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A Luminosity Function of Ly(alpha)-Emitting Galaxies at Z [Approx. Equal to] 4.5(Sup 1),(Sup 2)We present a catalog of 59 z [approx. equal to] 4:5 Ly(alpha)-emitting galaxies spectroscopically confirmed in a campaign of Keck DEIMOS follow-up observations to candidates selected in the Large Are (LALA) narrowband imaging survey.We targeted 97 candidates for spectroscopic follow-up; by accounting for the variety of conditions under which we performed spectroscopy, we estimate a selection reliability of approx.76%. Together with our previous sample of Keck LRIS confirmations, the 59 sources confirmed herein bring the total catalog to 73 spectroscopically confirmed z [approx. equal to] 4:5 Ly(alpha)- emitting galaxies in the [approx. equal to] 0.7 deg(exp 2) covered by the LALA imaging. As with the Keck LRIS sample, we find that a nonnegligible fraction of the co rest-frame equivalent widths (W(sub lambda)(sup rest)) that exceed the maximum predicted for normal stellar populations: 17%-31%(93%confidence) of the detected galaxies show (W(sub lambda)(sup rest)) 12%-27% (90% confidence) show (W(sub lambda)(sup rest)) > 240 A. We construct a luminosity function of z [approx. equal to] 4.5 Ly(alpha) emission lines for comparison to Ly(alpha) luminosity function < 6.6. We find no significant evidence for Ly(alpha) luminosity function evolution from z [approx. equal to] 3 to z [approx. equal to] 6. This result supports the conclusion that the intergalactic me largely reionized from the local universe out to z [approx. equal to] 6.5. It is somewhat at odds with the pronounced drop in the cosmic star formation rate density recently measured between z approx. 3 an z approx. 6 in continuum-selected Lyman-break galaxies, and therefore potentially sheds light on the relationship between the two populations.
Document ID
20080036105
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Dawson, Steve
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Rhoads, James E.
(Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Malhotra, Sangeeta
(Arizona State Univ. Tempe, AZ, United States)
Stern, Daniel
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Wang, JunXian
(University of Science and Technology Anhui, China)
Dey, Arjun
(Kitt Peak National Observatory Tucson, AZ, United States)
Spinrad, Hyron
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Jannuzi, Buell T.
(Kitt Peak National Observatory Tucson, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
December 20, 2007
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Volume: 671
Subject Category
Astronomy
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST 95-28536
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST 01-32798
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
cosmology
galaxies
early universe
high redshift
formation
evolution

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