A SPectroscopic Survey of Biased Halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): JWST Supports Earlier Reionization around [O III] Emitters

Jin, XiangyuXiangyuJinYang, JinyiJinyiYangFan, XiaohuiXiaohuiFanWang, FeigeFeigeWangKakiichi, KokiKokiKakiichiMeyer, Romain A.Romain A.MeyerBecker, George D.George D.BeckerZou, SiweiSiweiZouBañados, EduardoEduardoBañadosChampagne, Jaclyn B.Jaclyn B.ChampagneD'ODORICO, ValentinaValentinaD'ODORICOYue, MinghaoMinghaoYueBosman, Sarah E. I.Sarah E. I.BosmanCai, ZhengZhengCaiEilers, Anna-ChristinaAnna-ChristinaEilersHennawi, Joseph F.Joseph F.HennawiJun, Hyunsung D.Hyunsung D.JunLi, MingyuMingyuLiLi, ZihaoZihaoLiLiu, WeizheWeizheLiuPudoka, MariaMariaPudokaSatyavolu, SindhuSindhuSatyavoluSun, FengwuFengwuSunTee, Wei LeongWei LeongTeeWu, YunjingYunjingWu2025-03-032025-03-0320240004-637Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/36386Understanding when and how reionization happened is crucial for studying the early structure formation and the properties of the first galaxies in the Universe. At z > 5.5, the observed intergalactic medium (IGM) optical depth shows a significant scatter, indicating an inhomogeneous reionization process. However, the nature of the inhomogeneous reionization remains debated. A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE) is a JWST Cycle 1 program that has spectroscopically identified >400 [O III] emitters in 25 quasar fields at z > 6.5. Combined with deep ground-based optical spectroscopy of ASPIRE quasars, the ASPIRE program provides the current largest sample for IGM-galaxy connection studies during cosmic reionization. We present the first results of IGM effective optical depth measurements around [O III] emitters using 14 ASPIRE quasar fields. We find the IGM transmission is tightly related to reionization era galaxies to the extent that a significant excess of Lyα transmission exists around [O III] emitters. We measure the stacked IGM effective optical depth of IGM patches associated with [O III] emitters and find they reach the same IGM effective optical depth at least d z ∼ 0.1 ahead of those IGM patches where no [O III] emitters are detected, supporting earlier reionization around [O III] emitters. Our results indicate an enhancement in IGM Lyα transmission around [O III] emitters at scales beyond 25 h <SUP>‑1</SUP> cMpc, consistent with the predicted topology of reionization from fluctuating UV background models.STAMPAenA SPectroscopic Survey of Biased Halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): JWST Supports Earlier Reionization around [O III] EmittersArticle10.3847/1538-4357/ad82de2-s2.0-85209259504https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad82dehttps://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/852092595042024ApJ...976...93JFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICA