ODIN: Probing the LAE Ly <i>α</i> Luminosity Function across Cosmic Time and Different Environments

Abstract

Abstract The ubiquity and relative ease of discovery make 2 ≲ z ≲ 5 Ly α emitting galaxies (LAEs) ideal tracers for large-scale structure of the distant Universe. In addition, because Ly α is a resonance line, but frequently observed at large equivalent width, it is potentially a probe of galaxy evolution. The LAE Ly α luminosity function (LF) is an essential measurement for making progress on both of these topics. Although several studies have computed the LAE LF, very few have delved into how the function varies with environment. The large area and depth of the One-hundred-deg 2 DECam Imaging in Narrowbands (ODIN) survey makes such measurements possible at the cosmic noon redshifts of z ∼ 2.4, 3.1, and 4.5. In this initial work, we present algorithms needed to rigorously compute the LAE LF, and test them on the ∼16,000 ODIN LAEs found in the extended COSMOS field. Using these limited samples, we find weak evidence that protocluster environments suppress the numbers of faint LAEs compared to the field. We also find that the LF decreases in number density and evolves towards a steeper faint-end slope over cosmic time from z ∼ 4.5 to z ∼ 2.4.

Affiliated Institutions

• Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies FR
• CEA Paris-Saclay FR
• Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers FR
• Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives FR
• Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris FR

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