Spectroscopy of Lyman Break Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

We report on the initial results of a spectroscopic investigation of galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field which exhibit spectral discontinuities between the F450W and F300W passbands, indicative of the presence of the Lyman continuum break in the redshift range 2.4 3 galaxies we have previously identified in other fields, characterized by very compact cores (some with multiple components) with half-light radii of 0.2-0.3 arcseconds, often surrounded by more diffuse and asymmetric "halos." A few of the brighter HDF Lyman break galaxies, however, have particularly unusual morphologies.