Lyman-break Galaxy Candidates Research Articles

Large-scale Overdensity of Lyman Break Galaxies around the z = 6.3 Ultraluminous Quasar J0100 + 2802

We study the environment of the z = 6.33 ultraluminous quasar SDSS J010013.02+280225.8 (J0100) to understand its association with large-scale structure. Theoretical models propose high-redshift quasars as markers of galaxy overdensities residing in the most massive dark matter halos (DMHs) in the early Universe. J0100 is an ultraluminous quasar with the most massive black hole known at z ≳ 6, suggesting a high likelihood of residing in a massive DMH. We present wide-field (∼522 arcmin2) imaging in the r, i, and z bands from the Large Binocular Cameras on the Large Binocular Telescope, with Y- and J-band imaging from the Wide-field Infrared Camera on the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, centered on J0100. Applying color selections, we identify 23 objects as i-dropout Lyman break galaxy (LBG) candidates in the J0100 field. We use the deep photometric catalog in the 1.27 deg2 COSMOS field to calculate the density of LBGs in a blank field, and to estimate the selection completeness and purity. The observed surface density of LBG candidates in the J0100 field corresponds to a galaxy overdensity of δ = 4 (at 8.4σ). This large-scale overdensity suggests that the ∼22 arcmin2 overdensity found by Kashino et al. using JWST data extends out to much larger scales. We calculate the angular autocorrelation function of the candidates and find a positive correlation on ≲10′ scales as well as evidence of asymmetries in their spatial distribution, further suggesting the direct detection of large-scale structure in the field of the ultraluminous quasar J0100.

Exploring the Mpc Environment of the Quasar ULAS J1342+0928 at z = 7.54

Theoretical models predict that z ≳ 6 quasars are hosted in the most massive halos of the underlying dark matter distribution and thus would be immersed in protoclusters of galaxies. However, observations report inconclusive results. We investigate the 1.1 proper-Mpc2 environment of the z = 7.54 luminous quasar ULAS J1342+0928. We search for Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) candidates using deep imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/F814W, Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3)/F105W/F125W bands, and Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. We report a zphot=7.69−0.23+0.33 LBG with magF125W = 26.41 at 223 projected proper kpc (pkpc) from the quasar. We find no HST counterpart to one [C ii] emitter previously found with the Atacama Large millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at 27 projected pkpc and z [C II]=7.5341 ± 0.0009 (Venemans et al. ). We estimate the completeness of our LBG candidates using results from Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey/GOODS deep blank field searches sharing a similar filter setup. We find that >50% of the z ∼ 7.5 Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) with magF125W > 25.5 are missed due to the absence of a filter redward of the Lyman break in F105W, hindering the UV color accuracy of the candidates. We conduct a QSO-LBG clustering analysis revealing a low LBG excess of 0.46−0.08+1.52 in this quasar field, consistent with an average or low-density field. Consequently, this result does not present strong evidence of an LBG overdensity around ULAS J1342+0928. Furthermore, we identify two LBG candidates with a z phot matching a confirmed z = 6.84 absorber along the line of sight to the quasar. All these galaxy candidates are excellent targets for follow-up observations with JWST and/or ALMA to confirm their redshift and physical properties.

Galaxy clustering measurements out to redshift z ˜ 8 from Hubble Legacy Fields

ABSTRACT We present a novel approach for measuring the two-point correlation function of galaxies in narrow pencil beam surveys with varying depths. Our methodology is utilized to expand high-redshift galaxy clustering investigations up to z ∼ 8 by analysing a comprehensive sample consisting of Ng = 160 Lyman break galaxy candidates obtained through optical and near-infrared photometric data within the CANDELS GOODS data sets from the Hubble Space Telescope Legacy Fields. For bright sources with MUV < −19.8, we determine a galaxy bias of b = 9.33 ± 4.90 at $\overline{z} = 7.7$ and a correlation length of r0 = 10.74 ± 7.06 $h^{-1}\, \mathrm{Mpc}$. We obtain similar results for the XDF, with a galaxy bias measurement of b = 8.26 ± 3.41 at the same redshift for a slightly fainter sample with a median luminosity of MUV = −18.4. By comparing with dark-matter halo bias and employing abundance matching, we deduce a characteristic halo mass of Mh ∼ 1011.5 M⊙ and a duty cycle close to unity. To validate our approach for variable-depth data sets, we replicate the analysis in a region with near-uniform depth using a standard two-point correlation function estimator, yielding consistent outcomes. Our study not only provides a valuable tool for future utilization in JWST data sets but also suggests that the clustering of early galaxies continues to increase with redshift beyond z ≳ 8, potentially contributing to the existence of protocluster structures observed in early JWST imaging and spectroscopic surveys at z ≳ 8.

An overdensity of Lyman break galaxies around the hot dust-obscured galaxy WISE J224607.56−052634.9

We report the identification of Lyman break galaxy (LBG) candidates around the most luminous hot dust-Obscured galaxy (Hot DOG) known, WISE J224607.56−052634.9 (W2246−0526) at z = 4.601, using deep r-, i-, and z-band imaging from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph South (GMOS-S). We used the surface density of LBGs to probe the megaparsec-scale environment of W2246−0526 to characterize its richness and evolutionary state. We identified LBG candidates in the vicinity of W2246−0526 using the selection criteria developed in the Subaru Deep Field and in the Subaru XMM-Newton Deep Field, slightly modified to account for the difference between the filters used, and we find 37 and 55 LBG candidates, respectively. Matching to the z-band depths of those studies, this corresponds to δ = 5.8−1.9+2.4 times the surface density of LBGs expected in the field. Interestingly, the Hot DOG itself, as well as a confirmed neighbor, do not satisfy either LBG selection criteria, suggesting we may be missing a large number of companion galaxies. Our analysis shows that we have mostly likely only found those with a higher than average intergalactic medium (IGM) optical depth or moderately high dust obscuration. The number density of LBG candidates is not concentrated around W2246−0526, suggesting an early evolutionary stage for the proto-cluster, that the Hot DOG may not be the most massive galaxy, or that the Hot DOG may be affecting the IGM transparency in its vicinity. The overdensity around W2246−0526 is comparable to overdensities found around other Hot DOGs and is somewhat higher than what is typically found for radio galaxies and luminous quasars at a similar redshift.

Dusty Starbursts Masquerading as Ultra-high Redshift Galaxies in JWST CEERS Observations

Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) candidates at z ≳ 10 are rapidly being identified in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/NIRCam observations. Due to the (redshifted) break produced by neutral hydrogen absorption of rest-frame UV photons, these sources are expected to drop out in the bluer filters while being well detected in redder filters. However, here we show that dust-enshrouded star-forming galaxies at lower redshifts (z ≲ 7) may also mimic the near-infrared (near-IR) colors of z > 10 LBGs, representing potential contaminants in LBG candidate samples. First, we analyze CEERS-DSFG-1, a NIRCam dropout undetected in the F115W and F150W filters but detected at longer wavelengths. Combining the JWST data with (sub)millimeter constraints, including deep NOEMA interferometric observations, we show that this source is a dusty star-forming galaxy (DSFG) at z ≈ 5.1. We also present a tentative 2.6σ SCUBA-2 detection at 850 μm around a recently identified z ≈ 16 LBG candidate in the same field and show that, if the emission is real and associated with this candidate, the available photometry is consistent with a z ∼ 5 dusty galaxy with strong nebular emission lines despite its blue near-IR colors. Further observations on this candidate are imperative to mitigate the low confidence of this tentative submillimeter emission and its positional uncertainty. Our analysis shows that robust (sub)millimeter detections of NIRCam dropout galaxies likely imply z ∼ 4–6 redshift solutions, where the observed near-IR break would be the result of a strong rest-frame optical Balmer break combined with high dust attenuation and strong nebular line emission, rather than the rest-frame UV Lyman break. This provides evidence that DSFGs may contaminate searches for ultra-high redshift LBG candidates from JWST observations.

Inferring the intergalactic medium neutral fraction at z ∼ 6–8 with low-luminosity Lyman break galaxies

ABSTRACT We present a Bayesian inference on the neutral hydrogen fraction of the intergalactic medium (IGM), $\overline{x}_{\small HI}$, at z ∼ 6–8 using the properties of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) during the epoch of reionization. We use large samples of LBG candidates at 5.5 ≤ z ≤ 8.2 with spectroscopy from Keck/DEIMOS and Keck/MOSFIRE. For each galaxy, we incorporate either the Lyman-α (Lyα) equivalent width (EW) for detections or the EW limit spectrum for non-detections to parametrize the EW distribution at various ultraviolet brightnesses for a given redshift. Using our reference sample of galaxy candidates from the ionized universe at z ∼ 6.0, we are able to infer $\overline{x}_{\small HI}$ at two redshifts: z ∼ 6.7 and z ∼ 7.6. This work includes intrinsically faint, gravitationally lensed galaxies at z ∼ 6.0 in order to constrain the intrinsic faint-end Lyα EW distribution and provide a comparable population of galaxies to counterparts in our sample that are at higher redshift. The inclusion of faint galaxy candidates, in addition to a more sophisticated modelling framework, allows us to better isolate effects of the interstellar medium and circumgalactic medium on the observed Lyα distribution from those of the IGM. We infer an upper limit of $\overline{x}_{\small HI}$ ≤ 0.25 (0.44) at z = 6.7 ± 0.2 and a neutral fraction of $\overline{x}_{\small HI}$ = $0.83^{+0.08}_{-0.11}$ (0.83$^{+0.11}_{-0.21}$) at z = 7.6 ± 0.6, both within 68 per cent (95 per cent) uncertainty, results that favour a moderately late and fairly rapid reionization.

Radio and far-IR emission associated with a massive star-forming galaxy candidate atz≃ 6.8: a radio-loud AGN in the reionization era?

ABSTRACTWe report the identification of radio (0.144–3 GHz) and mid-, far-infrared, and sub-mm (24–850μm) emission at the position of one of 41 UV-bright ($\mathrm{M_{\mathrm{UV}}}^{ }\lesssim -21.25$) z ≃ 6.6–6.9 Lyman-break galaxy candidates in the 1.5 deg2 COSMOS field. This source, COS-87259, exhibits a sharp flux discontinuity (factor >3) between two narrow/intermediate bands at 9450 and 9700 Å and is undetected in all nine bands blueward of 9600 Å, as expected from a Lyman alpha break at z ≃ 6.8. The full multiwavelength (X-ray through radio) data of COS-87529 can be self-consistently explained by a very massive (M* = 1010.8 M⊙) and extremely red (rest-UV slope β = −0.59) z ≃ 6.8 galaxy with hyperluminous infrared emission (LIR = 1013.6 L⊙) powered by both an intense burst of highly obscured star formation (SFR ≈ 1800 M⊙ yr−1) and an obscured ($\tau _{_{\mathrm{9.7\mu m}}} = 7.7\pm 2.5$) radio-loud (L1.4 GHz ≈ 1025.4 W Hz−1) active galactic nucleus (AGN). The radio emission is compact (1.04 ± 0.12 arcsec) and exhibits an ultra-steep spectrum between 1.32 and 3 GHz ($\alpha =-1.57^{+0.22}_{-0.21}$) that flattens at lower frequencies ($\alpha = -0.86^{+0.22}_{-0.16}$ between 0.144 and 1.32 GHz), consistent with known z > 4 radio galaxies. We also demonstrate that COS-87259 may reside in a significant (11×) galaxy overdensity, as common for systems hosting radio-loud AGN. While we find that low-redshift solutions to the optical + near-infrared data are not preferred, a spectroscopic redshift will ultimately be required to establish the true nature of COS-87259 beyond any doubt. If confirmed to lie at z ≃ 6.8, the properties of COS-87259 would be consistent with a picture wherein AGN and highly obscured star formation activity are fairly common among very massive (M* > 1010 M⊙) reionization-era galaxies.

The ALMA Frontier Fields Survey

Context. The Hubble Frontier Fields offer an exceptionally deep window into the high-redshift universe, covering a substantially larger area than the Hubble Ultra-Deep field at low magnification and probing 1–2 mag deeper in exceptional high-magnification regions. This unique parameter space, coupled with the exceptional multi-wavelength ancillary data, can facilitate for useful insights into distant galaxy populations. Aims. We aim to leverage Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) band 6 (≈263 GHz) mosaics in the central portions of five Frontier Fields to characterize the infrared (IR) properties of 1582 ultraviolet (UV)-selected Lyman-Break Galaxies (LBGs) at redshifts of z ∼ 2–8. We investigated individual and stacked fluxes and IR excess (IRX) values of the LBG sample as functions of stellar mass (M⋆), redshift, UV luminosity and slope β, and lensing magnification. Methods. LBG samples were derived from color-selection and photometric redshift estimation with Hubble Space Telescope photometry. Spectral energy distributions -templates were fit to obtain luminosities, stellar masses, and star formation rates for the LBG candidates. We obtained individual IR flux and IRX estimates, as well as stacked averages, using both ALMA images and u–v visibilities. Results. Two (2) LBG candidates were individually detected above a significance of 4.1-σ, while stacked samples of the remaining LBG candidates yielded no significant detections. We investigated our detections and upper limits in the context of the IRX–M⋆ and IRX–β relations, probing at least one dex lower in stellar mass than past studies have done. Our upper limits exclude substantial portions of parameter space and they are sufficiently deep in a handful of cases to create mild tension with the typically assumed attenuation and consensus relations. We observe a clear and smooth trend between M⋆ and β, which extends to low masses and blue (low) β values, consistent with expectations from previous works.

Evidence for a Highly Opaque Large-scale Galaxy Void at the End of Reionization

Abstract We present evidence that a region of high effective Lyα optical depth at z ∼ 5.7 is associated with an underdense region at the tail end of cosmic reionization. We carried out a survey of Lyman-break Galaxies (LBGs) using Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam in the field of the z = 5.98 quasar J0148+0600, whose spectrum presents an unusually long (∼160 cMpc) and opaque (τ ≳ 7) Lyα trough at 5.5 ≤ z ≤ 5.9. LBG candidates were selected to lie within the redshift range of the trough, and the projected number densities were measured within 90 cMpc of the quasar sightline. The region within 8′ (or ≈19 cMpc) of the quasar position is the most underdense of the whole field. The significance of the presence of the void is estimated to be 99%. This is consistent with the significant deficit of Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 5.72 reported by Becker et al. and suggests that the paucity of LAEs is not purely due to the removal of the Lyα emission by the high opacity but reflects a real coherent underdensity of galaxies across the entire redshift range of the trough. These observations are consistent with scenarios in which large optical depth fluctuations arise due to fluctuations in the galaxy-dominant UV background or due to residual neutral islands that are expected from reionization that is completed at redshifts as low as z ≲ 5.5.

Testing the paradigm: First spectroscopic evidence of a quasar–galaxy Mpc-scale association at cosmic dawn

State-of-the-art models of massive black hole formation postulate that quasars at z > 6 reside in extreme peaks of the cosmic density structure in the early universe. Even so, direct observational evidence of these overdensities is elusive, especially on large scales (≫1 Mpc) as the spectroscopic follow-up of z > 6 galaxies is observationally expensive. Here we present Keck/DEIMOS optical and IRAM/NOEMA millimeter spectroscopy of a z ∼ 6 Lyman-break galaxy candidate originally discovered via broadband selection, at a projected separation of 4.65 physical Mpc (13.94 arcmin) from the luminous z = 6.308 quasar J1030+0524. This well-studied field presents the strongest indication to date of a large-scale overdensity around a z > 6 quasar. The Keck observations suggest a z ∼ 6.3 dropout identification of the galaxy. The NOEMA 1.2 mm spectrum shows a 3.5σ line that, if interpreted as [C II], would place the galaxy at z = 6.318 (i.e., at a line-of-sight separation of 3.9 comoving Mpc assuming that relative proper motion is negligible). The measured [C II] luminosity is 3 × 108 L⊙, in line with expectations for a galaxy with a star formation rate ∼15 M⊙ yr−1, as inferred from the rest-frame UV photometry. Our combined observations place the galaxy at the same redshift as the quasar, thus strengthening the overdensity scenario for this z > 6 quasar. This pilot experiment demonstrates the power of millimeter-wavelength observations in the characterization of the environment of early quasars.

Constraining the Neutral Fraction of Hydrogen in the IGM at Redshift 7.5

Abstract We present a large spectroscopic campaign with Keck/Multi-Object Spectrometer for InfraRed Exploration (MOSFIRE) targeting Lyα emission (Lyα) from intrinsically faint Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) behind 12 efficient galaxy cluster lenses. Gravitational lensing allows us to probe the more abundant faint galaxy population to sensitive Lyα equivalent-width limits. During the campaign, we targeted 70 LBG candidates with the MOSFIRE Y band, selected photometrically to cover Lyα over the range 7 < z < 8.2. We detect signal-to-noise ratio > 5 emission lines in two of these galaxies and find that they are likely Lyα at z = 7.148 ± 0.001 and z = 7.161 ± 0.001. We present new lens models for four of the galaxy clusters, using our previously published lens models for the remaining clusters to determine the magnification factors for the source galaxies. Using a Bayesian framework that employs large-scale reionization simulations of the intergalactic medium (IGM) as well as realistic properties of the interstellar medium and circumgalactic medium, we infer the volume-averaged neutral hydrogen fraction, , in the IGM during reionization to be at z = 7.6 ± 0.6. Our result is consistent with a late and rapid reionization scenario inferred by Planck.

Star-formation efficiency at 600Myr of cosmic time

AbstractCurrent observations suggest an accelerated evolution of the cosmic star formation rate density for 8 < z < 10, indicating that galaxy assembly experienced an extremely intense phase during the first ∼600Myr years of cosmic time. We performed a systematic search of ultrabright star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 8 over the COSMOS/UltraVISTA survey, identifying 16 candidate Lyman-break galaxies. The still large uncertainties on the associated volume density do not yet allow us to ascertain whether a different star-formation efficiency (SFE) existed at early cosmic epochs. Leveraging the deepest Spitzer/IRAC data available from the GREATS program over the CANDELS/GOODS fields, we also constructed stacked SEDs of sub- L* LBGs at z ∼ 8. We find extreme nebular line emission (EW0 (Hα) ∼ 1000Å), high specific star-formation rates (∼10/Gyr) and indication of an inverse Balmer break. These results point toward very young ages (<100 Myr), and, combined with measurements at lower redshifts, that the SFE evolved only marginally during the first ∼1.5Gyr of cosmic history.

Inferences on the timeline of reionization at z ∼ 8 from the KMOS Lens-Amplified Spectroscopic Survey

Abstract Detections and non-detections of Lyman alpha (Lyα) emission from z > 6 galaxies (<1 Gyr after the big bang) can be used to measure the timeline of cosmic reionization. Of key interest to measuring reionization’s mid-stages, but also increasing observational challenge, are observations at z > 7, where Lyα redshifts to near infra-red wavelengths. Here we present a search for z > 7.2 Lyα emission in 53 intrinsically faint Lyman Break Galaxy candidates, gravitationally lensed by massive galaxy clusters, in the KMOS Lens-Amplified Spectroscopic Survey (KLASS). With integration times of ∼7–10 h, we detect no Lyα emission with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) > 5 in our sample. We determine our observations to be 80 per cent complete for 5σ spatially and spectrally unresolved emission lines with integrated line flux >5.7 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2. We define a photometrically selected sub-sample of 29 targets at z = 7.9 ± 0.6, with a median 5σ Lyα EW limit of 58 Å. We perform a Bayesian inference of the average intergalactic medium (IGM) neutral hydrogen fraction using their spectra. Our inference accounts for the wavelength sensitivity and incomplete redshift coverage of our observations, and the photometric redshift probability distribution of each target. These observations, combined with samples from the literature, enable us to place a lower limit on the average IGM neutral hydrogen fraction of $\gt 0.76 \,\, (68{{\ \rm per\ cent}}), \,\, \gt 0.46 \,\, (95{{\ \rm per\ cent}})$ at z ∼ 8, providing further evidence of rapid reionization at z ∼ 6–8. We show that this is consistent with reionization history models extending the galaxy luminosity function to $M_ \rm {\small UV}\lesssim -12$, with low ionizing photon escape fractions, $f_\textrm{esc} \lesssim 15{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$.

HST Grism Observations of a Gravitationally Lensed Redshift 9.5 Galaxy

Abstract We present deep spectroscopic observations of a Lyman break galaxy (LBG) candidate (hereafter MACS1149-JD) at z ∼ 9.5 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/IR grisms. The grism observations were taken at four distinct position angles, totaling 34 orbits with the G141 grism, although only 19 of the orbits are relatively uncontaminated along the trace of MACS1149-JD. We fit a three-parameter (z, F160W mag, and Lyα equivalent width [EW]) LBG template to the three least contaminated grism position angles using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. The grism data alone are best fit with a redshift of (68% confidence), in good agreement with our photometric estimate of (68% confidence). Our analysis rules out Lyα emission from MACS1149-JD above a 3σ EW of 21 Å, consistent with a highly neutral IGM. We explore a scenario where the red Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]–[4.5] color of the galaxy previously pointed out in the literature is due to strong rest-frame optical emission lines from a very young stellar population rather than a 4000 Å break. We find that while this can provide an explanation for the observed IRAC color, it requires a lower redshift (z ≲ 9.1), which is less preferred by the HST imaging data. The grism data are consistent with both scenarios, indicating that the red IRAC color can still be explained by a 4000 Å break, characteristic of a relatively evolved stellar population. In this interpretation, the photometry indicates that a Myr stellar population is already present in this galaxy only ∼500 Myr after the big bang.

HST Imaging of the Brightest z ∼ 8–9 Galaxies from UltraVISTA: The Extreme Bright End of the UV Luminosity Function

Abstract We report on the discovery of three especially bright candidate galaxies. Five sources were targeted for follow-up with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), selected from a larger sample of 16 bright ( mag) candidate Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) identified over 1.6 degrees2 of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field. These were selected as Y and J dropouts by leveraging the deep (Y-to- mag, ) NIR data from the UltraVISTA DR3 release, deep ground-based optical imaging from the CFHTLS and Suprime-Cam programs, and Spitzer/IRAC mosaics combining observations from the SMUVS and SPLASH programs. Through the refined spectral energy distributions, which now also include new HyperSuprimeCam g-, r-, i-, z-, and Y-band data, we confirm that 3/5 galaxies have robust , consistent with the initial selection. The remaining 2/5 galaxies have a nominal . However, with HST data alone, these objects have increased probability of being at . We measure mean UV continuum slopes for the three galaxies, marginally bluer than similarly luminous in CANDELS but consistent with previous measurements of similarly luminous galaxies at . The circularized effective radius for our brightest source is 0.9 ± 0.3 kpc, similar to previous measurements for a bright galaxy and bright galaxies. Finally, enlarging our sample to include the six brightest LBGs identified over UltraVISTA (i.e., including three other sources from Labbé et al.) we estimate for the first time the volume density of galaxies at the extreme bright end ( mag) of the UV luminosity function. Despite this exceptional result, the still large statistical uncertainties do not allow us to discriminate between a Schechter and a double-power-law form.

SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF A PROTOCLUSTER AT z ≈ 3.786

ABSTRACT We present new observations of the field containing the z = 3.786 protocluster PC 217.96+32.3. We confirm that it is one of the largest known and most overdense high-redshift structures. Such structures are rare even in the largest cosmological simulations. We used the Mayall/MOSAIC1.1 imaging camera to image a 1.°2 × 0.°6 area (≈150 × 75 comoving Mpc) surrounding the protocluster’s core and discovered 165 candidate Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) and 788 candidate Lyman Break galaxies (LBGs). There are at least two overdense regions traced by the LAEs, the largest of which shows an areal overdensity in its core (i.e., within a radius of 2.5 comoving Mpc) of 14 ± 7 relative to the average LAE spatial density ( ) in the imaged field. Further, is twice that derived by other field LAE surveys. Spectroscopy with Keck/DEIMOS yielded redshifts for 164 galaxies (79 LAEs and 85 LBGs); 65 lie at a redshift of 3.785 ± 0.010. The velocity dispersion of galaxies near the core is σ = 350 ± 40 km s−1, a value robust to selection effects. The overdensities are likely to collapse into systems with present-day masses of >1015 M ⊙ and >6 × 1014 M ⊙. The low velocity dispersion may suggest a dynamically young protocluster. We find a weak trend between narrow-band (Lyα) luminosity and environmental density: the Lyα luminosity is enhanced on average by 1.35× within the protocluster core. There is no evidence that the Lyα equivalent width depends on environment. These suggest that star formation and/or active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity is enhanced in the higher-density regions of the structure. PC 217.96+32.3 is a Coma cluster analog, witnessed in the process of formation.

RCS2 J232727.6-020437: AN EFFICIENT COSMIC TELESCOPE ATz= 0.6986

We present a detailed gravitational lens model of the galaxy cluster RCS2 J232727.6-020437. Due to cosmological dimming of cluster members and ICL, its high redshift ($z=0.6986$) makes it ideal for studying background galaxies. Using new ACS and WFC3/IR HST data, we identify 16 multiple images. From MOSFIRE follow up, we identify a strong emission line in the spectrum of one multiple image, likely confirming the redshift of that system to $z=2.083$. With a highly magnified ($\mu\gtrsim2$) source plane area of $\sim0.7$ arcmin$^2$ at $z=7$, RCS2 J232727.6-020437 has a lensing efficiency comparable to the Hubble Frontier Fields clusters. We discover four highly magnified $z\sim7$ candidate Lyman-break galaxies behind the cluster, one of which may be multiply-imaged. Correcting for magnification, we find that all four galaxies are fainter than $0.5 L_{\star}$. One candidate is detected at ${>10\sigma}$ in both Spitzer/IRAC [3.6] and [4.5] channels. A spectroscopic follow-up with MOSFIRE does not result in the detection of the Lyman-alpha emission line from any of the four candidates. From the MOSFIRE spectra we place median upper limits on the Lyman-alpha flux of $5-14 \times 10^{-19}\, \mathrm{erg \,\, s^{-1} cm^{-2}}$ ($5\sigma$).

MEASUREMENT OF GALAXY CLUSTERING ATz∼ 7.2 AND THE EVOLUTION OF GALAXY BIAS FROM 3.8 <z< 8 IN THE XDF, GOODS-S, AND GOODS-N

Lyman-Break Galaxy (LBG) samples observed during reionization ($z\gtrsim6$) with Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 are reaching sizes sufficient to characterize their clustering properties. Using a combined catalog from the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field and CANDELS surveys, containing $N=743$ LBG candidates at z>6.5 at a mean redshift of $z=7.2$, we detect a clear clustering signal in the angular correlation function (ACF) at $\sim4\sigma$, corresponding to a real-space correlation length $r_{0}=6.7^{+0.9}_{-1.0}h^{-1}$cMpc. The derived galaxy bias $b=8.6^{+0.9}_{-1.0}$ is that of dark-matter halos of $M=10^{11.1^{+0.2}_{-0.3}}$M$_{\odot}$ at $z=7.2$, and highlights that galaxies below the current detection limit ($M_{AB}\sim-17.7$) are expected in lower-mass halos ($M\sim10^{8}-10^{10.5}$M$_{\odot}$). We compute the ACF of LBGs at $z\sim3.8-z\sim5.9$ in the same surveys. A trend of increasing bias is found from $z=3.8$ ($b\sim3.0$) to $z=7.2$ ($b\sim8.6$), broadly consistent with galaxies at fixed luminosity being hosted in dark-matter halos of similar mass at $4<z<6$, followed by a slight rise in halo masses at $z\sim7$ ($\sim2\sigma$ confidence). Separating the data at the median luminosity of the $z=7.2$ sample ($M_{UV}=-19.4$) shows higher clustering at $z=5.9$ for bright galaxies ($r_{0}=5.5^{+1.4}_{-1.5}h^{-1}$cMpc, $b=6.2^{+1.2}_{-1.5}$) compared to faint galaxies ($r_{0}=1.9^{+1.1}_{-1.0}h^{-1}$cMpc, $b=2.7\pm1.2$) implying a constant mass-to-light ratio $\frac{dlogM}{dlogL}\sim1.2^{+1.8}_{-0.8}$. A similar trend is present in the $z=7.2$ sample with larger uncertainty. Finally, our bias measurements allow us to investigate the fraction of dark-matter halos hosting UV-bright galaxies (the duty-cycle, $\epsilon_{DC}$). At $z=7.2$ values near unity are preferred, which may be explained by the shortened halo assembly time at high-redshift.

CLASH: A CENSUS OF MAGNIFIED STAR-FORMING GALAXIES ATz∼ 6-8

We utilize 16 band Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of 18 lensing clusters obtained as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) Multi-Cycle Treasury program to search for $z\sim6-8$ galaxies. We report the discovery of 204, 45, and 13 Lyman-break galaxy candidates at $z\sim6$, $z\sim7$, and $z\sim8$, respectively, identified from purely photometric redshift selections. This large sample, representing nearly an order of magnitude increase in the number of magnified star-forming galaxies at $z\sim 6-8$ presented to date, is unique in that we have observations in four WFC3/UVIS UV, seven ACS/WFC optical, and all five WFC3/IR broadband filters, which enable very accurate photometric redshift selections. We construct detailed lensing models for 17 of the 18 clusters to estimate object magnifications and to identify two new multiply lensed $z \gtrsim 6$ candidates. The median magnifications over the 17 clusters are 4, 4, and 5 for the $z\sim6$, $z\sim7$, and $z\sim8$ samples, respectively, over an average area of 4.5 arcmin$^2$ per cluster. We compare our observed number counts with expectations based on convolving "blank" field UV luminosity functions through our cluster lens models and find rough agreement down to $\sim27$ mag, where we begin to suffer significant incompleteness. In all three redshift bins, we find a higher number density at brighter observed magnitudes than the field predictions, empirically demonstrating for the first time the enhanced efficiency of lensing clusters over field surveys. Our number counts also are in general agreement with the lensed expectations from the cluster models, especially at $z\sim6$, where we have the best statistics.

THE LUMINOSITY FUNCTION ATz∼ 8 FROM 97Y-BAND DROPOUTS: INFERENCES ABOUT REIONIZATION

[Abbreviated] We present the largest search to date for $z\sim8$ Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) based on 350 arcmin$^2$ of HST observations in the V-, Y-, J- and H-bands from the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies (BoRG) survey. The BoRG dataset includes $\sim$50 arcmin$^2$ of new data and deeper observations of two previous BoRG pointings, from which we present 9 new $z\sim8$ LBG candidates, bringing the total number of BoRG LBGs to 38 with $25.5\leqslant m_{J} \leqslant 27.6$ (AB system). We introduce a new Bayesian formalism for estimating the galaxy luminosity function (LF), which does not require binning (and thus smearing) of the data and includes a likelihood based on the formally correct binomial distribution as opposed to the often used approximate Poisson distribution. We demonstrate the utility of the new method on a sample of $97$ LBGs that combines the bright BoRG galaxies with the fainter sources published in Bouwens et al. (2012) from the HUDF and ERS programs. We show that the $z\sim8$ LF is well described by a Schechter function with a characteristic magnitude $M^\star = -20.15^{+0.29}_{-0.38}$, a faint-end slope of $\alpha = -1.87^{+0.26}_{-0.26}$, and a number density of $\log_{10} \phi^\star [\textrm{Mpc}^{-3}] = -3.24^{+0.25}_{-0.24}$. Integrated down to $M=-17.7$ this LF yields a luminosity density, $\log_{10} \epsilon [\textrm{erg}/\textrm{s/Hz/Mpc}^{3}] = 25.52^{+0.05}_{-0.05}$. Our LF analysis is consistent with previously published determinations within 1$\sigma$. We discuss the implication of our study for the physics of reionization. By assuming theoretically motivated priors on the clumping factor and the photon escape fraction we show that the UV LF from galaxy samples down to $M=-17.7$ can ionize only 10-50% of the neutral hydrogen at $z\sim8$. Full reionization would require extending the LF down to $M=-15$.