Abstract
Cosmic reionization represents the first epoch when galaxies affect the
bulk properties of the universe. Extensive programs with HST have
established that galaxy populations at redshifts z>6 are likely
abundant and luminous enough to reionize the IGM during the first
billion years after the Big Bang. The critical remaining issue is to
constrain separately the production rate of Lyman continuum (LyC)
photons per unit UV luminosity and the fraction f_esc that escape to
reionize the IGM. HST has the unique capability to measure LyC directly
from systems as distant as z~3 via WFC/UVIS F336W, but this critical
capability will not be possible with JWST and is required to quantify
the importance of future reionization epoch galaxies it discovers. The
measurement of LyC with HST at z7.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14747 |
Journal | HST Proposal. Cycle 24 |
State | Published - 2016 |