FIRST OBSERVATIONAL SUPPORT FOR OVERLAPPING REIONIZED BUBBLES GENERATED BY A GALAXY OVERDENSITY

Abstract

We present an analysis of deep Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) multi-band imaging of the BDF field specifically designed to identify faint companions around two of the few Ly α emitting galaxies spectroscopically confirmed at z  ∼ 7. Although separated by only 4.4 proper Mpc these galaxies cannot generate H ii regions large enough to explain the visibility of their Ly α lines, thus requiring a population of fainter ionizing sources in their vicinity. We use deep HST and VLT-Hawk-I data to select z  ∼ 7 Lyman break galaxies around the emitters. We select six new robust z  ∼ 7 LBGs at Y  ∼ 26.5–27.5 whose average spectral energy distribution is consistent with the objects being at the redshift of the close-by Ly α emitters. The resulting number density of z  ∼ 7 LBGs in the BDF field is a factor of approximately three to four higher than expected in random pointings of the same size. We compare these findings with cosmological hydrodynamic plus radiative transfer simulations of a universe with a half neutral IGM: we find that indeed Ly α emitter pairs are only found in completely ionized regions characterized by significant LBG overdensities. Our findings match the theoretical prediction that the first ionization fronts are generated within significant galaxy overdensities and support a scenario where faint, “normal” star-forming galaxies are responsible for reionization.