Takatoshi Shibuya

COMPLETING THE CENSUS OF Lyα EMITTERS AT THE REIONIZATION EPOCH

We carried out extended spectroscopic confirmations of Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 6.5 and 5.7 in the Subaru Deep Field. Now, the total number of spectroscopically confirmed LAEs is 45 and 54 at z = 6.5 and 5.7, respectively, and at least 81% (70%) of our photometric candidates at z = 6.5 (5.7) have been spectroscopically identified as real LAEs. We made careful measurements of the Lyα luminosity, both photometrically and spectroscopically, to accurately determine the Lyα and rest-UV luminosity functions (LFs). The substantially improved evaluation of the Lyα LF at z = 6.5 shows an apparent deficit from z = 5.7 at least at the bright end, and a possible decline even at the faint end, though small uncertainties remain. The rest-UV LFs at z = 6.5 and 5.7 are in good agreement, at least at the bright end, in clear contrast to the differences seen in the Lyα LF. These results imply an increase in the neutral fraction of the intergalactic medium from z = 5.7 to 6.5. The rest-frame equivalent width (EW0) distribution at z = 6.5 seems to be systematically smaller than z = 5.7, and it shows an extended tail toward larger EW0. The bright end of the rest-UV LF can be reproduced from the observed Lyα LF and a reasonable EW0-UV luminosity relation. Integrating this rest-UV LF provides the first measurement of the contribution of LAEs to the photon budget required for reionization. The derived UV LF suggests that the fractional contribution of LAEs to the photon budget among Lyman break galaxies significantly increases toward faint magnitudes. Low-luminosity LAEs could dominate the ionizing photon budget, though this inference depends strongly on the uncertain faint-end slope of the Lyα LF.

THE FIRST SYSTEMATIC SURVEY FOR Lyα EMITTERS AT z = 7.3 WITH RED-SENSITIVE SUBARU/SUPRIME-CAM*

We have performed deep imaging surveys for Lyα emitters (LAEs) at redshift ~7.3 in two blank fields, the Subaru Deep Field (SDF) and the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep survey Field (SXDF), using the Subaru/Suprime-Cam equipped with new red-sensitive CCDs and a new narrowband filter, NB1006 (λ c = 10052 A, FWHM Δλ = 214 A). We identified four objects as LAE candidates that exhibit luminosity excess in NB1006. By carrying out deep follow-up spectroscopy for three of them using Subaru/FOCAS and Keck/DEIMOS, a definitively asymmetric emission line is detected for one of them, SXDF-NB1006-2. Assuming this line is Lyα, this object is an LAE at z = 7.215 which has a luminosity of 1.2+1.5 –0.6 × 1043 erg s–1 and a weighted skewness S ω = 4.90 ± 0.86. Another object, SDF-NB1006-2, shows variable photometry and is thus probably a quasar (QSO) or an active galactic nucleus. It shows an asymmetric emission line at 10076 A which may be due to either Lyα at z = 7.288 or [O II] at z = 1.703. The third object, SDF-NB1006-1, is likely a galaxy with temporal luminosity enhancement associated with a supernova explosion, as the brightness of this object varies between the observed epochs. Its spectrum does not show any emission lines. The inferred decrease in the number density of LAEs toward higher redshift is n z = 7.3 Lyα/n Lyα z = 5.7 = 0.05+0.11 –0.05 from z = 5.7 to 7.3 down to L Lyα = 1.0 × 1043 erg s–1. The present result is consistent with the interpretation in previous studies that the neutral hydrogen fraction is rapidly increasing from z = 5.7 to 7.3.

Diffuse Lyα haloes around galaxies at z = 2.2–6.6: implications for galaxy formation and cosmic reionization

We present diffuse Lyman-alpha halos (LAHs) identified in the composite Subaru narrowband images of 100-3600 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z=2.2, 3.1, 3.7, 5.7, and 6.6. First, we carefully examine potential artifacts mimicking LAHs that include a large-scale point-spread function (PSF) made by instrumental and atmospheric effects. Based on our critical test with composite images of non-LAE samples whose narrowband-magnitude and source-size distributions are the same as our LAE samples, we confirm that no artifacts can produce a diffuse extended feature similar to our LAHs. After this test, we measure the scale lengths of exponential profile for the LAHs estimated from our z=2.2-6.6 LAE samples of L(Lyman-alpha) > 2 x 10^42 erg s^-1. We obtain the scale lengths of ~ 5-10 kpc at z=2.2-5.7, and find no evolution of scale lengths in this redshift range beyond our measurement uncertainties. Combining this result and the previously-known UV-continuum size evolution, we infer that the ratio of LAH to UV-continuum sizes is nearly constant at z=2.2-5.7. The scale length of our z=6.6 LAH is larger than 5-10 kpc just beyond the error bar, which is a hint that the scale lengths of LAHs would increase from z=5.7 to 6.6. If this increase is confirmed by future large surveys with significant improvements of statistical and systematical errors, this scale length change at z > 6 would be a signature of increasing fraction of neutral hydrogen scattering Lyman-alpha photons, due to cosmic reionization.

What is the physical origin of strong Lyα emission? II. Gas kinematics and distribution of Lyα emitters

We present a statistical study of velocities of Lya, interstellar (IS) absorption, and nebular lines and gas covering fraction for Lya emitters (LAEs) at z~2. We make a sample of 22 LAEs with a large Lya equivalent width (EW) of > 50A based on our deep Keck/LRIS observations, in conjunction with spectroscopic data from the Subaru/FMOS program and the literature. We estimate the average velocity offset of Lya from a systemic redshift determined with nebular lines to be dv_Lya=234+-9 km s-1. Using a Kolmogorv-Smirnov test, we confirm the previous claim of Hashimoto et al. (2013) that the average dv_Lya of LAEs is smaller than that of LBGs. Our LRIS data successfully identify blue-shifted multiple IS absorption lines in the UV continua of four LAEs on an individual basis. The average velocity offset of IS absorption lines from a systemic redshift is dv_IS=204+-27 km s-1, indicating LAEs gas outflow with a velocity comparable to typical LBGs. Thus, the ratio, R^Lya_ IS = dv_Lya/dv_IS of LAEs, is around unity, suggestive of low impacts on Lya transmission by resonant scattering of neutral hydrogen in the IS medium. We find an anti-correlation between Lya EW and the covering fraction, f_c, estimated from the depth of absorption lines, where f_c is an indicator of average neutral hydrogen column density, N_HI. The results of our study support the idea that N_HI is a key quantity determining Lya emissivity.

DISCOVERY OF A PROTOCLUSTER AT z ∼ 6*

We report the discovery of a protocluster at z∼6 containing at least eight cluster member galaxies with spectroscopic confirmations in the wide-field image of the Subaru Deep Field (SDF). The overdensity of the protocluster is significant at the 6σ level, based on the surface number density of i′-dropout galaxies. The overdense region covers 6′ × 6′ (14 Mpc × 14 Mpc in comoving units at z = 6) and includes 30 i′-dropout galaxies. Follow-up spectroscopy revealed that 15 of these are real z 6 galaxies (5.7 < z < 6.3). Of these 15, 8 are clustering in a narrow redshift range (Δz < 0.05 centered at z = 6.01), corresponding to a seven-fold increase in number density over the average in redshift space. We found no significant difference in the observed properties, such as Lyα luminosities and UV continuum magnitudes, between the eight protocluster members and the seven non-members. The velocity dispersion of the eight protocluster members is 647 ± 124 km s-1, which is about three times higher than that predicted by the standard cold dark matter model. This discrepancy could be attributed to the distinguishing three-dimensional distribution of the eight protocluster members. We discuss two possible explanations for this discrepancy: either the protocluster is already mature, with old galaxies at the center, or it is still immature and composed of three subgroups merging to become a larger cluster. In either case, this concentration of z = 6.01 galaxies in the SDF may be one of the first sites of formation of a galaxy cluster in the universe.

A CLOSE COMPARISON BETWEEN OBSERVED AND MODELED Lyα LINES FOR z ∼ 2.2 Lyα EMITTERS* ** ***

We present the results of a Lya profile analysis of 12 Lya emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.2 with high-resolution Lya spectra. We find that all 12 objects have a Lya profile with the main peak redward of the systemic redshift defined by nebular lines, and five have a weak, secondary peak blueward of the systemic redshift (blue bump). The average velocity offset of the red main peak (the blue bump, if any) with respect to the systemic redshift is Delta_v_Lya,r = 174+/- 19 km s-1 (Delta_v_Lya,b = -316+/-45 km s-1), which is smaller than (comparable to) that of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs). The outflow velocities inferred from metal absorption lines in three individual and one stacked spectra are comparable to those of LBGs. The expanding shell model constructed by Verhamme et al. (2006) reproduces not only the Lya profiles but also other observed quantities including the outflow velocity and the FWHM of nebular lines for the non-blue bump objects. On the other hand, the model predicts too high FWHMs of nebular lines for the blue bump objects, although this discrepancy may disappear if we introduce additional Lya photons produced by gravitational cooling. We show that the small Delta_v_Lya,r values of our sample can be explained by low neutral-hydrogen column densities of log(NHI) = 18.9 cm-2 on average. This value is more than one order of magnitude lower than those of LBGs but is consistent with recent findings that LAEs have high ionization parameters and low Hi gas masses. This result suggests that low NHI values, giving reduced numbers of resonant scattering of Lya photons, are the key to the strong Lya emission of LAEs.

ALMA Census of Faint 1.2 mm Sources Down to ~0.02 mJy: Extragalactic Background Light and Dust-Poor High-z Galaxies

We present statistics of 133 faint 1.2-mm continuum sources detected in about 120 deep ALMA pointing data that include all the archival deep data available by 2015 June. We derive number counts of 1.2 mm continuum sources down to 0.02 mJy partly with the assistance of gravitational lensing, and find that the total integrated 1.2 mm flux of the securely identified sources is 22.9^(+6.7)_(-5.6) Jy deg^(-2) that corresponds to 104^(+31)_(-25) % of the extragalactic background light (EBL) measured by COBE observations. These results suggest that the major 1.2 mm EBL contributors are sources with 0.02 mJy, and that very faint 1.2 mm sources with ~< 0.02 mJy contribute negligibly to the EBL with the possible flattening and/or truncation of number counts in this very faint flux regime. To understand the physical origin of our faint ALMA sources, we measure the galaxy bias bg by the counts-in-cells technique, and place a stringent upper limit of bg < 3.5 that is not similar to bg values of massive DRGs and SMGs but comparable to those of UV-bright sBzKs and LBGs. Moreover, in optical and near-infrared (NIR) deep fields, we identify optical-NIR counterparts for 59% of our faint ALMA sources, majority of which have luminosities, colors, and the IRX-beta relation same as sBzKs and LBGs. We thus conclude that about a half of our faint ALMA sources are dust-poor high-z galaxies as known as sBzKs and LBGs in optical studies, and that these faint ALMA sources are not miniature (U)LIRGs simply scaled down with the infrared brightness.

Detection of an oxygen emission line from a high-redshift galaxy in the reionization epoch

Shining brightly in the early universe Galaxies that formed early in the history of the universe were powerful sources of ultraviolet radiation. This radiation ionized the surrounding intergalactic medium during the “epoch of reionization.” Inoue et al. detected atomic emission lines from a galaxy at high redshift—seen as it was when the universe was only ~5% of its current age (see the Perspective by De Breuck). Data from optical, infrared, and submillimeter observatories determined its gas and dust content and the amount of ultraviolet radiation it emitted. Studying similar galaxies in such a manner will allow astronomers to determine how the first galaxies formed, evolved, and influenced their surroundings. Science, this issue p. 1559; see also p. 1520 A galaxy shining brightly in the early universe emits copious ultraviolet radiation. The physical properties and elemental abundances of the interstellar medium in galaxies during cosmic reionization are important for understanding the role of galaxies in this process. We report the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array detection of an oxygen emission line at a wavelength of 88 micrometers from a galaxy at an epoch about 700 million years after the Big Bang. The oxygen abundance of this galaxy is estimated at about one-tenth that of the Sun. The nondetection of far-infrared continuum emission indicates a deficiency of interstellar dust in the galaxy. A carbon emission line at a wavelength of 158 micrometers is also not detected, implying an unusually small amount of neutral gas. These properties might allow ionizing photons to escape into the intergalactic medium.

Evolution of Stellar-to-Halo Mass Ratio at z=0-7 Identified by Clustering Analysis with the Hubble Legacy Imaging and Early Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey Data

We present clustering analysis results from 10,381 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z~ 4-7, identified in the Hubble legacy deep imaging and new complimentary large-area Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam data. We measure the angular correlation functions (ACFs) of these LBGs at z~4, 5, 6, and 7, and fit these measurements using halo occupation distribution (HOD) models that provide an estimate of halo masses, M_h~(1-20)x10^11 Msun. Our M_h estimates agree with those obtained by previous clustering studies in a UV-magnitude vs. M_h plane, and allow us to calculate stellar-to-halo mass ratios (SHMRs) of LBGs. By comparison with the z~0 SHMR, we identify evolution of the SHMR from z~0 to z~4, and z~4 to z~7 at the >98% confidence levels. The SHMR decreases by a factor of ~2 from z~0 to 4, and increases by a factor of ~4 from z~4 to 7. We compare our SHMRs with results of a hydrodynamic simulation and a semi-analytic model, and find that these theoretical studies do not predict the SHMR increase from z~4 to 7. We obtain the baryon conversion efficiency (BCE) of LBGs at z~4, and find that the BCE increases with increasing dark matter halo mass. Finally, we compare our clustering+HOD estimates with results from abundance matching techniques, and conclude that the M_h estimates of the clustering+HOD analyses agree with those of the simple abundance matching within a factor of 3, and that the agreement improves when using more sophisticated abundance matching techniques that include subhalos, incompleteness, and/or evolution in the star formation and stellar mass functions.

Morphologies of ~190,000 Galaxies at

We investigate evolution of clumpy galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) samples of ~17,000 photo-z and Lyman break galaxies at z~0-8. We detect clumpy galaxies with off-center clumps in a self-consistent algorithm that is well tested with previous study results, and measure the number fraction of clumpy galaxies at the rest-frame UV, f_clumpy^UV. We identify an evolutionary trend of f_clumpy^UV over z~0-8 for the first time: f_clumpy^UV increases from z~8 to z~1-3 and subsequently decreases from z~1 to z~0, which follows the trend of Madau-Lilly plot. A low average Sersic index of n~1 is found in the underlining components of our clumpy galaxies at z~0-2, indicating that typical clumpy galaxies have disk-like surface brightness profiles. Our f_clumpy^UV values correlate with physical quantities related to star formation activities for star-forming galaxies at z~0-7. We find that clump colors tend to be red at a small galactocentric distance for massive galaxies with log(M_*/M_sun)>~11. All of these results are consistent with a picture that a majority of clumps form in the violent disk instability and migrate into the galactic centers.