The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9

David Sobral; Philip Best; Jim Geach; Ian Smail; Jaron Kurk; Michele Cirasuolo; Mark Casali; Rob Ivison; Kristen Coppin; Gavin Dalton

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23

The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9

David Sobral, Philip Best, Jim Geach, Ian Smail, Jaron Kurk, Michele Cirasuolo, Mark Casali, Rob Ivison, Kristen Coppin, Gavin Dalton

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

We present the largest area survey to date (1.4 deg(2)) for Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z similar to 9, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). The survey, which primarily targets H' emitters at z <3, uses the Wide Field Camera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrowband filter in the J band to reach a Ly alpha luminosity limit of similar to 10(43.8) erg s(-1) over a co-moving volume of 1.12 x 10(6) Mpc(3) at z = 8.96 +/- 0.06. Two candidates were found out of 1,517 line emitters, but those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. This improves the limit on the space density of bright Ly' emitters by three orders of magnitude and is consistent with suppression of the bright end of the Ly' luminosity function beyond z similar to 6. Combined with upper limits from smaller but deeper surveys, this rules out some of the most extreme models for high-redshift Ly alpha emitters. The potential contamination of narrowband Ly' surveys at z > 7 by Galactic brown dwarf stars is also examined, leading to the conclusion that such contamination may well be significant for searches at 7.7 <z <8.0, 9.1<z<9.5 and 11.7<z<12.2.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE
Editors	A Adamson, J Davies, Robson
Place of Publication	NEW YORK
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Pages	251-258
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Print)	978-94-007-7431-5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23
Publication status	Published - 2013

Publication series

Name	Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings
Publisher	SPRINGER
Volume	37
ISSN (Print)	1570-6591

Keywords

ULTRA-DEEP-FIELD
STAR-FORMING GALAXIES
HIGH-REDSHIFT SURVEY
J-BAND SEARCH
EMITTING GALAXIES
H-ALPHA
LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS
REIONIZATION EPOCH
HUBBLE
EVOLUTION

Access to Document

10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23

Cite this

Sobral, D., Best, P., Geach, J., Smail, I., Kurk, J., Cirasuolo, M., Casali, M., Ivison, R., Coppin, K., & Dalton, G. (2013). The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9. In A. Adamson, J. Davies, & Robson (Eds.), THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE (pp. 251-258). (Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings; Vol. 37). Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23

Sobral, David ; Best, Philip ; Geach, Jim ; Smail, Ian ; Kurk, Jaron ; Cirasuolo, Michele ; Casali, Mark ; Ivison, Rob ; Coppin, Kristen ; Dalton, Gavin. / The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9. THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE. editor / A Adamson ; J Davies ; Robson. NEW YORK : Springer-Verlag, 2013. pp. 251-258 (Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings).

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abstract = "We present the largest area survey to date (1.4 deg(2)) for Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z similar to 9, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). The survey, which primarily targets H' emitters at z <3, uses the Wide Field Camera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrowband filter in the J band to reach a Ly alpha luminosity limit of similar to 10(43.8) erg s(-1) over a co-moving volume of 1.12 x 10(6) Mpc(3) at z = 8.96 +/- 0.06. Two candidates were found out of 1,517 line emitters, but those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. This improves the limit on the space density of bright Ly' emitters by three orders of magnitude and is consistent with suppression of the bright end of the Ly' luminosity function beyond z similar to 6. Combined with upper limits from smaller but deeper surveys, this rules out some of the most extreme models for high-redshift Ly alpha emitters. The potential contamination of narrowband Ly' surveys at z > 7 by Galactic brown dwarf stars is also examined, leading to the conclusion that such contamination may well be significant for searches at 7.7 ",

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author = "David Sobral and Philip Best and Jim Geach and Ian Smail and Jaron Kurk and Michele Cirasuolo and Mark Casali and Rob Ivison and Kristen Coppin and Gavin Dalton",

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Sobral, D, Best, P, Geach, J, Smail, I, Kurk, J, Cirasuolo, M, Casali, M, Ivison, R, Coppin, K & Dalton, G 2013, The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9. in A Adamson, J Davies & Robson (eds), THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, vol. 37, Springer-Verlag, NEW YORK, pp. 251-258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23

The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9. / Sobral, David; Best, Philip; Geach, Jim; Smail, Ian; Kurk, Jaron; Cirasuolo, Michele; Casali, Mark; Ivison, Rob; Coppin, Kristen; Dalton, Gavin.

THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE. ed. / A Adamson; J Davies; Robson. NEW YORK : Springer-Verlag, 2013. p. 251-258 (Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings; Vol. 37).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

TY - CHAP

T1 - The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9

AU - Sobral, David

AU - Best, Philip

AU - Geach, Jim

AU - Smail, Ian

AU - Kurk, Jaron

AU - Cirasuolo, Michele

AU - Casali, Mark

AU - Ivison, Rob

AU - Coppin, Kristen

AU - Dalton, Gavin

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - We present the largest area survey to date (1.4 deg(2)) for Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z similar to 9, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). The survey, which primarily targets H' emitters at z <3, uses the Wide Field Camera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrowband filter in the J band to reach a Ly alpha luminosity limit of similar to 10(43.8) erg s(-1) over a co-moving volume of 1.12 x 10(6) Mpc(3) at z = 8.96 +/- 0.06. Two candidates were found out of 1,517 line emitters, but those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. This improves the limit on the space density of bright Ly' emitters by three orders of magnitude and is consistent with suppression of the bright end of the Ly' luminosity function beyond z similar to 6. Combined with upper limits from smaller but deeper surveys, this rules out some of the most extreme models for high-redshift Ly alpha emitters. The potential contamination of narrowband Ly' surveys at z > 7 by Galactic brown dwarf stars is also examined, leading to the conclusion that such contamination may well be significant for searches at 7.7

AB - We present the largest area survey to date (1.4 deg(2)) for Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z similar to 9, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). The survey, which primarily targets H' emitters at z <3, uses the Wide Field Camera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrowband filter in the J band to reach a Ly alpha luminosity limit of similar to 10(43.8) erg s(-1) over a co-moving volume of 1.12 x 10(6) Mpc(3) at z = 8.96 +/- 0.06. Two candidates were found out of 1,517 line emitters, but those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. This improves the limit on the space density of bright Ly' emitters by three orders of magnitude and is consistent with suppression of the bright end of the Ly' luminosity function beyond z similar to 6. Combined with upper limits from smaller but deeper surveys, this rules out some of the most extreme models for high-redshift Ly alpha emitters. The potential contamination of narrowband Ly' surveys at z > 7 by Galactic brown dwarf stars is also examined, leading to the conclusion that such contamination may well be significant for searches at 7.7

KW - ULTRA-DEEP-FIELD

KW - STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

KW - HIGH-REDSHIFT SURVEY

KW - J-BAND SEARCH

KW - EMITTING GALAXIES

KW - H-ALPHA

KW - LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS

KW - REIONIZATION EPOCH

KW - HUBBLE

KW - EVOLUTION

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DO - 10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23

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SN - 978-94-007-7431-5

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SP - 251

EP - 258

BT - THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE

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Sobral D, Best P, Geach J, Smail I, Kurk J, Cirasuolo M et al. The HiZELS/UKIRT Large Survey for Bright Ly alpha Emitters at z similar to 9. In Adamson A, Davies J, Robson, editors, THIRTY YEARS OF ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY WITH UKIRT: THE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INFRARED TELESCOPE. NEW YORK: Springer-Verlag. 2013. p. 251-258. (Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7432-2_23