Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?

Aims. Lyα emitters (LAEs) can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of reionization. The evolution of the LAE luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Lyα transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and therefore of the IGM neutral-hydrogen fraction. Measuring...

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Autores: Clément, B., Cuby, J. G., Courbin, F., Fontana, A., Freudling, W., Fynbo, J., Gallego Maestro, Jesús, Hibon, P., Kneib, J. P., Le Fèvre, O., Lidman, C., McMahon, R., Milvang-Jensen, B., Moller, P., Moorwood, A., Nilsson, K. K., Pentericci, L., Venemans, B., Villar, V., Willis, J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/44772
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44772
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:52
Lyman-break galaxies
Origins deep survey
Goods-south field
J-band search
Redshift 6
Cosmic variance
1st galaxies
Emitters
Emission
Z-similar-to-9
Astrofísica
Astronomía (Física)
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spelling Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?Clément, B.Cuby, J. G.Courbin, F.Fontana, A.Freudling, W.Fynbo, J.Gallego Maestro, JesúsHibon, P.Kneib, J. P.Le Fèvre, O.Lidman, C.McMahon, R.Milvang-Jensen, B.Moller, P.Moorwood, A.Nilsson, K. K.Pentericci, L.Venemans, B.Villar, V.Willis, J.52Lyman-break galaxiesOrigins deep surveyGoods-south fieldJ-band searchRedshift 6Cosmic variance1st galaxiesEmittersEmissionZ-similar-to-9AstrofísicaAstronomía (Física)Aims. Lyα emitters (LAEs) can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of reionization. The evolution of the LAE luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Lyα transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and therefore of the IGM neutral-hydrogen fraction. Measuring the Lyα luminosity function (LF) of Lyα emitters at redshift z = 7.7 therefore allows us to constrain the ionizing state of the Universe at this redshift. Methods. We observed three 7. 5 × 7. 5 fields with the HAWK-I instrument at the VLT with a narrow band filter centred at 1.06 μm and targeting Lyα emitters at redshift z ∼ 7.7. The fields were chosen for the availability of multiwavelength data. One field is a galaxy cluster, the Bullet Cluster, which allowed us to use gravitational amplification to probe luminosities that are fainter than in the field. The two other fields are subareas of the GOODS Chandra Deep Field South and CFHTLS-D4 deep field. We selected z = 7.7 LAE candidates from a variety of colour criteria, in particular from the absence of detection in the optical bands. Results. We do not find any LAE candidates at z = 7.7 in ∼2.4 × 104 Mpc3 down to a narrow band AB magnitude of ∼26, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the Lyα LAE luminosity function at this redshift. Conclusions. The predicted mean number of objects at z = 6.5, derived from somewhat different luminosity functions of Hu et al. (2010, ApJ, 725, 394), Ouchi et al. (2010, ApJ, 723, 869), and Kashikawa et al. (2011, ApJ, 734, 119) are 2.5, 13.7, and 11.6, respectively. Depending on which of these luminosity functions we refer to, we exclude a scenario with no evolution from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7 at 85% confidence without requiring a strong change in the IGM Lyα transmission, or at 99% confidence with a significant quenching of the IGM Lyα transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the high neutral-hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts.EDP ScienciesUniversidad Complutense de Madrid20122012-02-0120122012-02-01journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44772reponame:Docta Complutenseinstname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/447722026-06-02T12:44:21Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
title Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
spellingShingle Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
Clément, B.
52
Lyman-break galaxies
Origins deep survey
Goods-south field
J-band search
Redshift 6
Cosmic variance
1st galaxies
Emitters
Emission
Z-similar-to-9
Astrofísica
Astronomía (Física)
title_short Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
title_full Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
title_fullStr Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
title_full_unstemmed Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
title_sort Evolution of the observed Lyα luminosity function from z=6.5 to z=7.7: evidence for the epoch of reionization?
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Clément, B.
Cuby, J. G.
Courbin, F.
Fontana, A.
Freudling, W.
Fynbo, J.
Gallego Maestro, Jesús
Hibon, P.
Kneib, J. P.
Le Fèvre, O.
Lidman, C.
McMahon, R.
Milvang-Jensen, B.
Moller, P.
Moorwood, A.
Nilsson, K. K.
Pentericci, L.
Venemans, B.
Villar, V.
Willis, J.
author Clément, B.
author_facet Clément, B.
Cuby, J. G.
Courbin, F.
Fontana, A.
Freudling, W.
Fynbo, J.
Gallego Maestro, Jesús
Hibon, P.
Kneib, J. P.
Le Fèvre, O.
Lidman, C.
McMahon, R.
Milvang-Jensen, B.
Moller, P.
Moorwood, A.
Nilsson, K. K.
Pentericci, L.
Venemans, B.
Villar, V.
Willis, J.
author_role author
author2 Cuby, J. G.
Courbin, F.
Fontana, A.
Freudling, W.
Fynbo, J.
Gallego Maestro, Jesús
Hibon, P.
Kneib, J. P.
Le Fèvre, O.
Lidman, C.
McMahon, R.
Milvang-Jensen, B.
Moller, P.
Moorwood, A.
Nilsson, K. K.
Pentericci, L.
Venemans, B.
Villar, V.
Willis, J.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidad Complutense de Madrid
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 52
Lyman-break galaxies
Origins deep survey
Goods-south field
J-band search
Redshift 6
Cosmic variance
1st galaxies
Emitters
Emission
Z-similar-to-9
Astrofísica
Astronomía (Física)
topic 52
Lyman-break galaxies
Origins deep survey
Goods-south field
J-band search
Redshift 6
Cosmic variance
1st galaxies
Emitters
Emission
Z-similar-to-9
Astrofísica
Astronomía (Física)
description Aims. Lyα emitters (LAEs) can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of reionization. The evolution of the LAE luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Lyα transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and therefore of the IGM neutral-hydrogen fraction. Measuring the Lyα luminosity function (LF) of Lyα emitters at redshift z = 7.7 therefore allows us to constrain the ionizing state of the Universe at this redshift. Methods. We observed three 7. 5 × 7. 5 fields with the HAWK-I instrument at the VLT with a narrow band filter centred at 1.06 μm and targeting Lyα emitters at redshift z ∼ 7.7. The fields were chosen for the availability of multiwavelength data. One field is a galaxy cluster, the Bullet Cluster, which allowed us to use gravitational amplification to probe luminosities that are fainter than in the field. The two other fields are subareas of the GOODS Chandra Deep Field South and CFHTLS-D4 deep field. We selected z = 7.7 LAE candidates from a variety of colour criteria, in particular from the absence of detection in the optical bands. Results. We do not find any LAE candidates at z = 7.7 in ∼2.4 × 104 Mpc3 down to a narrow band AB magnitude of ∼26, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the Lyα LAE luminosity function at this redshift. Conclusions. The predicted mean number of objects at z = 6.5, derived from somewhat different luminosity functions of Hu et al. (2010, ApJ, 725, 394), Ouchi et al. (2010, ApJ, 723, 869), and Kashikawa et al. (2011, ApJ, 734, 119) are 2.5, 13.7, and 11.6, respectively. Depending on which of these luminosity functions we refer to, we exclude a scenario with no evolution from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7 at 85% confidence without requiring a strong change in the IGM Lyα transmission, or at 99% confidence with a significant quenching of the IGM Lyα transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the high neutral-hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012
2012-02-01
2012
2012-02-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44772
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44772
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv EDP Sciencies
publisher.none.fl_str_mv EDP Sciencies
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Docta Complutense
instname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
instname_str Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
reponame_str Docta Complutense
collection Docta Complutense
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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