Search

The escaping ionising efficiency from galaxies, fescξion, is a crucial ingredient for understanding their contribution to hydrogen reionisation, but both of its components, fesc and ξion, are extremely difficult to measure. We measured the average escaping ionising efficiency ⟨fescξion⟩ of galaxies at z = 5 implied by the mean level of ionisation in the intergalactic medium via the Lyman-α forest. We used the fact that Nion = ρUVfescξion, N ˙ ion = ρ UV f esc ξ ion the product of the ionising output and the UV density ρUV, can be calculated from the known average strength of the UV background and the mean free path of ionising photons. These quantities, as well as ρUV, are robustly measured at z ≤ 6. We calculated the missing factor of ⟨fescξion⟩ at z = 5 during a convenient epoch after hydrogen reionisation had been completed and the intergalactic medium had reached ionisation equilibrium but before bright quasars began to dominate the ionising photon production. Intuitively, our constraint corresponds to the required escaping ionising production from galaxies in order to avoid over- or under-ionising the Lyman-α forest. We obtained a measurement of log⟨fescξion⟩/erg Hz-1 = 24.28+0.21-0.20 − 1 = 24. 28 − 0.20 + 0.21 at z = 5 when integrating the ρUV down to a limiting magnitude Mlim = −11. Our measurement of the escaping ionising efficiency of galaxies is in rough agreement with both observations of early galaxies and with most models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep imaging of galaxy cluster fields have in recent years revealed tens of candidates for gravitationally lensed stars at redshifts z ≈ 1 − 6, and future searches are expected to reveal highly magnified stars from even earlier epochs. Multi-band photometric observations may be used to constrain the redshift, effective temperature Teff, and dust attenuation along the line of sight to such objects. When combined with an estimate of the likely magnification, these quantities may be converted into a constraint on the stellar luminosity and, for an adopted set of stellar evolutionary tracks, the initial stellar mass. Further characterisation is difficult, however, without spectroscopic observations, which at the typical brightness levels of high-redshift lensed stars becomes extremely challenging for even the largest existing telescopes. Here, we explore what spectral features one can realistically hope to detect in lensed stars with peak brightness in the range 26–28 AB mag, Teff = 4000 − 50 000 K, and redshifts z = 1 − 10, using spectroscopy with JWST and the forthcoming ELT. We find that a majority of detectable lines appear in the rest-UV range for stars with Teff ≥ 15 000 K. The strongest detectable spectral lines are the C IVλ1550 Å line and the Si IVλλ1393, 1403 Å-doublet at Teff = 30 000 K. For lower temperatures, the calcium H- and K-lines at Teff = 6000 K are among the most readily detectable. In limited wavelength ranges, ELT is expected to provide more sensitive spectroscopic observations, and with higher resolution than JWST. We find that variations in both mass-loss rate and metallicity lead to noticeable effects in the detectability of certain spectral lines with both JWST and ELT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a compact star-forming galaxy at z = 9.380 in the GOODS-North field (named GN-z9p4), which shows numerous strong UV-optical emission lines and a single UV line, N IV] λ1486. This makes GN-z9p4 the third-highest redshift N-emitter known to date. We determined the nebular abundances of H, C, N, O and Ne, along with the size and other physical properties of this object, then compared them to those of the other N-emitters known so far and to other star-forming galaxies. Using the direct method, we found a metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 7.37 ± 0.15, which stands as one of the lowest among N-emitters. The N/O abundance ratio is highly super-solar, while C/O and Ne/O are normal compared to other galaxies at low metallicity. We show that the compactness of GN-z9p4 (with an effective radius of 118 ± 16 pc at 2 μm) and other N-emitters translates to very high stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) surface densities, which could serve as a criterium for identifying other N-emitters. Future studies and larger samples are needed to understand these rare, and enigmatic objects that have only recently been discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The redshifted 21 cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) directly probes the ionization and thermal states of the intergalactic medium during that period. In particular, the distribution of the ionized regions around the radiating sources during EoR introduces scale-dependent features in the spherically averaged EoR 21 cm signal power spectrum. Aims. The goal is to study these scale-dependent features at different stages of reionization using numerical simulations and to build a source model-independent framework to probe the properties of the intergalactic medium using EoR 21 cm signal power spectrum measurements. Methods. Under the assumption of high spin temperature, we modeled the redshift evolution of the ratio of the EoR 21 cm brightness temperature power spectrum to the corresponding density power spectrum using an ansatz consisting of a set of redshift and scale-independent parameters. This set of eight parameters probes the redshift evolution of the average ionization fraction and the quantities related to the morphology of the ionized regions. Results. We tested this ansatz on different reionization scenarios generated using different simulation algorithms and found that it is able to recover the redshift evolution of the average neutral fraction within an absolute deviation ≲0.1. Conclusions. Our framework allows us to interpret 21 cm signal power spectra in terms of parameters related to the state of the IGM. This source model-independent framework is able to efficiently constrain reionization scenarios using multi-redshift power spectrum measurements with ongoing and future radio telescopes such as LOFAR, MWA, HERA, and SKA. This will add independent information regarding the EoR IGM properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have further refined the spectroscopic redshift of GN-z11, one of the most distant galaxies identified with the Hubble Space Telescope, at z = 10.603. The presence of extremely dense gas (> 1010 cm−3), the detection of high-ionisation lines and of CII*1335 emission, and the presence of an ionisation cone indicate that GN-z11 also hosts an active galactic nucleus. Further photometric and spectroscopic follow-up demonstrates that it lies in a large-scale, overdense structure with possible signatures of Population III stars in its halo. Surprisingly, Lyα has also been detected despite the expected largely neutral intergalactic medium at such a redshift. We exploit recent JWST/NIRSpec integral field unit observations to demonstrate that the Lyα emission in GN-z11 is part of an extended halo with a minimum size of 0.8–3.2 kpc, depending on the definition used to derive the halo size. The surface brightness of the Lyα halo around GN-z11 appears consistent with Lyα halos observed around z ∼ 6 quasars. At the wavelength of Lyα at z ∼ 10.6, we identify three other emission line candidates within the integral field unit field of view with no UV rest-frame counterpart visible in deep images from the JWST/NIRCam. If confirmed, this could be the first evidence that the local region of GN-z11 represents a candidate protocluster core, forming just 400 Myr after the Big Bang. We give a first estimate of the dark matter halo mass of this structure (Mh = 2.96−0.39+0.44 × 1010 M⊙), which is consistent with a Coma-like cluster progenitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Halos with masses in excess of the atomic limit are believed to be ideal environments in which to form heavy black hole seeds with masses above 103 M⊙. In cases where the H2 fraction is suppressed, this is expected to lead to reduced fragmentation of the gas and the generation of a top-heavy initial mass function. In extreme cases this can result in the formation of massive black hole seeds. Resolving the initial fragmentation scale and the resulting protostellar masses has, until now, not been robustly tested. Aims. We run zoom-in simulations of atomically cooled halos in which the formation of H2 is suppressed to assess whether they can truly resist fragmentation at high densities and tilt the initial mass function towards a more top-heavy form and the formation of massive black hole seeds. Methods. Cosmological simulations were performed with the moving mesh code AREPO, using a primordial chemistry network until z ∼ 11. Three haloes with masses in excess of the atomic cooling mass were then selected for detailed examination via zoom-ins. A series of zoom-in simulations, with varying levels of maximum spatial resolution, captured the resulting fragmentation and formation of metal-free stars using the sink particle technique. The highest resolution simulations resolved densities up to 10−6 g cm−3 (1018 cm−3) and captured a further 100 yr of fragmentation behaviour at the centre of the halo. Lower resolution simulations were then used to model the future accretion behaviour of the sinks over longer timescales. Results. Our simulations show intense fragmentation in the central region of the halos, leading to a large number of near-solar mass protostars. Even in the presence of a super-critical Lyman-Werner radiation field (JLW > 105J21), H2 continues to form within the inner ∼2000 au of the halo. Despite the increased fragmentation, the halos produce a protostellar mass spectrum that peaks at higher masses relative to standard Population III star-forming halos. The most massive protostars have accretion rates of 10−3–10−1 M⊙ yr−1 after the first 100 years of evolution, while the total mass of the central region grows at 1 M⊙ yr−1. Lower resolution zoom-ins show that the total mass of the system continues to accrete at ∼1 M⊙ yr−1 for at least 104 yr, although how this mass is distributed amongst the rapidly growing number of protostars is unclear. However, assuming that a fraction of stars can continue to accrete rapidly, the formation of a sub-population of stars with masses in excess of 103 M⊙ is likely in these halos. In the most optimistic case, we predict the formation of heavy black hole seeds with masses in excess of 104 M⊙, assuming an accretion behaviour in line with expectations from super-competitive accretion and/or frequent mergers with secondary protostars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Population III (pop III) stars were born in halos characterised by a pristine gas composition. In such a halo, once the gas density reaches nH ∼ 1 cm−3, molecular cooling leads to the collapse of the gas and the birth of pop III stars. Halo properties, such as the chemical abundances, mass, and angular momentum can affect the collapse of the gas, thereby leading to the pop III initial mass function (IMF) of star formation. Aims. We want to study the properties of primordial halos and how halos that host early star formation differ from other types of halos. The aim of this study is to obtain a representative population of halos at a given redshift hosting a cold and massive gas cloud that enables the birth of the first stars. Methods. We investigated the growth of primordial halos in a ΛCDM Universe in a large cosmological simulation. We used the hydrodynamic code RAMSES and the chemical solver KROME to study halo formation with non-equilibrium thermochemistry. We then identified structures in the dark and baryonic matter fields, thereby linking the presence or absence of dense gas clouds to the mass and the physical properties of the hosting halos. Results. In our simulations, the mass threshold for a halo for hosting a cold dense gas cloud is ≃7 × 105 M⊙ and the threshold in the H2 mass fraction is found to be ≃2 × 10−4. This is in agreement with previous works. We find that the halo history and accretion rate play a minor role. Here, we present halos with higher HD abundances, which are shown to be colder, as the temperature in the range between 102 − 104 cm−3 depends on the HD abundance to a large extent. The higher fraction of HD is linked to the higher spin parameter that is seen for the dense gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report observational evidence of highly turbulent ionized gas kinematics in a sample of 20 Lyman continuum (LyC) emitters (LCEs) at low redshift (z ∼ 0.3). Detailed Gaussian modeling of optical emission line profiles in high-dispersion spectra consistently shows that both bright recombination and collisionally excited lines can be fitted as one or two narrow components with intrinsic velocity dispersion of σ ∼ 40 − 100 km s−1, in addition to a broader component with σ ∼ 100 − 300 km s−1, which contributes up to ∼40% of the total flux and is preferentially blueshifted from the systemic velocity. We interpret the narrow emission as highly ionized gas close to the young massive star clusters and the broader emission as a signpost of unresolved ionized outflows, resulting from massive stars and supernova feedback. We find a significant correlation between the width of the broad emission and the LyC escape fraction, with strong LCEs exhibiting more complex and broader line profiles than galaxies with weaker or undetected LyC emission. We provide new observational evidence supporting predictions from models and simulations; our findings suggest that gas turbulence and outflows resulting from strong radiative and mechanical feedback play a key role in clearing channels through which LyC photons escape from galaxies. We propose that the detection of blueshifted broad emission in the nebular lines of compact extreme emission-line galaxies can provide a new indirect diagnostic of Lyman photon escape, which could be useful to identify potential LyC leakers in the epoch of reionization with the JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the environments of 17 Lyman-α emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the reionisation-era (5.8 < z < 8) identified by JWST/NIRSpec as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). Unless situated in sufficiently (re)ionised regions, Lyman-α emission from these galaxies would be strongly absorbed by neutral gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM). We conservatively estimate sizes of the ionised regions required to reconcile the relatively low Lyman-α velocity offsets (ΔvLyα < 300 km s−1) with moderately high Lyman-α escape fractions (fesc, Lyα > 5%) observed in our sample of LAEs, suggesting the presence of ionised hydrogen along the line of sight towards at least eight out of 17 LAEs. We find minimum physical 'bubble' sizes of the order of Rion ∼ 0.1–1 pMpc are required in a patchy reionisation scenario where ionised bubbles containing the LAEs are embedded in a fully neutral IGM. Around half of the LAEs in our sample are found to coincide with large-scale galaxy overdensities seen in FRESCO at z ∼ 5.8–5.9 and z ∼ 7.3, suggesting Lyman-α transmission is strongly enhanced in such overdense regions, and underlining the importance of LAEs as tracers of the first large-scale ionised bubbles. Considering only spectroscopically confirmed galaxies, we find our sample of UV-faint LAEs (MUV ≳ −20 mag) and their direct neighbours are generally not able to produce the required ionised regions based on the Lyman-α transmission properties, suggesting lower-luminosity sources likely play an important role in carving out these bubbles. These observations demonstrate the combined power of JWST multi-object and slitless spectroscopy in acquiring a unique view of the early Universe during cosmic reionisation via the most distant LAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical processes that make a galaxy a Lyman alpha emitter have been extensively studied over the past 25 yr. However, the correlations between physical and morphological properties of galaxies and the strength of the Lyα emission line are still highly debated. Here, we investigate the correlations between the rest-frame Lyα equivalent width and stellar mass, star formation rate, dust reddening, metallicity, age, half-light semi-major axis, Sérsic index, and projected axis ratio in a sample of 1578 galaxies in the redshift range of 2 ≤ z ≤ 7.9 from the GOODS-S, UDS, and COSMOS fields. From the large sample of Lyα emitters (LAEs) in the dataset, we find that LAEs are typically common main sequence (MS) star-forming galaxies that show a stellar mass ≤109 M⊙, star formation rate ≤ 100.5M⊙ yr−1, E(B − V)≤0.2, and half-light semi-major axis ≤1 kpc. Building on these findings, we have developed a new method based on a random forest (RF) machine learning (ML) classifier to select galaxies with the highest probability of being Lyα emitters. When applied to a population in the redshift range z ∈ [2.5, 4.5], our classifier holds a (80 ± 2)% accuracy and (73 ± 4)% precision. At higher redshifts (z ∈ [4.5, 6]), we obtained an accuracy of 73% and precision of 80%. These results highlight the possibility of overcoming the current limitations in assembling large samples of LAEs by making informed predictions that can be used for planning future large-scale spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Contemporary research suggests that the reionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the early Universe was predominantly realised by star-forming (proto-)galaxies (SFGs). Due to observational constraints, our knowledge on the origins of suffcient amounts of ionising Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and the mechanisms facilitating their transport into the IGM remains sparse. Recent efforts have thus focussed on the study of local analogues to these high-redshift objects. Aims. We aim to acquire a set of very low-redshift SFGs that exhibit signs of a hard radiation field being present. A subsequent analysis of their emission line properties is intended to shed light on how the conditions prevalent in these objects compare to those predicted to be present in early SFGs that are thought to be LyC emitters (LCEs). Methods. We used archival spectroscopic SDSS DR12 data to select a sample of low-redshift He ii 4686 emitters and restricted it to a set of SFGs with an emission line diagnostic sensitive to the presence of an active galactic nucleus, which serves as our only selection criterion. We performed a population spectral synthesis with fado to reconstruct these galaxies' star-formation histories (SFHs). Utilising the spectroscopic information at hand, we constrained the predominant ionisation mechanisms in these galaxies and inferred information on interstellar medium (ISM) conditions relevant for the escape of LyC radiation. Results. Our final sample consists of eighteen ionised, metal-poor galaxies (IMPs). These low-mass (6:2 log (M=M) 8:8), low-metallicity (7:54 log (O=H) + 12 8:13) dwarf galaxies appear to be predominantly ionised by stellar sources. We find large [O iii] 5007/[O ii] 3727 ratios and [S ii] 6717,6731/Hff deficiencies, which provide strong indications for these galaxies to be LCEs. At least 40% of these objects are candidates for featuring cosmologically significant LyC escape fractions &10%. The IMPs' SFHs exhibit strong similarities and almost all galaxies appear to contain an old (>1 Gyr) stellar component, while also harbouring a young, two-stage (~10 Myr and <1 Myr) starburst, which we speculate might be related to LyC escape. Conclusions. The properties of the compact emission line galaxies presented here align well with those observed in many local LCEs. In fact, our sample may prove as an extension to the rather small catalogue of local LCEs, as the extreme ISM conditions we find are assumed to facilitate LyC leakage. Notably, all of our eighteen candidates are significantly closer (z < 0:1) than most established LCEs. If the inferred LyC photon loss is genuine, this demonstrates that selecting SFGs from He ii 4686 is a powerful selection criterion in the search for LCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of the 21 cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn is a major goal for several existing and upcoming radio interferometers such as NenuFAR and SKA. During this era before the beginning of the Epoch of Reionisation, the signal is more diffcult to observe due to brighter foregrounds, but it reveals additional information on the underlying astrophysical processes encoded in the spatial fluctuations of the spin temperature of hydrogen. To interpret future measurements, controlling the level of accuracy of the Lyman-α flux modelling is mandatory. In this work, we evaluate the impact of various approximations that exist in the main fast modelling approach compared to the results of a costly full radiative transfer simulation. The fast SPINTER code, presented in this work, computes the Lyman-α flux including the effect of wing scatterings for an inhomogeneous emissivity field, but assuming an otherwise homogeneous expanding universe. The LICORICE code computes the full radiative transfer in the Lyman-α line without any substantial approximation. We find that the difference between homogeneous and inhomogeneous gas density and temperature is very small for the computed flux. On the contrary, neglecting the effect of gas velocities produces a significant change in the computed flux. We identify the causes (mainly Doppler shifts due to velocity gradients) and quantify the magnitude of the effect in both an idealised setup and a realistic cosmological situation. We find that the amplitude of the effect, up to a factor of ~2 on the 21 cm signal power spectrum on some scales (depending on both other model parameters and the redshift), can be easily discriminated with an SKA-like survey and can already be approached, particularly for exotic signals, by the ongoing NenuFAR Cosmic Dawn Key Science Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Contemporary research suggests that the reionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the early Universe was predominantly realised by star-forming (proto-)galaxies (SFGs). Due to observational constraints, our knowledge on the origins of suffcient amounts of ionising Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and the mechanisms facilitating their transport into the IGM remains sparse. Recent efforts have thus focussed on the study of local analogues to these high-redshift objects. Aims. We aim to acquire a set of very low-redshift SFGs that exhibit signs of a hard radiation field being present. A subsequent analysis of their emission line properties is intended to shed light on how the conditions prevalent in these objects compare to those predicted to be present in early SFGs that are thought to be LyC emitters (LCEs). Methods. We used archival spectroscopic SDSS DR12 data to select a sample of low-redshift He ii 4686 emitters and restricted it to a set of SFGs with an emission line diagnostic sensitive to the presence of an active galactic nucleus, which serves as our only selection criterion. We performed a population spectral synthesis with fado to reconstruct these galaxies' star-formation histories (SFHs). Utilising the spectroscopic information at hand, we constrained the predominant ionisation mechanisms in these galaxies and inferred information on interstellar medium (ISM) conditions relevant for the escape of LyC radiation. Results. Our final sample consists of eighteen ionised, metal-poor galaxies (IMPs). These low-mass (6:2 log (M=M) 8:8), low-metallicity (7:54 log (O=H) + 12 8:13) dwarf galaxies appear to be predominantly ionised by stellar sources. We find large [O iii] 5007/[O ii] 3727 ratios and [S ii] 6717,6731/Hff deficiencies, which provide strong indications for these galaxies to be LCEs. At least 40% of these objects are candidates for featuring cosmologically significant LyC escape fractions &10%. The IMPs' SFHs exhibit strong similarities and almost all galaxies appear to contain an old (>1 Gyr) stellar component, while also harbouring a young, two-stage (~10 Myr and <1 Myr) starburst, which we speculate might be related to LyC escape. Conclusions. The properties of the compact emission line galaxies presented here align well with those observed in many local LCEs. In fact, our sample may prove as an extension to the rather small catalogue of local LCEs, as the extreme ISM conditions we find are assumed to facilitate LyC leakage. Notably, all of our eighteen candidates are significantly closer (z < 0:1) than most established LCEs. If the inferred LyC photon loss is genuine, this demonstrates that selecting SFGs from He ii 4686 is a powerful selection criterion in the search for LCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensity mapping of the 21 cm signal of neutral hydrogen will yield exciting insights into the Epoch of Reionisation and the nature of the first galaxies. However, the large amount of data that will be generated by the next generation of radio telescopes, such as the Square Kilometre Array, as well as the numerous observational obstacles to overcome, require analysis techniques tuned to extract the reionisation history and morphology. In this context, we introduce a one-point statistic, which we refer to as the local variance, σloc, that describes the distribution of the mean differential 21 cm brightness temperatures measured in two-dimensional maps along the frequency direction of a light cone. The local variance takes advantage of what is usually considered an observational bias, the sample variance. We find the redshift-evolution of the local variance to not only probe the reionisation history of the observed patches of the sky, but also trace the ionisation morphology. This estimator provides a promising tool to constrain the midpoint of reionisation as well as gain insight into the ionising properties of early galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the intersection between the populations of star forming galaxies selected as either Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) or Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in the redshift range 2.9 − 6.7 and within the same volume of universe sampled by the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) behind the Hubble Frontier Fields lensing cluster A2744. We define three samples of star-forming galaxies: LBG galaxies with an LAE counterpart (92 galaxies), LBG galaxies without an LAE counterpart (408 galaxies), and LAE galaxies without an LBG counterpart (46 galaxies). All these galaxies are intrinsically faint because of the lensing nature of the sample (M1500 ≥ −20.5). The fraction of LAEs among all selected star-forming galaxies increases with redshift up to z ∼ 6 and decreases for higher redshifts, in agreement with previous findings. The evolution of LAE/LBG populations with UV magnitude and Lyα luminosity shows that the LAE selection is able to identify intrinsically UV faint galaxies with M1500 ≥ −15 that are typically missed in the deepest lensing photometric surveys. The LBG population seems to fairly represent the total population of star-forming galaxies down to M1500 ∼ −15. Galaxies with M1500 < −17 tend to have SFRLyα < SFRuv, whereas the opposite trend is observed within our sample for faint galaxies with M1500 > −17, including galaxies only detected by their Lyα emission, with a large scatter. These trends, previously observed in other samples of star-forming galaxies at high-z, are seen here for very faint M1500 ∼ −15 galaxies; that is, much fainter than in previous studies. The present results show no clear evidence for an intrinsic difference between the properties of the two populations selected as LBG and/or LAE. The observed trends could be explained by a combination of several phenomena, like the existence of different star-formation regimes, the dust content, the relative distribution and morphology of dust and stars, or the stellar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a set of cosmological hydro-dynamical simulations, we constrained the properties of primordial magnetic fields by studying their impact on the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies. We performed a large set of simulations (8 dark matter only and 72 chemo-hydrodynamical) including primordial magnetic fields through the extra density fluctuations they induce at small length scales (k ≥ 10 h Mpc−1) in the matter power spectrum. Our sample of dwarfs includes nine systems selected out of the initial (3.4 Mpc h−1)3 parent box, resimulated from z = 200 to z = 0 using a zoom-in technique and including the physics of baryons. We explored a wide variety of primordial magnetic fields with strength Bλ ranging from 0.05 to 0.50 nG and magnetic energy spectrum slopes nB from −2.9 to −2.1. Strong magnetic fields characterized by a high amplitude (Bλ = 0.50,  0.20 nG with nB = −2.9) or by a steep initial power spectrum slope (nB = −2.1, −2.4, with Bλ = 0.05 nG) induce perturbations on mass scales from 107 to 109 M⊙. In this context emerging galaxies see their star formation rates strongly boosted. They become more luminous and metal rich than their counterparts without primordial magnetic fields. Such strong fields are ruled out by their inability to reproduce the observed scaling relations of dwarf galaxies. They predict that dwarf galaxies are at the origin of an unrealistically early reionization of the Universe and that they also overproduce luminous satellites in the Local Group. Weaker magnetic fields impacting the primordial density field at corresponding masses ≲106 M⊙, produce a large number of mini dark matter halos orbiting the dwarfs, however out of reach for current lensing observations. This study allows us, for the first time, to constrain the properties of primordial magnetic fields based on realistic cosmological simulations of dwarf galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The identification of the sources that reionized the Universe and their specific contribution to this process are key missing pieces of our knowledge of the early Universe. Faint star-forming galaxies may be the main contributors to the ionizing photon budget during the epoch of reionization, but their escaping photons cannot be detected directly due to inter-galactic medium opacity. Hence, it is essential to characterize the properties of faint galaxies with significant Lyman continuum (LyC) photon leakage up to z ∼ 4 to define indirect indicators allowing analogs to be found at the highest redshift. Aims. Long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) typically explode in star-forming regions of faint, star-forming galaxies. Through LGRB afterglow spectroscopy it is possible to detect directly LyC photons. Our aim is to use LGRBs as tools to study LyC leakage from faint, star-forming galaxies at high redshift. Methods. Here we present the observations of LyC emission in the afterglow spectra of GRB 191004B at z = 3.5055, together with those of the other two previously known LyC-leaking LGRB host galaxies (GRB 050908 at z = 3.3467, and GRB 060607A at z = 3.0749), to determine their LyC escape fraction and compare their properties. Results. From the afterglow spectrum of GRB 191004B we determine a neutral hydrogen column density at the LGRB redshift of log(NH I/cm−2) = 17.2 ± 0.15, and negligible extinction (AV = 0.03 ± 0.02 mag). The only metal absorption lines detected are C IV and Si IV. In contrast to GRB 050908 and GRB 060607A, the host galaxy of GRB 191004B displays significant Lyman-alpha (Lyα) emission. From its Lyα emission and the non-detection of Balmer emission lines we constrain its star-formation rate (SFR) to 1 ≤ SFR ≤ 4.7 M⊙ yr−1. We fit the Lyα emission with a shell model and find parameters values consistent with the observed ones. The absolute (relative) LyC escape fractions we find for GRB 191004B, GRB 050908 and GRB 060607A are of 0.35−0.11+0.10 0. 35 − 0.11 + 0.10 $ 0.35^{+0.10}_{-0.11} $ (0.43−0.13+0.12 0. 43 − 0.13 + 0.12 $ 0.43^{+0.12}_{-0.13} $), 0.08−0.04+0.05 0. 08 − 0.04 + 0.05 $ 0.08^{+0.05}_{-0.04} $ (0.08−0.04+0.05 0. 08 − 0.04 + 0.05 $ 0.08^{+0.05}_{-0.04} $) and 0.20−0.05+0.05 0. 20 − 0.05 + 0.05 $ 0.20^{+0.05}_{-0.05} $ (0.45−0.15+0.15 0. 45 − 0.15 + 0.15 $ 0.45^{+0.15}_{-0.15} $), respectively. We compare the LyC escape fraction of LGRBs to the values of other LyC emitters found from the literature, showing that LGRB afterglows can be powerful tools to study LyC escape for faint high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Indeed we could push LyC leakage studies to much higher absolute magnitudes. The host galaxies of the three LGRBs presented here have all M1600 >  −19.5 mag, with the GRB 060607A host at M1600 >  −16 mag. LGRB hosts may therefore be particularly suitable for exploring the ionizing escape fraction in galaxies that are too faint or distant for conventional techniques. Furthermore, the time involved is minimal compared to galaxy studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Experiments that try to observe the 21 cm redshifted signals from the epoch of reionisation (EoR) using interferometric low-frequency instruments have stringent requirements on the processing accuracy. Aims. We analyse the accuracy of radio interferometric gridding of visibilities with the aim to quantify the power spectrum bias caused by gridding. We do this ultimately to determine the suitability of different imaging algorithms and gridding settings for an analysis of a 21 cm power spectrum. Methods. We simulated realistic Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) data and constructed power spectra with convolutional gridding and w stacking, w projection, image-domain gridding, and without w correction. These were compared against data that were directly Fourier transformed. The influence of oversampling, kernel size, w-quantization, kernel windowing function, and image padding were quantified. The gridding excess power was measured with a foreground subtraction strategy, for which foregrounds were subtracted using Gaussian progress regression, as well as with a foreground avoidance strategy. Results. Constructing a power spectrum with a significantly lower bias than the expected EoR signals is possible with the methods we tested, but requires a kernel oversampling factor of at least 4000, and when w-correction is used, at least 500 w-quantization levels. These values are higher than typically used values for imaging, but they are computationally feasible. The kernel size and padding factor parameters are less crucial. Of the tested methods, image-domain gridding shows the highest accuracy with the lowest imaging time. Conclusions. LOFAR 21 cm power spectrum results are not affected by gridding. Image-domain gridding is overall the most suitable algorithm for 21 cm EoR power spectrum experiments, including for future analyses of data from the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) EoR. Nevertheless, convolutional gridding with tuned parameters results in sufficient accuracy for interferometric 21 cm EoR experiments. This also holds for w stacking for wide-field imaging. The w-projection algorithm is less suitable because of the requirements for kernel oversampling, and a faceting approach is unsuitable because it causes spatial discontinuities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a total integration time of 168 h and a narrowband filter tuned to Lyα emission from z = 8.8, the UltraVISTA survey has set out to find some of the most distant galaxies, on the verge of the epoch of reionization. Previous calculations of the expected number of detected Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at this redshift based for example on extrapolation of lower-redshift luminosity functions did not explicitly take into account the radiative transfer of Lyα. In this work we have combined a theoretical model for the halo mass function, that is, the expected number of haloes per volume, with numerical results from high-resolution cosmological hydro-simulations post-processed with radiative transfer of ionizing UV and Lyα radiation, assessing the visibility of LAEs residing in these haloes. We have taken into account uncertainties such as cosmic variance and the anisotropic escape of Lyα, and predict that once the survey has finished, the probabilities of detecting none, one, or more than one are roughly 90%, 10%, and 1%, respectively. This is a significantly smaller success rate than in earlier predictions, due to the combined effect of a highly neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) scattering Lyα to such large distances from the galaxy that they fall outside the observational aperture, and to the actual depth of the survey being less than predicted. Because the IGM affects narrowband (NB) and broadband (BB) magnitudes differently, we argue for a relaxed colour selection criterion of mNB − mBB ≃ +0.85 in the AB system. Since the flux is dominated by the continuum, however, even if a galaxy is detectable in the NB, its probability of being selected as a narrowband excess object is ≲35%. Various additional properties of galaxies at this redshift are predicted, for example, the Lyα and UV luminosity functions, the stellar mass–halo mass relation, the spectral shape, the optimal aperture, as well as the anisotropic escape of Lyα through both the dusty, interstellar medium and through the partly neutral IGM. Finally, we describe and make public a fast numerical code for adding numbers with asymmetric uncertainties (" x+σ+−σ− x − σ − + σ + $ x_{-\sigma_{-}}^{+\sigma_{+}} $ ") which proves significantly more precise than the standard, but wrong, way of separately adding upper and lower uncertainties in quadrature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The reduced speed of light approximation is used in a variety of simulations of the epoch of reionization and galaxy formation. Its popularity stems from its ability to drastically reduce the computing cost of a simulation by allowing the use of larger and therefore fewer timesteps to reach a solution. This approximation is physically motivated by the fact that ionization fronts rarely propagate faster than some fraction of the speed of light. However, no global proof of the physical validity of this approach is available and possible artefacts resulting from this approximation therefore need to be identified and characterized to allow its proper use. Aims. In this paper we investigate the impact of the reduced speed of light approximation on the predicted properties of the intergalactic medium. Methods. To this end we used fully coupled radiation-hydrodynamics RAMSES-CUDATON simulations of the epoch of reionization. Results. We find that reducing the speed of light by a factor 5 (20, 100) leads to overestimating the post-reionization average volume-weighted neutral hydrogen fraction by a similar factor ∼5 (20, 100) with respect to full speed of light simulations. We show that the error is driven by the hydrogen – photon chemistry by considering the analytical solution for a strongly ionized hydrogen gas in photoionization equilibrium. In this regime, reducing the speed of light has the same effect as artificially reducing the photon density or the hydrogen photoionization cross section and leads to an underestimated ionizing intensity. We confirm this interpretation by running additional simulations using a reduced speed of light in the photon propagation module, but this time we keep the true speed of light in the chemistry module. With this set-up, the post-reionization neutral hydrogen fractions converge to the full speed of light value, which validates our explanation. Increasing spatial resolution beyond a cell size of 1 kpc physical, so as to better resolve Lyman-limit systems, does not significantly affect our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distant luminous Lyman-α emitters (LAEs) are excellent targets for spectroscopic observations of galaxies in the epoch of reionisation (EoR). We present deep high-resolution (R = 5000) VLT/X-shooter observations, along with an extensive collection of photometric data of COLA1, a proposed double peaked LAE at z = 6.6. We rule out the possibility that COLA1's emission line is an [OII] doublet at z = 1.475 on the basis of i) the asymmetric red line-profile and flux ratio of the peaks (blue/red=0.31 ± 0.03) and ii) an unphysical [OII]/Hα ratio ([OII]/Hα >  22). We show that COLA1's observed B-band flux is explained by a faint extended foreground LAE, for which we detect Lyα and [OIII] at z = 2.142. We thus conclude that COLA1 is a real double-peaked LAE at z = 6.593, the first discovered at z >  6. COLA1 is UV luminous (M1500 = −21.6 ± 0.3), has a high equivalent width (EW0,Lyα = 120−40+50 Å EW 0 , Ly α = 120 − 40 + 50 Å $ {\text{EW}}_{0, \mathrm{Ly}\alpha}=120^{+50}_{-40} \AA $) and very compact Lyα emission (r50,Lyα = 0.33−0.04+0.07 r 50 , Ly α = 0.33 − 0.04 + 0.07 $ r_{50,\mathrm{Ly}\alpha} = 0.33^{+0.07}_{-0.04} $ kpc). Relatively weak inferred Hβ+[OIII] line-emission from Spitzer/IRAC indicates an extremely low metallicity of Z <  1/20 Z⊙ or reduced strength of nebular lines due to high escape of ionising photons. The small Lyα peak separation of 220 ± 20 km s−1 implies a low HI column density and an ionising photon escape fraction of ≈15 − 30%, providing the first direct evidence that such galaxies contribute actively to the reionisation of the Universe at z >  6. Based on simple estimates, we find that COLA1 could have provided just enough photons to reionise its own ≈0.3 pMpc (2.3 cMpc) bubble, allowing the blue Lyα line to be observed. However, we also discuss alternative scenarios explaining the detected double peaked nature of COLA1. Our results show that future high-resolution observations of statistical samples of double peaked LAEs at z >  5 are a promising probe of the occurrence of ionised regions around galaxies in the EoR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of CANDELSz7, a European Southern Observatory (ESO) Large Program aimed at spectroscopically confirming a homogeneous sample of z ≃ 6 and z ≃ 7 star forming galaxies. The candidates were selected in the GOODS-South, UDS, and COSMOS fields using the official CANDELS catalogs based on H160-band detections. Standard color criteria, which were tailored depending on the ancillary multi-wavelength data available for each field, were applied to select more than 160 candidate galaxies at z ≃ 6 and z ≃ 7. Deep, medium-resolution FORS2 spectroscopic observations were then conducted with integration times ranging from 12 to 20 h to reach a Lyα flux limit of approximately 1 − 3 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2 at 3σ. We could determine a spectroscopic redshift for about 40% of the galaxies, mainly through the detection of a single emission line that we interpret as Lyα emission, or for some of the brightest objects (H160 ≤ 25.5) from the presence of faint continuum and a sharp drop that we interpret as a Lyα break. In this paper we present the redshifts and main properties of 65 newly confirmed high-redshift galaxies. Adding previous proprietary and archival data we assemble a sample of ≃260 galaxies that we use to explore the evolution of the Lyα fraction in Lyman break galaxies and the change in the shape of the emission line between z ∼ 6 and z ∼ 7. We also discuss the accuracy of the CANDELS photometric redshifts in this redshift range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-parametric reconstruction or marginalization over the history of reionization using cosmic microwave background data necessarily assumes a prior over possible histories. We show that different but reasonable choices of priors can shift current and future constraints on the reionization optical depth, τ, or correlated parameters such as the neutrino mass sum, Σmν, at the level of 0.3–0.4 σ, meaning that this analysis is somewhat prior dependent. We point out some prior-related problems with the commonly used principal component reconstruction, concluding that the significance of some recent hints of early reionization in Planck 2015 data has been overestimated. We also present the first non-parametric reconstruction applied to newer Planck intermediate (2016) data and find that the hints of early reionization disappear entirely in this more precise dataset. These results limit possible explanations of the EDGES 21cm signal which would have also significantly reionized the universe at z  >   15. Our findings about the dependence on priors motivate the pursuit of improved data or searches for physical reionization models which can reduce the prior volume. The discussion here of priors is of general applicability to other non-parametric reconstructions, for example of the primordial power spectrum, of the recombination history, or of the expansion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Finding the sources responsible for the hydrogen reionization is one of the most pressing issues in observational cosmology. Bright quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) are known to ionize their surrounding neighborhood, but they are too few to ensure the required HI ionizing background. A significant contribution by faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs), however, could solve the problem, as recently advocated on the basis of a relatively large space density of faint active nuclei at z > 4. Aims. This work is part of a long-term project aimed at measuring the Lyman Continuum escape fraction for a large sample of AGNs at z ~ 4 down to an absolute magnitude of M1450 ~ -23. We have carried out an exploratory spectroscopic program to measure the HI ionizing emission of 16 faint AGNs spanning a broad U-I color interval, with I ~ 21-23, and 3:6 < z < 4.2. These AGNs are three magnitudes fainter than the typical SDSS QSOs (M1450 . ≲26) which are known to ionize their surrounding IGM at z ≳ 4. Methods. We acquired deep spectra of these faint AGNs with spectrographs available at the VLT, LBT, and Magellan telescopes, that is, FORS2, MODS1-2, and LDSS3, respectively. The emission in the Lyman Continuum region, close to 900 Å rest frame, has been detected with a signal to noise ratio of ~10-120 for all 16 AGNs. The flux ratio between the 900 Å rest-frame region and 930 Å provides a robust estimate of the escape fraction of HI ionizing photons. Results. We have found that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction is between 44 and 100% for all the observed faint AGNs, with a mean value of 74% at 3:6 < z < 4.2 and -25.1 ≲ M1450 ≲-23.3, in agreement with the value found in the literature for much brighter QSOs (M1450 ≲ -26) at the same redshifts. The Lyman Continuum escape fraction of our faint AGNs does not show any dependence on the absolute luminosities or on the observed U-I colors of the objects. Assuming that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction remains close to ~75% down to M1450 ~ -18, we find that the AGN population can provide between 16 and 73% (depending on the adopted luminosity function) of the whole ionizing UV background at z ~ 4, measured through the Lyman forest. This contribution increases to 25-100% if other determinations of the ionizing UV background are adopted from the recent literature. Conclusions. Extrapolating these results to z ~ 5-7, there are possible indications that bright QSOs and faint AGNs can provide a significant contribution to the reionization of the Universe, if their space density is high at M1450 ~ -23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We have recently reported the discovery of five low redshift Lyman continuum (LyC) emitters (LCEs) with absolute escape fractions f LyC esc that range from 6 to 13%, higher than previously found and that more than double the number of low redshift LCEs. We use these observations to test theoretical predictions about a link between the characteristics of the Lyman-alpha (Lyα) line from galaxies and the escape of ionizing photons. Methods. We analyse the Ly spectra of eight LCEs of the local Universe observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (our five leakers and three galaxies from the litterature), and compare their strengths and shapes to the theoretical criteria and comparison samples of local galaxies: the Lyman Alpha Reference Survey, Lyman-break analogs, Green Peas, and the high-redshift strong LyC leaker Ion2. Results. Our LCEs are found to be strong Ly emitters, with high equivalent widths, EW(Lyα) > 70 Å, and large Ly escape fractions, f Lyα esc > 20%. The Ly profiles are all double-peaked with a small peak separation, in agreement with our theoretical expectations. They also have no underlying absorption at the Ly position. All these characteristics are very different from the Ly properties of typical star-forming galaxies of the local Universe. A subset of the comparison samples (2-3 Green Pea galaxies) share these extreme values, indicating that they could also be leaking. We also find a strong correlation between the star formation rate surface density and the escape fraction of ionizing photons, indicating that the compactness of star-forming regions plays a role in shaping low column density paths in the interstellar medium of LCEs. Conclusions. The Ly properties of LCEs are peculiar: Lyα can be used as a reliable tracer of LyC escape from galaxies, complementing other indirect diagnostics proposed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the current constraints on the epoch of reionisation from recent cosmic microwave background observations, ionising background measurements of star-forming galaxies, and low redshifts line-of-sight probes, we propose a new data-motivated parameterisation of the history of the average ionisation fraction. This parameterisation describes a flexible redshift-asymmetric reionisation process in two regimes that is capable of fitting all the current constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The reionisation of the Universe is a process that is thought to have ended around z ~ 6, as inferred from spectroscopy of distant bright background sources, such as quasars (QSO) and gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows. Furthermore, spectroscopy of a GRB afterglow provides insight in its host galaxy, which is often too dim and distant to study otherwise. Aims. For the Swift GRB130606A at z = 5.913 we have obtained a high S/N spectrum covering the full optical and near-IR wavelength region at intermediate spectral resolution with VLT/X-Shooter. We aim to measure the degree of ionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) between z = 5.02-5.84 and to study the chemical abundance pattern and dust content of its host galaxy. Methods. We estimated the UV continuum of the GRB afterglow using a power-law extrapolation, then measured the flux decrement due to absorption at Lyα, β, and γ wavelength regions. Furthermore, we fitted the shape of the red damping wing of Lyα. The hydrogen and metal absorption lines formed in the host galaxy were fitted with Voigt profiles to obtain column densities. We investigated whether ionisation corrections needed to be applied. Results. Our measurements of the Lyα-forest optical depth are consistent with previous measurements of QSOs, but have a much smaller uncertainty. The analysis of the red damping wing yields a neutral fraction xHi < 0.05 (3σ). We obtain column density measurements of H, Al, Si, and Fe; for C, O, S and Ni we obtain limits. The ionisation due to the GRB is estimated to be negligible (corrections <0.03 dex), but larger corrections may apply due to the pre-existing radiation field (up to 0.4 dex based on sub-DLA studies). Assuming that [Si/Fe] = +0.79 ± 0.13 is due to dust depletion, the dust-to-metal ratio is similar to the Galactic value. Conclusions. Our measurements confirm that the Universe is already predominantly ionised over the redshift range probed in this work, but was slightly more neutral at z > 5.6. GRBs are useful probes of the ionisation state of the IGM in the early Universe, but because of internal scatter we need a larger statistical sample to draw robust conclusions. The high [Si/Fe] in the host can be due to dust depletion, α-element enhancement, or a combination of both. The very high value of [Al/Fe] = 2.40 ± 0.78 might be due to a proton capture process and is probably connected to the stellar population history. We estimate the host metallicity to be -1.7 < [M/H] < -0.9 (2%-13% of solar). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. After the so-called cosmic recombination, the expanding universe entered into a period of darkness since most of the matter was in a neutral state. About a billion years later, however, the intergalactic space was once again ionized. The process, known as the cosmic reionization, required the operation of mechanisms that are not well understood. Among other ionizing sources, Population III stars, mini-quasars, and X-ray emitting microquasars have been invoked. Aims. We propose that primordial cosmic rays, accelerated at the termination points of the jets of the first microquasars, may have contributed to the reionization of the intergalactic space as well. Methods. We quantify the ionization power of cosmic rays (electrons and protons) in the primordial intergalactic medium. This power is calculated using extensive particle cascade simulations. Results. We establish that, depending on the fraction of electrons to protons accelerated in the microquasar jets, cosmic rays should have contributed to the reionization of the primordial intergalactic medium as much as X-rays from microquasar accretion disks. If the primordial magnetic field was of the order of 10-17 G, as some models suggest, cosmic rays had an important role in ionizing the neutral material far beyond the birth places of the first stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Supermassive stars and quasi-stars (massive stars with a central black hole) are both considered as potential progenitors for the formation of supermassive black holes. They are expected to form from rapidly accreting protostars in massive primordial halos. Aims. We explore how long rapidly accreting protostars remain on the Hayashi track, implying large protostellar radii and weak accretion luminosity feedback. We assess the potential role of energy production in the nuclear core, and determine what regulates the evolution of such protostars into quasi-stars or supermassive stars. Methods. We followed the contraction of characteristic mass shells in rapidly accreting protostars, and inferred the timescales for them to reach nuclear densities. We compared the characteristic timescales for nuclear burning with those for which the extended protostellar envelope can be maintained. Results. We find that the extended envelope can be maintained up to protostellar masses of 3.6 × 108 m3 M☉, where mdenotes the accretion rate in solar masses per year. We expect the nuclear core to exhaust its hydrogen content in 7 × 106 yr. If accretion rates m⪢ 0.14 can still be maintained at this point, a black hole may form within the accreting envelope, leading to a quasi-star. Alternatively, the accreting object will gravitationally contract to become a main-sequence supermassive star. Conclusions. Due to the limited gas reservoir in typical 107 M☉ dark matter halos, the accretion rate onto the central object may drop at late times, implying the formation of supermassive stars as the typical outcome of direct collapse. However, if high accretion rates are maintained, a quasi-star with an interior black hole may form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collapsar model of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) indicates that they may trace the star formation history, so long GRBs may be a useful tool for measuring the high-redshift star formation rate (SFR). The collapsar model explains GRB formation via the collapse of a rapidly rotating massive star with M > 30 M⊙ into a black hole, which may imply a decrease in SFR at high redshift. However, we find that the Swift GRBs during 2005 to 2012 are biased when tracing the SFR, including a factor about (1 + z)0.5, which agrees with recent results. After taking this factor, the SFR derived from GRBs does not show a steep drop up to z ∼ 9.4. We consider the GRBs produced by rapidly rotating metal-poor stars with low masses to explain the high-redshift GRB rate excess. The chemically homogeneous evolution scenario (CHES) of rapidly rotating stars with mass higher than 12 M⊙ is recognized as a promising path towards collapsars in connection with long GRBs. Our results indicate that the stars in the mass range 12 M⊙ < M < 30 M⊙ for low enough metallicity Z ≤ 0.004 with the GRB efficiency factor 10-5 can fit the derived SFR with good accuracy. Combining these two factors, we find that the conversion efficiency from massive stars to GRBs is enhanced by a factor of 10, which may explain the excess of the high-redshift GRB rate. We also investigate the cosmic reionization history using the derived SFR. The GRB-inferred SFR would be sufficient to maintain cosmic reionization over 6 < z < 10 and reproduce the observed optical depth of Thomson scattering to the cosmic microwave background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LOFAR, the LOw-Frequency ARray, is a new-generation radio interferometer constructed in the north of the Netherlands and across europe. Utilizing a novel phased-array design, LOFAR covers the largely unexplored low-frequency range from 10-240MHz and provides a number of unique observing capabilities. Spreading out from a core located near the village of Exloo in the northeast of the Netherlands, a total of 40 LOFAR stations are nearing completion. A further five stations have been deployed throughout Germany, and one station has been built in each of France, Sweden, and the UK. Digital beam-forming techniques make the LOFAR system agile and allow for rapid repointing of the telescope as well as the potential for multiple simultaneous observations. With its dense core array and long interferometric baselines, LOFAR achieves unparalleled sensitivity and angular resolution in the low-frequency radio regime. The LOFAR facilities are jointly operated by the International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) foundation, as an observatory open to the global astronomical community. LOFAR is one of the first radio observatories to feature automated processing pipelines to deliver fully calibrated science products to its user community. LOFAR's new capabilities, techniques and modus operandi make it an important pathfinder for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). We give an overview of the LOFAR instrument, its major hardware and software components, and the core science objectives that have driven its design. In addition, we present a selection of new results from the commissioning phase of this new radio observatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The aim of the LOFAR epoch of reionization (EoR) project is to detect the spectral fluctuations of the redshifted HI 21 cm signal. This signal is weaker by several orders of magnitude than the astrophysical foreground signals and hence, in order to achieve this, very long integrations, accurate calibration for stations and ionosphere and reliable foreground removal are essential. Methods. One of the prospective observing windows for the LOFAR EoR project will be centered at the north celestial pole (NCP). We present results from observations of the NCP window using the LOFAR highband antenna (HBA) array in the frequency range 115 MHz to 163 MHz. The data were obtained in April 2011 during the commissioning phase of LOFAR. We used baselines up to about 30 km. The data was processed using a dedicated processing pipeline which is an enhanced version of the standard LOFAR processing pipeline. Results. With about 3 nights, of 6 h each, effective integration we have achieved a noise level of about 100 μJy/PSF in the NCP window. Close to the NCP, the noise level increases to about 180 μJy/PSF, mainly due to additional contamination from unsubtracted nearby sources. We estimate that in our best night, we have reached a noise level only a factor of 1.4 above the thermal limit set by the noise from our Galaxy and the receivers. Our continuum images are several times deeper than have been achieved previously using the WSRT and GMRT arrays. We derive an analytical explanation for the excess noise that we believe to be mainly due to sources at large angular separation from the NCP.We present some details of the data processing challenges and how we solved them. Conclusions. Although many LOFAR stations were, at the time of the observations, in a still poorly calibrated state we have seen no artefacts in our images which would prevent us from producing deeper images in much longer integrations on the NCP window which are about to commence. The limitations present in our current results are mainly due to sidelobe noise from the large number of distant sources, as well as errors related to station beam variations and rapid ionospheric phase fluctuations acting on bright sources. We are confident that we can improve our results with refined processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We describe a new methodology for analyzing the reionization process in numerical simulations. The chronology and the geometry of reionization is investigated by the merger histories of individual HII regions. Methods. From the merger tree of ionized patches, one can track the individual evolution of the regions properties, such as their size, the intensity of the percolation process by looking at the formation rate, the frequency of mergers, and the number of individual HII regions involved in the mergers. We applied the merger-tree technique to simulations of reionization with three different kinds of ionizing source models and two resolutions. Two of them use star particles as ionizing sources. In this case we compared two emissivity evolutions for the sources to reach the reionization at z ∼ 6. As an alternative we built a semi-analytical model where the dark matter halos extracted from the density fields are assumed as ionizing sources. Results. We then show how this methodology is a good candidate to quantify the impact of the adopted star formation on the history of the observed reionization. The semi-analytical model shows a homogeneous reionization history with local hierarchical growth steps for individual HII regions. On the other hand, autoconsistent models for star formation tend to present fewer regions, with a dominant region in size that governs the fusion process early in the reionization at the expense of the local reionizations. The differences are attenuated when the resolution of the simulation is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We present a new grid of massive Population III (Pop III) star models including the effects of rotation on the stellar structure and chemical mixing, and magnetic torques for the transport of angular momentum. This grid covers the range of mass from 10 to 1000 M☉, and rotational velocity from zero to 100% of the critical rotation on the zero-age main sequence. Based on the grid, we also present a phase diagram for the expected final fates (i.e., core-collapse supernova, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and pair-instability supernovae of diverse types) of rotating massive Pop III stars. Methods. The model grid has been calculated with a stellar evolution code. We adopted the recent calibration made with the VLT-FLAMES data for the overshooting parameter and the chemical mixing efficiency due to rotation. The Spruit-Tayler dynamo was assumed for magnetic torques. Results. Our non-rotating models become redder than the previous models in the literature because of the larger overshooting parameter adopted in this study. In particular, convective dredge-up of the helium core material into the hydrogen envelope is observed in our non-rotating very massive star models (≳200 M☉), which is potentially important for the chemical yields. On the other hand, the stars become bluer and more luminous with a higher rotational velocity. With the Spruit-Tayler dynamo, our models with a sufficiently high initial rotational velocity can reach the critical rotation earlier and lose more mass as a result, compared to the previous models without magnetic fields. The most dramatic effect of rotation is found with the so-called chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE), which is observed for a limited mass and rotational velocity range. CHE has several important consequences: 1) both primary nitrogen and ionizing photons are abundantly produced; 2) conditions for GRB progenitors are fulfilled for an initial mass range of 13-84 M☉; 3) pair instability supernovae of type Ibc are expected for 84-190 M☉; 4) both a pulsational pair instability supernova and a GRB may occur from the same progenitor of ∼56-84 M☉, which might significantly influence the consequent GRB afterglow. We find that CHE does not occur for very massive stars (>190 M☉), in which case the hydrogen envelope expands to the red-supergiant phase and the final angular momentum is too low to generate any explosive event powered by rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. We present additional constraints on the galaxy luminosity function at z ∼ 9 hated on observations carried out with ESO/VLT FORS2, HAWK-I, and X-Shooter around the tensing cluster A2667, as part of our project designed to select z ∼ 7-10 candidates accessible to spectroscopy. We find that only one selected j-dropout source in this field fulfills the color and magnitude criteria. This source was recently confirmed an a mid-z interloper based on X-Shooter spectroscopy. Aims. Owing to the considerable depth and area covered by our survey, we are able to set strong constraints on the bright end of the galaxy luminosity function and hence on the star formation history at very high redshift. Methods. We used our non-detection of reliable j-dropout sources over the ∼36 arcmin2 field of view towards A2667 to carefully determine the lens-corrected effective volume and the corresponding upper limit to the density of sources. Results. Our strongest limit is obtained for Φ"(M1500 = -21.4 ± 0.50) < 6.70 x 10-6 Mpc-3 mag-1 at z ∼ 9. A maximum-likelihood fit of the luminosity function to all available data points including the present new result yields M" > -19.7 with fixed α = -1.74 and = Φ.= 10 x t0-3 MpC-3. The corresponding star-formation rate density should be Pays < 5.97 x 10-3 Mʘ yr-1 Mpc³ at z ∼ 9. These results are in good agreement with the moat recent estimates already published for this range of redshift and luminosity domain. Conclusions. This new result confirms previously measured decreases in the density of luminous galaxies at very high redshift, hence provides strong constraints on the design of future surveys aiming to explore the very high-redshift Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Lyα emitters (LAEs) can be detected out to very high redshifts during the epoch of reionization. The evolution of the LAE luminosity function with redshift is a direct probe of the Lyα transmission of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and therefore of the IGM neutral-hydrogen fraction. Measuring the Lyα luminosity function (LF) of Lyα emitters at redshift z = 7.7 therefore allows us to constrain the ionizing state of the Universe at this redshift. Methods. We observed three 7.'5 × 7.'5 fields with the HAWK-I instrument at the VLT with a narrow band filter centred at 1.06 μm and targeting Lyα emitters at redshift z ∼ 7.7. The fields were chosen for the availability of multiwavelength data. One field is a galaxy cluster, the Bullet Cluster, which allowed us to use gravitational amplification to probe luminosities that are fainter than in the field. The two other fields are subareas of the GOODS Chandra Deep Field South and CFHTLS-D4 deep field. We selected z = 7.7 LAE candidates from a variety of colour criteria, in particular from the absence of detection in the optical bands. Results. We do not find any LAE candidates at z = 7.7 in ∼2.4 × 104 Mpc3 down to a narrow band AB magnitude of ∼26, which allows us to infer robust constraints on the Lyα LAE luminosity function at this redshift. Conclusions. The predicted mean number of objects at z = 6.5, derived from somewhat different luminosity functions of Hu et al. (2010, ApJ, 725, 394), Ouchi et al. (2010, ApJ, 723, 869), and Kashikawa et al. (2011, ApJ, 734, 119) are 2.5, 13.7, and 11.6, respectively. Depending on which of these luminosity functions we refer to, we exclude a scenario with no evolution from z = 6.5 to z = 7.7 at 85% confidence without requiring a strong change in the IGM Lyα transmission, or at 99% confidence with a significant quenching of the IGM Lyα transmission, possibly from a strong increase in the high neutral-hydrogen fraction between these two redshifts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]