Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8

Details Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8 Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8

Mar 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008mnras.384.1363f&link_type=abstract

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 384, Issue 4, pp. 1363-1376.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

7

Galaxies: High-Redshift, Cosmology: Observations, Cosmology: Theory, Early Universe, Infrared: Galaxies

Scientific paper

Using a simple method to interpret the luminosity function of Lyα emitters, we explore properties of Lyα emitters from 5.7 <= z <= 8.8 with various assumptions about metallicity and stellar mass spectra. We constrain a mass-to-`observed light' ratio, Mh/Lband, where Mh refers to the total mass of the host halo and Lband refers to the observed luminosity of the source. For narrow-band surveys, Lband is simply related to the intrinsic Lyα luminosity with a survival fraction of Lyα photons, αesc. The mass-to-`bolometric light', Mh/Lbol, can also be deduced, once the metallicity and stellar mass spectrum are given. The inferred Mh/Lbol is more sensitive to metallicity than to the mass spectrum. We find the following constraints on a mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters from 5.7 <= z <= 7: (Mh/Lbol)(αescɛ1/γ)-1 = 21-38,14-26 and 9-17 for Z = 0, 1/50 and 1Zsolar, respectively, where ɛ is the `duty cycle' of Lyα emitters and γ ~ 2 is a local slope of the cumulative luminosity function, N(>L) ~ L-γ, to which the current data are sensitive. Only weak lower limits are obtained for z = 8.8. Therefore, Lyα emitters are consistent with either starburst galaxies (Mh/Lbol ~ 0.1-1) with a smaller Lyα survival fraction, αescɛ1/γ ~ 0.01-0.05, or normal populations (Mh/Lbol ~ 10) if a good fraction of Lyα photons survived, αescɛ1/γ ~ 0.5-1. We find no evidence for the end of reionization in the luminosity functions of Lyα emitters discovered in the current Lyα surveys, including recent discovery of one Lyα emitter at z = 7. The data are consistent with no evolution of intrinsic properties of Lyα emitters or neutral fraction in the intergalactic medium up to z = 7. No detection of sources at z = 8.8 does not yield a significant constraint yet. We also show that the lack of detection at z = 8.8 does not rule out the high-z galaxies being the origin of the excess near-infrared background.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mass-to-light ratio of Lyα emitters: implications of Lyα surveys at redshifts z = 5.7, 6.5, 7 and 8.8 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-870682