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We present the first results from the Faint Infra-Red Extragalactic Survey (FIRES) of the Hubble Deep Field South. Using a combination of deep near infrared data obtained with ISAAC at the VLT with the WFPC2 HST data, we construct a K-band selected sample of 136 galaxies with K(AB) =2. While this is higher than the fraction predicted in Omega_M=1 hierarchical models of galaxy formation we find that published predictions using pure luminosity evolution models produce too many bright galaxies at redshifts greater than unity. Finally, we use our broad wavelength coverage to measure the rest-frame UBV luminosities Lrest for z =1.4e10 h^{-2}Lsun at z~1.5-2, however, at z>2 we find very luminous galaxies with Lrest_V>=5e10 h^{-2}Lsun (for Omega_M=0.3,Lambda=0.7, H_o=100 h km s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}). Local B-band luminosity functions predict 0.1 galaxies in the redshift range 2 = 5e10 h^{-2}Lsun,B but we find 9. The discrepancy can be explained if L*_B increases by a factor of 2.4-3.2 with respect to locally determined values (abridged).

We quantify the mean asymmetry of 54 face-on, early type disk galaxies (S0 to Sab) using the amplitude of the m=1 azimuthal Fourier component of the R-band surface brightness. We find that the median lopsidedness, (A_1/A_0)_{mean}, of our sample is 0.11 and that the most lopsided 20% of our galaxies have (A_1/A_0)_{mean} >= 0.19. Asymmetries in early type disks appear to be of similar frequency and strength as in late type disk galaxies (Zaritsky and Rix 1997.) We have observed our early type disks in a bandpass (R-Band) in which the light is dominated by stars with ages greater than 10^9 yrs, and therefore are seeing azimuthal asymmetries in the stellar mass distribution. The similar degree of lopsidedness seen in disks of very different star formation rates indicates that the lopsidedness in all galactic disks is primarily due to azimuthal mass asymmetries. Hence, 20% of all disk galaxies (regardless of Hubble Type) have azimuthal asymmetries, (A_1/A_0)_{mean} >= 0.19, in their stellar disk mass distribution, confirming lopsidedness as a dynamical phenomenon., Latex, 23 pages, 3 figures; Diameters quoted in tables are replaced by correct values