z~4-7 Lyman break galaxies in Hubble deep fields

We measure the angular correlation functions of these LBGs at z~4, 5, 6, and 7 and fit these measurements using halo occupation distribution (HOD) models that provide an estimate of halo masses, M_h_~(1-20)x10^11^M_{sun}_. Our Mh estimates agree with those obtained by previous clustering studies in a UV-magnitude versus Mh plane and allow us to calculate stellar-to-halo mass ratios (SHMRs) of LBGs.

By comparison with the z~0 SHMR, we identify evolution of the SHMR from z~0 to z~4 and from z~4 to z~7 at the >98% confidence levels. The SHMR decreases by a factor of ~2 from z~0 to 4 and increases by a factor of ~4 from z~4 to 7 at the dark matter halo mass of M_h_~10^11^M_{sun}. We compare our SHMRs with results of a hydrodynamic simulation and a semianalytic model and find that these theoretical studies do not predict the SHMR increase from z~4 to 7.