Modelling the observed luminosity function and clustering evolution of Ly α emitters: growing evidence for late reionization

dc.creatorWeinberger, Lewis H
dc.creatorHaehnelt, Martin G
dc.creatorKulkarni, Girish
dc.date2019-02-22T18:01:37Z
dc.date2019-02-22T18:01:37Z
dc.date2019-05-01
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-03T03:49:44Z
dc.descriptionWe model the high-redshift (z > 5) Ly α-emitting galaxy (LAE) population using the empirical rest-frame equivalent width distribution. We calibrate to the observed luminosity function and angular correlation function at z = 5.7 as measured by the SILVERRUSH survey. This allows us to populate the high-dynamic-range Sherwood simulation suite with LAEs, and to calculate the transmission of their Ly α emission through the intergalactic medium (IGM). We use this simulated population to explore the effect of the IGM on high-redshift observations of LAEs, and make predictions for the narrow-band filter redshifts at z = 6.6, 7.0, and 7.3. Comparing our model with existing observations, we find a late reionization is suggested, consistent with the recent low optical depth derived from the cosmic microwave background by the Planck collaboration and the opacity fluctuations in the Ly α forest. We also explore the role of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and the large volume of gas that is infalling on to the host halo versus the IGM in attenuating the Ly α signal, finding that a significant fraction of the attenuation is due to the CGM and infalling gas, which increases towards the end of reionization, albeit with a large scatter across the mock LAE population.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifier0035-8711
dc.identifierhttps://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/289873
dc.identifier10.17863/CAM.37112
dc.identifier1365-2966
dc.identifier.urihttps://repo.dare.co.zw/handle/123456789/181315
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherOxford University Press (OUP)
dc.publisherhttps://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz481
dc.rightsAll rights reserved
dc.rightshttp://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
dc.subject5101 Astronomical Sciences
dc.subject51 Physical Sciences
dc.titleModelling the observed luminosity function and clustering evolution of Ly α emitters: growing evidence for late reionization
dc.typeArticle

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