The VLT LBG Redshift Survey - V. Characterising the z = 3.1 Lyman Alpha Emitter Population

TL;DR

This study surveys z~3 Lyα emitters over a large area, analyzing their clustering, luminosity function, and relation to Lyman Break Galaxies, revealing their typical low-mass halos and their role in galaxy formation.

Contribution

It provides the first combined clustering analysis of LAEs and LBGs at z=3.1, including cross-correlation, with improved statistical significance and reduced cosmic variance.

Findings

LAEs have a clustering length of 2.86 h^{-1} Mpc.

LAEs inhabit halos of about 10^{11} M_sun.

LAEs are a small fraction of low-mass halos.

Abstract

We present a survey of $z\sim3$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) within the fields of the VLT LBG Redshift Survey. The data encompasses 5 independent survey fields co-spatial with spectroscopic LBG data and covering a larger total area than previously analysed for LAE number counts and clustering. This affords an improved analysis over previous work by minimising the effects of cosmic variance and allowing the cross-clustering analysis of LAEs and LBGs. Our photometric sample consists of $\approx600$ LAE candidates, over an area of 1.07~deg$^2$, with equivalent widths of $\gtrsim65$~\AA\ and a flux limit of $\approx2\times10^{-17}$~erg~cm$^{-2}$~s$^{-1}$. From spectroscopic follow-up, we measured a success rate of $78\pm18\%$. We find the $R$-band continuum luminosity function to be $\sim10\times$ lower than the luminosity function of LBGs at this redshift, consistent with previous studies. Exploiting the large area of the survey, we estimate the LAE auto-correlation function and find a clustering length of $r_0=2.86\pm0.33~h^{-1}$~Mpc, low compared to the $z\sim3$ LBG population, but somewhat higher than previous LAE measurements. This corresponds to a median halo mass of $M_{\rm DM}=10^{11.0\pm0.3}~h^{-1}~$M$_{\odot}$. We present an analysis of clustering length versus continuum magnitude and find that the measurements for LAEs and LBGs are consistent at faint magnitudes. Our combined dataset of LAEs and LBGs allows us to measure, for the first time, the LBG-LAE cross-correlation, finding a clustering length of $r_0=3.29\pm0.57~h^{-1}$~Mpc and a LAE halo mass of $10^{11.1\pm0.4}~h^{-1}$~M$_{\odot}$. Overall, we conclude that LAEs inhabit primarily low mass halos, but form a relatively small proportion of the galaxy population found in such halos.