The contribution of high redshift galaxies to the Near-Infrared Background

TL;DR

This study models the contribution of high-redshift galaxies to the Near-Infrared Background fluctuations, finding they are insufficient to explain observed signals, suggesting an unknown component dominates.

Contribution

It combines simulations and analytical models to predict high-$z$ galaxy flux and fluctuations, and empirically constrains the ionizing photon escape fraction evolution.

Findings

High-$z$ galaxies contribute minimally to NIRB fluctuations.

Predicted flux from high-$z$ galaxies is below observed fluctuation levels.

An unknown component likely dominates the NIRB fluctuation signal.

Abstract

Several independent measurements have confirmed the existence of fluctuations ($\delta F_{\rm obs}\approx 0.1 \rm nW/m^{2}/sr$ at $3.6 \rm \mu m$) up to degree angular scales in the source-subtracted Near InfraRed Background (NIRB) whose origin is unknown. By combining high resolution cosmological N-body/hydrodynamical simulations with an analytical model, and by matching galaxy Luminosity Functions (LFs) and the constraints on reionization simultaneously, we predict the NIRB absolute flux and fluctuation amplitude produced by high-$z$ ($z > 5$) galaxies (some of which harboring Pop III stars, shown to provide a negligible contribution). This strategy also allows us to make an empirical determination of the evolution of ionizing photon escape fraction: we find $f_{\rm esc} = 1$ at $z \ge 11$, decreasing to $\approx 0.05$ at $z = 5$. In the wavelength range $1.0-4.5 \rm \mu m$, the predicted cumulative flux is $F =0.2-0.04 \rm nW/m^2/sr$. However, we find that the radiation from high-$z$ galaxies (including those undetected by current surveys) is insufficient to explain the amplitude of the observed fluctuations: at $l=2000$, the fluctuation level due to $z > 5$ galaxies is $\delta F = 0.01-0.002 \rm nW/m^2/sr$, with a relative wavelength-independent amplitude $\delta F/F = 4$%. The source of the missing power remains unknown. This might indicate that an unknown component/foreground, with a clustering signal very similar to that of high-$z$ galaxies, dominates the source-subtracted NIRB fluctuation signal.