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arXiv 0910.0077astro-ph.CO
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哈勃超深场宽视场照相机3观测揭示再电离时代的星系形成

Galaxy Formation In The Reionization Epoch As Hinted By Wide Field Camera 3 Observations Of The Hubble Ultra Deep Field

Haojing Yan, Rogier Windhorst, Nimish Hathi, Seth Cohen, Russell Ryan, Robert O'Connell, Patrick McCarthy

摘要:

我们提出了一个大样本的候选星系在z~7- 10,选择在HUDF使用的新的观测HST/WFC 3。我们的样品由20个Z形辍学,15个Y形辍学和20个J形辍学组成。z-脱落的表面密度接近于早期研究预测的密度,然而,Y-和J-脱落的表面密度是相当出乎意料的。虽然在AB < 28.0 mag时没有发现Y或J的脱落,但它们的表面密度似乎在较暗的水平上急剧增加。虽然这些候选星系中的一些看起来很接近前景星系,因此可能是引力透镜,但排除这些情况后的整体表面密度仍然比如果光度函数没有从z~7演变到10的预期要高得多。受这种急剧增加的启发,我们尝试性地提出了一组Schechter函数参数来描述z~8和10处的LF。与z~7处的对应物相比,这里L* 减小~ 6.5倍,Phi* 增加17- 90倍。虽然这些参数还没有被现有的观测所要求,但它们是允许的,而且似乎比其他替代方案更符合数据。如果这些LF在我们目前的探测极限之外仍然有效,这将意味着当回顾z~10时,突然出现了大量的低光度星系,虽然看起来很奇特,但自然符合宇宙氢再电离的图像。这些早期星系可以很容易地解释再电离所需的电离光子预算,它们意味着全球恒星形成率密度可能从z~10的一个非常高的值开始,在z~7迅速达到最小值,并开始再次上升到z~6。在这种情况下,宇宙在再电离时期聚集的大部分恒星质量似乎仍然没有被目前在z~6的观测所发现。[删节]

英文摘要:

We present a large sample of candidate galaxies at z~7--10, selected in the HUDF using the new observations made by the HST/WFC3. Our sample is composed of 20 z-dropouts, 15 Y-dropouts, and 20 J-dropouts. The surface densities of the z-dropouts are close to what predicted by earlier studies, however, those of the Y- and J-dropouts are quite unexpected. While no Y- or J-dropouts have been found at AB < 28.0 mag, their surface densities seem to increase sharply at fainter levels. While some of these candidates seem to be close to foreground galaxies and thus could possibly be gravitationally lensed, the overall surface densities after excluding such cases are still much higher than what would be expected if the luminosity function does not evolve from z~7 to 10. Motivated by such steep increases, we tentatively propose a set of Schechter function parameters to describe the LFs at z~8 and 10. As compared to their counterpart at z~7, here L* decreases by ~ 6.5x and Phi* increases by 17--90x. Although such parameters are not yet demanded by the existing observations, they are allowed and seem to agree with the data better than other alternatives. If these LFs are still valid beyond our current detection limit, this would imply a sudden emergence of a large number of low-luminosity galaxies when looking back in time to z~10, which, while seemingly exotic, would naturally fit in the picture of the cosmic hydrogen reionization. These early galaxies could easily account for the ionizing photon budget required by the reionization, and they would imply that the global star formation rate density might start from a very high value at z~10, rapidly reach the minimum at z~7, and start to rise again towards z~6. In this scenario, the majority of the stellar mass that the universe assembled through the reionization epoch seems still undetected by current observations at z~6. [Abridged]

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