Unbiased Differential Size Evolution and the Inside-Out Growth of
  Galaxies in the Deep CANDELS GOODS Fields at $1 \leq z \leq 7$
  We present a size analysis of a sample of $\sim$ 49,000 galaxies from the
CANDELS GOODS North and South fields using redshift-independent relative
surface brightness metrics to determine an unbiased measure of the differential
size evolution of galaxies at $1 \leq z \leq 7$. We introduce a novel method of
removing foreground objects from distant galaxy ($z > 3$) images that makes use
of the Lyman-break at 912{\AA}, in what we call `2-D Lyman-Break Imaging'. The
images used are in the rest-frame optical at $z < 3$ and progressively bluer
bands at $z > 3$. They are therefore subject to K-correction and cosmological
dimming effects which are tested and corrected for. We separately consider a
mass-selected sample (with masses in the range
10$^9$M$_{\odot}$$\leq$M$_*$$\leq$10$^{10.5}$M$_{\odot}$) and a number density
selected sample (using a constant number density of $n =
1\times10^{-4}$Mpc$^{-3}$). Instead of utilising the commonly used, but
potentially biased, effective radii for size measurements, we measure the
redshift-independent Petrosian radius, defined by the parameter $\eta$, for
each galaxy for three values of $\eta$ and use this as a proxy for size. The
evolution of the measured radii can be described by a power-law of the form
$R_{Petr} = \alpha(1+z)^\beta$kpc where $\beta < 0$. We find that the outer
radius increases more rapidly, suggesting that as a galaxy grows mass is added
to its outer regions via an inside-out growth. This growth is stronger for the
number density selected sample, with a growth rate of nearly three in the outer
radii compared to the inner. We test and confirm these results using a series
of image simulations.
