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arXiv · 1512.03214

The Lyman-continuum photon production efficiency in the high-redshift Universe

Stephen M. Wilkins·Yu Feng·Tiziana Di Matteo·Rupert Croft·Elizabeth R. Stanway·Rychard J. Bouwens·Peter Thomas
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Abstract

The Lyman Continuum photon production efficiency ($ξ_{\rm ion}$) is a critical ingredient for inferring the number of photons available to reionise the intergalactic medium. To estimate the theoretical production efficiency in the high-redshift Universe we couple the BlueTides cosmological hydrodynamical simulation with a range of stellar population synthesis models. We find Lyman Continuum photon production efficiencies of $\log_{10}(ξ_{\rm ion}/{\rm erg^{-1}\, Hz})\approx 25.1-25.5$ depending on the choice of stellar population synthesis model. These results are broadly consistent with recent observational constraints at high-redshift though favour a model incorporating the effects of binary evolution

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Stephen M. Wilkins, Yu Feng, Tiziana Di Matteo, Rupert Croft, Elizabeth R. Stanway, Rychard J. Bouwens, Peter Thomas. 2016-03-14. The Lyman-continuum photon production efficiency in the high-redshift Universe. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl%2Fslw007

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