Luminosity Functions of Lyman Alpha Emitting Galaxies and Cosmic Reionization of Hydrogen

Abstract

Recent observations imply that the observed number counts of Lya Emitters (LAEs) evolved significantly between z=5.7 and z=6.5. It has been suggested that this was due to a rapid evolution in the ionisation state, and hence transmission of the IGM which caused Lya flux from z=6.5 galaxies to be more strongly suppressed. In this paper we consider the joint evolution of the Lya and UV luminosity functions (LFs) and show that the IGM transmission evolved between z=6.5 and z=5.7 by a factor 1.1 <R < 1.8 (95% CL). This result is insensitive to the underlying model of the Lya LF (as well as cosmic variance). Using a model for IGM transmission, we find that the evolution of the mean IGM density through cosmic expansion alone may result in a value for the ratio of transmissions as high as R=1.3. Thus, the existing LFs do not provide evidence for overlap. Furthermore, the constraint R<1.8 suggests that the Universe at z=6.5 was more than half ionised by volume, i.e. x_i,V>0.5.

MNRAS in press. Constraints from rest-frame UV LF added. Discussion added on cosmic variance. Lower limit on x_i,V lowered to 0.5 (from 0.8)