[38.08] Probing the Epoch of Reionization with the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

AAS 205th Meeting, 9-13 January 2005
Session 38 Cosmic Evolution of Mass and Metallicity
Oral, Monday, January 10, 2005, 2:00-3:30pm, Town and Country

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[38.08] Probing the Epoch of Reionization with the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

M. Stiavelli, S.M. Fall (STScI), N. Panagia (STScI and ESA)

We derive the expected properties of reionization sources with very low metallicity and show how the z=6 galaxies identified as i-band dropouts in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and in the GOODS survey would be capable of reionizing the Universe provided their metallicity is very low and/or their mass function is top heavy. We discuss possible alternatives to that of a very low metallicity and how some of these alternatives could be tested with observations.

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