Evolution of the Observed Ly-alpha Luminosity Function from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7: Evidence for the Epoch of Re-ionisation?

B. Clément; J. -G. Cuby; F. Courbin; A. Fontana; W. Freudling; J. Fynbo; J. Gallego; P. Hibon; J. -P. Kneib; O. Le Fèvre; C. Lidman; R. McMahon; B. Milvang-Jensen; P. Moller; K. K. Nilsson; L. Pentericci; B. Venemans; V. Villar; J. Willis

Evolution of the Observed Ly-alpha Luminosity Function from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7: Evidence for the Epoch of Re-ionisation?

B. Clément, J. -G. Cuby, F. Courbin, A. Fontana, W. Freudling, J. Fynbo, J. Gallego, P. Hibon, J. -P. Kneib, O. Le Fèvre, C. Lidman, R. McMahon, B. Milvang-Jensen, P. Moller, K. K. Nilsson, L. Pentericci, B. Venemans, V. Villar, J. Willis

Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

Probing the first billion years of the Universe is one of the last frontiers in cosmology. Ly-alpha emitters (LAEs) are galaxies that can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of re-ionisation. The evolution of their luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Ly-alpha transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), related to the amount of neutral hydrogen. We report on the results of a search for LAEs at z = 7.7 using HAWK-I at the VLT with a narrowband filter centred at 1.06 μm. We did not find any LAE candidates, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the LAE luminosity function at z = 7.7. Depending on which luminosity functions at z = 6.5 are referred to, our results may reflect a significant quenching of the IGM Ly-alpha transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the neutral hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	31-34
Number of pages	4
Journal	The Messenger
Volume	146
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2011

Access to Document

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011Msngr.146...31C

Cite this

Clément, B., Cuby, J. .-G., Courbin, F., Fontana, A., Freudling, W., Fynbo, J., Gallego, J., Hibon, P., Kneib, J. .-P., Le Fèvre, O., Lidman, C., McMahon, R., Milvang-Jensen, B., Moller, P., Nilsson, K. K., Pentericci, L., Venemans, B., Villar, V., & Willis, J. (2011). Evolution of the Observed Ly-alpha Luminosity Function from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7: Evidence for the Epoch of Re-ionisation? The Messenger, 146, 31-34. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011Msngr.146...31C

@article{f2b1dd30d6e249009587614bfdf08190,

title = "Evolution of the Observed Ly-alpha Luminosity Function from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7: Evidence for the Epoch of Re-ionisation?",

abstract = "Probing the first billion years of the Universe is one of the last frontiers in cosmology. Ly-alpha emitters (LAEs) are galaxies that can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of re-ionisation. The evolution of their luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Ly-alpha transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), related to the amount of neutral hydrogen. We report on the results of a search for LAEs at z = 7.7 using HAWK-I at the VLT with a narrowband filter centred at 1.06 μm. We did not find any LAE candidates, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the LAE luminosity function at z = 7.7. Depending on which luminosity functions at z = 6.5 are referred to, our results may reflect a significant quenching of the IGM Ly-alpha transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the neutral hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts.",

author = "B. Cl{\'e}ment and Cuby, {J. -G.} and F. Courbin and A. Fontana and W. Freudling and J. Fynbo and J. Gallego and P. Hibon and Kneib, {J. -P.} and {Le F{\`e}vre}, O. and C. Lidman and R. McMahon and B. Milvang-Jensen and P. Moller and Nilsson, {K. K.} and L. Pentericci and B. Venemans and V. Villar and J. Willis",

year = "2011",

month = dec,

day = "1",

language = "English",

volume = "146",

pages = "31--34",

journal = "The Messenger",