A Framework for Simultaneously Measuring Field Densities and the High-z Luminosity Function

TL;DR

This paper presents a new framework that combines measurements of galaxy densities and the high-redshift luminosity function, enabling precise mapping of cosmic structures and galaxy populations at z > 6 with upcoming JWST surveys.

Contribution

It introduces a novel inference framework that simultaneously measures large-scale matter densities and the high-z UV luminosity function, improving analysis of cosmic variance effects.

Findings

JWST can constrain matter densities to Poisson noise limits.

Over-dense and under-dense regions can be identified on tens of Mpc scales.

Luminosity function measurements at z=12 will be comparable or better than current z=8 results.

Abstract

Cosmic variance from large-scale structure will be a major source of uncertainty for galaxy surveys at z > 6, but that same structure will also provide an opportunity to identify and study dense environments in the early Universe. Using a robust model for galaxy clustering, we directly incorporate large-scale densities into an inference framework that simultaneously measures the high-z (z > 6) UV luminosity function and the average matter density of each distinct volume in a survey. Through this framework, we forecast the performance of several major upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) galaxy surveys. We find that they can constrain field matter densities down to the theoretical limit imposed by Poisson noise and unambiguously identify over-dense (and under-dense) regions on transverse scales of tens of comoving Mpc. We also predict JWST will measure the luminosity function with a precision at z = 12 comparable to existing Hubble Space Telescope's constraints at z = 8 (and even better for the faint-end slope). We also find that wide-field surveys are especially important in distinguishing luminosity function models.