreted $<$10\% of its $z=1.98$ mass, i.e. the mass-scale of a galaxy group. / Graduate