Abstract
We present results from a deep spectroscopic search in the 9150 A atmospheric window for z ~ 6.5 Lyα-emitting galaxies using the VLT/FORS2. Our multislit+narrowband filter survey covers a total spatial area of 17.6 arcmin2 in four different fields and reaches fluxes down to 5 × 10-18 ergs s-1 cm-2 (7 σ detection). Our detection limit is significantly fainter than narrowband searches at this redshift and fainter also than the unlensed brightness of Hu et al.'s HCM 6A at z = 6.56, and thus it provides better overlap with surveys at much lower redshifts. Eighty secure emission-line galaxies are detected. However, based on their clear continuum emission shortward of the line or the presence of multiple lines, none of these can be Lyα emission at z ~ 6.5. Our null result of finding no z ~ 6.5 Lyα emitters suggests that the number density of Lyα emitters with L ≥ 2 × 1042 ergs s-1 declines by 2 between z ~ 3 and z ~ 6.5.
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