ISOCAM DEEP SURVEY PROGRAM openParCOSMOLOGYclosePar PART 1

scientific abstract: we propose to perform deep integrations on a selection of empty fields. at high galactic latitudes, using the most sensitive isocam filters. the two target fields (a southern field at ra03:13 dec55:25 and the lockman hole at ra10:49 dec+57:37) are characterized by the lowest possible cirrus emission and avoid bright sources: they have been selected on the basis of existing deep surveys in the optical, nearir, radio and xray bands. one of the major scientific aims of this program is to investigate the evolution of the infrared properties of galaxies with redshift. the evolutionary properties of starburst galaxies emitting most of their energy in the infrared is one important question raised after iras survey, which iso can resolve. galaxies at high redshift might be detectable in the isocam bands because of the strong and positive k correction on the stellar emission of these galaxies in the infrared. we also expect to detect statistically significant numbers of active galactic nuclei (agns) at high redshifts (z >1), so that their cosmological evolution can be tested. primeval galaxies at moderate redshifts may also be found. complementary observations of the same field with isophot will be performed to study the bulk of the dust emission in these galaxies. the analysis of the deflection distribution p(d) below the confusion limit will permit the extension of source counts to significantly fainter fluxes and enable one to study the structure of the diffuse background on scales intermediate between those of cobe and of groundbased k band surveys. spectral information, including spatial correlations between images of a field in different wavebands, will be of great importance in achieving these goals. in addition, this program offers the possibility of finding brown dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. isocam simulated performances appear perfectly suited to the deep integrations we pr truncat [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]