arXiv subjects

Anne Hutter

Publications and source records attributed to Anne Hutter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn: A Cloud-Scale Star Formation Model Unifying Variable SFE, IMFs, and Stochasticity

To investigate the origins of the high abundance of UV-bright galaxies at z > 10, we present a new semi-analytic model that bridges the gap between small-scale star formation physics and large-scale galaxy evolution by explicitly tracking discrete star-forming clouds within smoothly evolving dark matter potentials. Unlike conventional semi-analytic models, our approach naturally captures the stochasticity of star formation, allowing us to isolate how cloud properties, star formation efficiencies (SFEs), and stellar initial mass functions (IMFs) shape the star-formation burstiness of early galaxies. Clouds are drawn sequentially from a cloud mass distribution, assigned an SFE and IMF depending on cloud mass, metallicity, and redshift, and evolve under the influence of short-timescale stellar feedback. We identify three distinct star formation regimes arising from the interplay between cloud masses, densities, and feedback timescales: a stochastic, feedback-limited regime in low-mass halos with long quiescent phases; a bursty regime regulated by the cloud mass distribution; and a smooth, continuous regime in massive halos. Our fiducial model adopts a dynamic IMF, an SFE linked to cloud properties and the IMF, and massive, moderately dense clouds. Varying assumptions reveals that top-heavy IMFs and enhanced SFEs in massive clouds amplify burstiness, while altering the upper cloud mass or density normalisation is secondary. Among model ingredients, the IMF most strongly impacts the UV luminosity function (LF), while switching to a constant SFE boosts the faint end, and reducing the maximum cloud mass decreases the bright end. These results demonstrate that cloud-scale physics critically shape early galaxy UV luminosity distributions.

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arXiv2026

Square Kilometer Array Synergies for the Epoch of Reionization and Cosmic Dawn

Synergies with other instruments will be essential in making, verifying, and interpreting a detection of the cosmic 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) and Cosmic Dawn (CD) with the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope. Such synergies can (i) provide prior information about galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM) during the EoR/CD; (ii) pave the road to a first 21cm detection by mitigating foregrounds and systematics through cross-correlations; and (iii) give complimentary physical insights into the galaxy -- IGM connection. Here we review the current state of synergies and discuss what observations will best compliment SKA-low EoR/CD observations.

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arXiv2026

Overview of 21cm Experiments at high redshift with SKAO

We provide an overview of the eight SKAO Science Book chapters that motivate the Epoch of Reionisation and Cosmic Dawn experiments with SKA-Low. We describe the individual SKA-Low experiments and expected sensitivity - power spectrum, tomography, 21-cm forest, cross-correlations, building on the broad observational plan laid out in the 2015 SKA Science Book. Finally, we outline features of the telescope that will be critical for the success of EoR/CD science, e.g., beam apodization, substations, and multi-beaming.

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arXiv2026

Constraining reionization morphology and source properties with 21cm galaxy cross-correlation surveys

Cross-correlations between 21cm observations and galaxy surveys provide a powerful probe of reionization by providing robustness against foreground contamination while linking ionization morphology to galaxies. We quantified the constraining power of 21cm galaxy cross-power spectra for inferring the neutral hydrogen fraction, $x_\mathrm{HI}(z),$ and mean overdensity, $\langle 1+\delta_\mathrm{HI} \rangle(z)$, exploring dependence on the field of view; redshift precision, $\sigma_z$; and minimum halo mass, $M_\mathrm{h,min}$. We employed our simulation-based inference framework EoRFlow for likelihood-free parameter estimation. Mock observations include thermal noise for 100h of SKA-Low with foreground avoidance and realistic galaxy-survey effects. For a fiducial survey ($\mathrm{FOV}=100\,\mathrm{deg}^2$, $\sigma_z=0.001$, $M_\mathrm{h,min}=10^{11}\mathrm{M}_\odot$), cross-power spectra yield unbiased constraints with posterior volumes (PVs) of $\sim$10% relative to priors. Cross-power measurements reduce the PV by 20-30% versus 21cm auto-power alone. With foreground avoidance, spectroscopic redshift precision is essential; photometric redshifts render cross-correlations uninformative. Notably, cross-power spectra constrain ionizing source properties, the escape fraction $f_\mathrm{esc,}$ and the star formation efficiency $f_*$, which remain degenerate in auto-power (PV >60%). Tight constraints require either deep surveys detecting faint galaxies ($M_\mathrm{h,min} \sim 10^{10}\mathrm{M}_\odot$) with moderate foregrounds (PV~11%) or conservative mass limits with optimistic foreground removal (PV~19%). 21cm galaxy cross-correlations enhance morphology constraints beyond auto-power while enabling previously inaccessible source property constraints. Realizing full potential requires precise redshifts and either faint galaxy detection limits or improved 21cm foreground cleaning.

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arXiv2025

Exploring Cosmic Dawn with PANORAMIC II: Cosmic Variance and Galaxy Clustering at $z\sim10$

Observational campaigns with JWST have revealed a higher-than-expected abundance of UV-bright galaxies at $z\gtrsim10$, with various proposed theoretical explanations. A powerful complementary constraint to break degeneracies between different models is galaxy clustering. In this paper, we combine PANORAMIC pure parallel and legacy imaging along 34 independent sightlines to measure the cosmic variance ($\sigma_{\rm CV}$) in the number counts of Lyman break galaxies at $z\sim10$ which is directly related to their clustering strength. We find $\sigma_{\rm CV}=0.96^{+0.20}_{-0.18}$, $1.46^{+0.54}_{-0.44}$, and $1.71^{+0.72}_{-0.59}$ per NIRCam pointing ($\sim9.7\,{\rm arcmin}^2$, $\lesssim1.5\,{\rm pMpc}$ at $z\sim10$) for galaxies with M$_{\rm UV}<-19.5$, $-20$, and $-20.5$. Comparing to galaxies in the fiducial UniverseMachine, we find that $\sigma_{\rm CV}$ is consistent with our measurements, but that the number densities are a factor $\gtrsim5$ lower. We implement simple models in the UniverseMachine that represent different physical mechanisms to enhance the number density of UV-bright galaxies. All models decrease $\sigma_{\rm CV}$ by placing galaxies at fixed M$_{\rm UV}$ in lower mass halos, but to varying degrees. Combined constraints on $\sigma_{\rm CV}$ and the UVLF thus tentatively disfavor models that globally increase the star formation efficiency (SFE) or the scatter in the M$_{\rm UV}$-$M_{\rm halo}$ relation, while models that decrease the mass-to-light ratio, or assume a power-law scaling of the SFE with $M_{\rm halo}$ agree better with the data. We show that with sufficient additional independent sightlines, robust discrimination between models is possible, paving the way for powerful constraints on the physics of early galaxy evolution through NIRCam pure parallel imaging.

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arXiv2025

Deep JWST spectroscopy of galaxies in a candidate ionized bubble at $z = 8.7$: probing reionization at pMpc scales with Ly$\alpha$ emission

Strong Ly$\alpha$ emission observed from galaxies when the Universe is expected to be highly neutral is thought to trace large ionized regions that facilitate the transmission of Ly$\alpha$ through the IGM. In this work, we use deep JWST Ly$\alpha$ spectroscopy to constrain the size of a candidate ionized bubble at $z\sim8.7$ in the EGS field, with a potential radius of $R_b=2$ physical Mpc (pMpc) or larger. We measure a photometric galaxy density and find that the volume is a factor of $\sim2.5-3.6$ overdense, suggesting that there may be a large population of galaxies capable of creating an $R_b\sim2$ pMpc bubble. Then, we infer the Ly$\alpha$ transmission through the IGM for galaxies in the EGS volume using our deep spectroscopy, finding $\mathcal{T}_\mathrm{IGM}=0.26_{-0.14}^{+0.25}$. This transmission is consistent with the average at $z\sim9$ and is mildly inconsistent with the transmission expected for an $R_b\sim2$ pMpc bubble ($\mathcal{T}_{\mathrm{IGM},2\mathrm{pMpc}}=0.53-0.63$), implying that such a large bubble is unlikely to be present. However, the photometric galaxy density in the EGS field is larger than in several other deep fields. This overdensity and the moderate Ly$\alpha$ transmission may be consistent with smaller, $R_b\sim0.5-1$ pMpc bubbles in EGS. This additionally motivates the need for future wider area Ly$\alpha$ spectroscopy in EGS and other fields to obtain a more representative understanding of the sizes of ionized bubbles in the early stages of reionization, and the properties of the galaxies that create them.

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arXiv2025

The 21cm-galaxy cross-correlation: Realistic forecast for 21cm signal detection and reionisation constraints

21cm-galaxy cross-correlation will play a key role in confirming the cosmological 21cm signal. We investigate which survey configurations detect the 21cm-LAE cross-correlation signal, and assess its ability to distinguish reionisation scenarios. Our pipeline computes observational uncertainties for the 21cm-galaxy cross-power spectrum, accounting for key survey parameters: the field of view (FoV), limiting luminosity of galaxy surveys $L_\alpha$, redshift uncertainty $\sigma_z$, and 21cm foreground wedge assumptions. We calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the 21cm-Lyman-$\alpha$ emitter (LAE) cross-power spectrum for two scenarios: one where reionisation is driven by faint or by bright galaxies. We find: (i) SNR increases with larger FoV, fainter $L_\alpha$, and smaller $\sigma_z$, with the FoV having the strongest impact when $\sigma_z$ is small. (ii) Under a moderate foreground wedge, photometric-like surveys yield insufficient SNR, and medium-deep ($L_\alpha\gtrsim10^{42.5}$erg s$^{-1}$), wide-area (FoV>20deg$^2$) slitless spectroscopic surveys are needed. (iii) Under an optimistic foreground wedge, detection is possible with deep ($L_\alpha\gtrsim10^{42.3}$erg s$^{-1}$), wide-area (FoV$\gtrsim80$deg$^2$) photometric-like or shallower, small-area (FoV$\simeq2-3$deg$^2$) slitless spectroscopic surveys. (iv) To distinguish the two reionisation scenarios at z=7, moderate foreground wedge scenarios require deep-wide spectroscopic surveys; under an optimistic foreground wedge, shallower, medium-area (FoV$\simeq10$deg$^2$) slitless spectroscopic surveys suffice. (v) Maximising the SNR for detection and model discrimination requires sampling the large-scale peak of the cross-power spectrum, which shifts to larger physical scales as reionisation proceeds and the less ionisation fronts follow the gas density - making surveys at z>7 more promising despite lower galaxy number densities.

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arXiv2025

Exploring Cosmic Dawn with PANORAMIC I: The Bright End of the UVLF at $z\sim9 -17$

In its first two years of operation, the James Webb Space Telescope has enabled the discovery of a surprising number of UV-bright galaxies at $z\sim10-14$. Their number density is still relatively uncertain, due to cosmic variance effects, and the limited survey area with deep imaging. Here, we combine pure parallel imaging from the PANORAMIC survey with data from legacy fields to constrain the bright end (M$_{\rm UV}<-18.5$) of the UV luminosity function (UVLF) over $0.28\,$deg$^2$ of NIRCam imaging in 6 or more filters, and along 35 independent lines of sight. Using conservative color selections, we compile robust dropout samples at $z\sim10$, $z\sim13$, and $z\sim17$, and identify 16 new candidates from PANORAMIC. Our inferred UVLFs at $z\sim10$ are consistent with literature results and we confirm the high abundance of galaxies at the bright end (M$_{\rm UV}\lesssim-21$) with better number statistics. We find somewhat lower number densities at $z\sim13$ compared to previous studies, and no robust candidates at $z\sim17$, indicating a rapid evolution of the galaxy population from $z\sim10-17$. The improved upper limits at $z\sim17$ imply that the cosmic UV luminosity density drops by at least a factor $\sim50$ from $z\sim10$ to $z\sim17$. Comparing our results to models proposed to explain the abundance of UV-bright galaxies at $z\gtrsim10$, we conclude that a modest increase in the star formation efficiency, or in the burstiness of star formation, a more top-heavy initial mass function, a lack of dust attenuation, or a combination of these effects at $z\gtrsim10$, is sufficient to match our observational constraints.

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arXiv2025

The JWST/PASSAGE Survey: Testing Reionization Histories with JWST's First Unbiased Survey for Lyman alpha Emitters at Redshifts 7.5-9.5

Lyman $\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$) emission is one of few observable features of galaxies that can trace the neutral hydrogen content in the Universe during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). To accomplish this we need an efficient way to survey for Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at redshifts beyond 7, requiring unbiased emission-line observations that are both sufficiently deep and wide to cover enough volume to detect them. Here we present results from PASSAGE -- a pure-parallel JWST/NIRISS slitless spectroscopic survey to detect Ly$\alpha$ emitters deep into the EoR, without the bias of photometric preselection. We identify four LAEs at $7.5\leq z\leq9.5$ in four surveyed pointings, and estimate the luminosity function (LF). We find that the LF does show a marked decrease compared to post-reionization measurements, but the change is a factor of $\lesssim 10$, which is less than expected from theoretical calculations and simulations, as well as observational expectations from the pre-JWST literature. Modeling of the IGM and expected \lya\ profiles implies these galaxies reside in ionized bubbles of $\gtrapprox 2$ physical Mpc. We also report that in the four fields we detect {3,1,0,0} LAEs, which could indicate strong field-to-field variation in the LAE distribution, consistent with a patchy HI distribution at $z\sim8$. We compare the recovered LAE number counts with expectations from simulations and discuss the potential implications for reionization and its morphology.

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arXiv2024

PANORAMIC: Discovery of an Ultra-Massive Grand-Design Spiral Galaxy at $z\sim5.2$

We report the discovery of an ultra-massive grand-design red spiral galaxy, named Zh\'ul\'ong (Torch Dragon), at $z_{\rm phot} = 5.2^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$ in the JWST PANORAMIC survey, identified as the most distant bulge+disk galaxy candidate with spiral arms known to date. Zh\'ul\'ong displays an extraordinary combination of properties: 1) a classical bulge centered in a large, face-on exponential stellar disk (half-light radius of $R_{\rm e} = 3.7 \pm 0.1 \, \mathrm{kpc}$), with spiral arms extending across 19 kpc; 2) a clear transition from the red, quiescent core ($F150W-F444W=3.1$ mag) with high stellar mass surface density ($\log(\Sigma M_{\star}/M_{\odot} \, \mathrm{kpc}^{-2}) = 9.91_{-0.09}^{+0.11}$) to the star-forming outer regions, as revealed by spatially resolved SED analysis, which indicates significant inside-out galaxy growth; 3) an extremely high stellar mass at its redshift, with $\log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot})=11.03_{-0.08}^{+0.10}$ comparable to the Milky Way, and an implied baryon-to-star conversion efficiency ($\epsilon \sim 0.3$) that is 1.5 times higher than even the most efficient galaxies at later epochs; 4) despite an active disk, a relatively modest overall star formation rate ($\mathrm{SFR} =66_{-46}^{+89} ~M_{\odot} \, \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$), which is $>$0.5 dex below the star formation main sequence at $z \sim 5.2$ and $>$10 times lower than ultra-massive dusty galaxies at $z=5-6$. Altogether, Zh\'ul\'ong shows that mature galaxies emerged much earlier than expected in the first billion years after the Big Bang through rapid galaxy formation and morphological evolution. Our finding offers key constraints for models of massive galaxy formation and the origin of spiral structures in the early universe.

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arXiv2024

Mapping reionization bubbles in the JWST era I: empirical edge detection with Lyman alpha emission from galaxies

Ionized bubble sizes during reionization trace physical properties of the first galaxies. JWST's ability to spectroscopically confirm and measure Lyman-alpha (Ly$\alpha$) emission in sub-L* galaxies opens the door to mapping ionized bubbles in 3D. However, existing Lya-based bubble measurement strategies rely on constraints from single galaxies, which are limited by the large variability in intrinsic Ly$\alpha$ emission. As a first step, we present two bubble size estimation methods using Lya spectroscopy of ensembles of galaxies, enabling us to map ionized structures and marginalize over Ly$\alpha$ emission variability. We test our methods using Gpc-scale reionization simulations of the intergalactic medium (IGM). To map bubbles in the plane of the sky, we develop an edge detection method based on the asymmetry of Ly$\alpha$ transmission as a function of spatial position. To map bubbles along the line-of-sight, we develop an algorithm using the tight relation between Ly$\alpha$ transmission and the line-of-sight distance from galaxies to the nearest neutral IGM patch. Both methods can robustly recover bubbles with radius $\gtrsim$10 comoving Mpc, sufficient for mapping bubbles even in the early phases of reionization, when the IGM is $\sim70-90\%$ neutral. These methods require $\gtrsim$0.002-0.004 galaxies/cMpc$^3$, a $5\sigma$ Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width upper limit of $\lesssim$30\r{A} for the faintest targets, and redshift precision $\Delta z \lesssim 0.015$, feasible with JWST spectroscopy. Shallower observations will provide robust lower limits on bubble sizes. Additional constraints on IGM transmission from Ly$\alpha$ escape fractions and line profiles will further refine these methods, paving the way to our first direct understanding of ionized bubble growth.

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arXiv2024

The PANORAMIC Survey: Pure Parallel Wide Area Legacy Imaging with JWST/NIRCam

We present the PANORAMIC survey, a pure parallel extragalactic imaging program with NIRCam observed during JWST Cycle 1. The survey obtained $\sim$530 sq arcmin of NIRCam imaging from 1-5$\mu$m, totaling $\sim$192 hours of science integration time. This represents the largest on-sky time investment of any Cycle 1 GO extragalactic NIRCam imaging program by nearly a factor of 2. The survey includes $\sim$432 sq arcmin of novel sky area not yet observed with JWST using at least $6$ NIRCam broad-band filters, increasing the existing area covered by similar Cycle 1 data by $\sim$60%. 70 square arcmin was also covered by a 7th filter (F410M). A fraction of PANORAMIC data ($\sim$200 sq arcmin) was obtained in or around extragalactic deep-fields, enhancing their legacy value. Pure parallel observing naturally creates a wedding cake survey with both wide and ultra-deep tiers, with 5$\sigma$ point source depths at F444W ranging from 27.8-29.4 (ABmag), and with minimized cosmic variance. The 6+ filter observing setup yields remarkably good photometric redshift performance, achieving similar median scatter and outlier fraction as CANDELS ($\sigma_{\rm NMAD}\sim0.07$; $\eta\sim0.2$), which enables a wealth of science across redshift without the need for followup or ancillary data. We overview the proposed survey, the data obtained as part of this program, and document the science-ready data products in the first data release. PANORAMIC has delivered wide-area and deep imaging with excellent photometric performance, demonstrating that pure parallel observations with JWST are a highly efficient observing mode that is key to acquiring a complete picture of galaxy evolution from rare bright galaxies to fainter, more abundant sources at all redshifts.

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arXiv2024

Astraeus X: Indications of a top-heavy initial mass function in highly star-forming galaxies from JWST observations at z>10

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered an abundance of $z>10$ galaxies bright in the ultraviolet (UV) that has challenged traditional theoretical models at high redshifts. Recently, various new models have emerged to address this discrepancy by refining their description of star formation. Here we investigate whether modifications to the stellar initial mass function (IMF) alone can reproduce the $z>10$ UV luminosity functions (UV LFs) when the star formation rate is used as a proxy for the fraction of massive stars. We incorporate an Evolving IMF into the {\sc astraeus} galaxy evolution and reionisation simulation framework, which becomes increasingly top-heavy as the gas density in a galaxy rises above a given threshold. Our implementation accounts for the IMF's effects on supernova (SN) feedback, metal enrichment, and the UV and ionising emissivities. For this Evolving IMF model, we find that (i) the maximum UV luminosity enhancement is twice as large in massive galaxies ($\Delta M_\mathrm{UV}\simeq2.6$) than those where star formation is strongly limited by SN feedback ($\Delta M_\mathrm{UV}\simeq1.3$); (ii) it successfully reproduces the observed UV LFs at $z=5-15$; (iii) galaxies with top-heavy IMFs exhibit the highest star formation rates, driven by their location in local density peaks, which facilitates higher gas accretion rates; (iv) the $1\sigma$ variances in the UV luminosity are only slightly higher compared to when assuming a Salpeter IMF, but the $2\sigma$ variances are significantly increased by a factor of $1.4-2$ boosting the abundance of UV-bright galaxies at $z>10$; (v) reionisation begins earlier with more extended large ionised regions and fewer smaller ones during its initial stages, though these differences diminish at lower redshifts, leading to a similar end of reionisation at $z\simeq5.6$.}

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arXiv2024

Anatomy of an ionized bubble: NIRCam grism spectroscopy of the $z=6.6$ double-peaked Lyman-$\alpha$ emitter COLA1 and its environment

The increasingly neutral intergalactic gas at $z>6$ impacts the Lyman-$\alpha$ flux observed from galaxies. One luminous galaxy, COLA1, stands out because of its unique double-peaked Ly$\alpha$ line at $z=6.6$, unseen in any simulation of reionization. Here we present JWST/NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopy in a 21 arcmin$^2$ field centered on COLA1. We find 141 galaxies spectroscopically-selected through the [OIII]($\lambda4969,5008$) doublet at $5.35 M_{\rm UV}>-19.5$).

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arXiv2023

The impact of an evolving stellar initial mass function on early galaxies and reionisation

Observations with JWST have revealed an unexpected high abundance of bright z>10 galaxy candidates. We explore whether a stellar initial mass function (IMF) that becomes increasingly top-heavy towards higher redshifts and lower gas-phase metallicities results in a higher abundance of bright objects in the early universe and how it affects the evolution of galaxy properties compared to a constant IMF. We incorporate such an evolving IMF into the Astraeus framework that couples galaxy evolution and reionisation in the first billion years. Our implementation accounts for the IMF dependence of supernova feedback, metal enrichment, ionising and ultraviolet radiation emission. We conduct two simulations: one with a Salpeter IMF and one with the evolving IMF. Compared to a constant Salpeter IMF, we find that (i) the higher abundance of massive stars in the evolving IMF results in more light per unit stellar mass, a slower build-up of stellar mass and lower stellar-to-halo mass ratio; (ii) due to the self-similar growth of the underlying dark matter halos, the evolving IMF's star formation main sequence hardly deviates from that of the Salpeter IMF; (iii) the evolving IMF's stellar mass-metallicity relation shifts to higher metallicities while its halo mass-metallicity relation remains unchanged; (iv) the evolving IMF's median dust-to-metal mass ratio is lower due to its stronger SN feedback; (v) the evolving IMF requires lower values of the escape fraction of ionising photons and exhibits a flatter median relation and smaller scatter between the ionising photons emerging from galaxies and the halo mass. Yet, the topology of the ionised regions hardly changes compared to the Salpeter IMF. These results suggest that a top-heavier IMF alone is unlikely to explain the higher abundance of bright z>10 sources, since the lower mass-to-light ratio is counteracted by the stronger stellar feedback.

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arXiv2023

On the general nature of 21cm-Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters cross-correlations during reionisation

We explore how the characteristics of the cross-correlation functions between the 21cm emission from the spin-flip transition of neutral hydrogen (HI) and early Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$) radiation emitting galaxies (Ly$\alpha$ emitters, LAEs) depend on the reionisation history and topology and the simulated volume. For this purpose, we develop an analytic expression for the 21cm-LAE cross-correlation function and compare it to results derived from different Astraeus and 21cmFAST reionisation simulations covering a physically plausible range of scenarios where either low-mass ($<10^{9.5}M_\odot$) or massive ($>10^{9.5}M_\odot$) galaxies drive reionisation. Our key findings are: (i) the negative small-scale ($<2$ cMpc) cross-correlation amplitude scales with the intergalactic medium's (IGM) average HI fraction ($\langle\chi_\mathrm{HI}\rangle$) and spin-temperature weighted overdensity in neutral regions ($\langle1+\delta\rangle_\mathrm{HI}$); (ii) the inversion point of the cross-correlation function traces the peak of the size distribution of ionised regions around LAEs; (iii) the cross-correlation amplitude at small scales is sensitive to the reionisation topology, with its anti-correlation or correlation decreasing the stronger the ionising emissivity of the underlying galaxy population is correlated to the cosmic web gas distribution (i.e. the more low-mass galaxies drive reionisation); (iv) the required simulation volume to not underpredict the 21cm-LAE anti-correlation amplitude when the cross-correlation is derived via the cross-power spectrum rises as the size of ionised regions and their variance increases. Our analytic expression can serve two purposes: to test whether simulation volumes are sufficiently large, and to act as a fitting function when cross-correlating future 21cm signal Square Kilometre Array and LAE galaxy observations.

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arXiv2023

Extreme damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption in young star-forming galaxies at $z=9-11$

The onset of galaxy formation is thought to be initiated by the infall of neutral, pristine gas onto the first protogalactic halos. However, direct constraints on the abundance of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) in galaxies have been difficult to obtain at early cosmic times. Here we present spectroscopic observations with JWST of three galaxies at redshifts $z=8.8 - 11.4$, about $400-600$ Myr after the Big Bang, that show strong damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption ($N_{\rm HI} > 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$) from HI in their local surroundings, an order of magnitude in excess of the Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption caused by the neutral intergalactic medium at these redshifts. Consequently, these early galaxies cannot be contributing significantly to reionization, at least at their current evolutionary stages. Simulations of galaxy formation show that such massive gas reservoirs surrounding young galaxies so early in the history of the universe is a signature of galaxy formation in progress.

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arXiv2023

The reionising bubble size distribution around galaxies

Constraining when and how reionisation began is pivotal for understanding when the first galaxies formed. Lyman-alpha (Ly$\alpha$) emission from galaxies is currently our most promising probe of these early stages. At z>7 the majority of galaxies detected with Ly$\alpha$ are in candidate overdensities. Here we quantify the probability of these galaxies residing in large ionised bubbles. We create (1.6 Gpc)$^3$ reionising intergalactic medium (IGM) simulations, providing sufficient volume to robustly measure bubble size distributions around UV-bright galaxies and rare overdensities. We find $M_{\rm UV} \lesssim -16$ galaxies and overdensities are $\gtrsim$10-1000x more likely to trace ionised bubbles compared to randomly selected positions. The brightest galaxies and strongest overdensities have bubble size distributions with highest characteristic size and least scatter. We compare two models: gradual reionisation driven by numerous UV-faint galaxies versus more rapid reionisation by rarer brighter galaxies, producing larger bubbles at fixed neutral fraction. We demonstrate that recently observed z~7 overdensities are highly likely to trace large ionised bubbles, corroborated by their high Ly$\alpha$ detection rates. However, the z~8.7 association of Ly$\alpha$ emitters in EGS and GN-z11, with Ly$\alpha$ at z=10.6, are unlikely to trace large bubbles in our fiducial model -- 11% and 7% probability of >1 proper Mpc bubbles, respectively. Ly$\alpha$ detections at such high redshifts could be explained by: a less neutral IGM than previously expected; larger ionised regions at fixed neutral fraction; or if intrinsic Ly$\alpha$ flux is unusually strong in these galaxies. We discuss how to test these scenarios with JWST and the prospects for using upcoming wide-area surveys to distinguish between reionisation models.

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