- Kashikawa, N;
- Shimasaku, K;
- Malkan, MA;
- Doi, M;
- Matsuda, Y;
- Ouchi, M;
- Taniguchi, Y;
- Ly, C;
- Nagao, T;
- Iye, M;
- Motohara, K;
- Murayama, T;
- Murozono, K;
- Nariai, K;
- Ohta, K;
- Okamura, S;
- Sasaki, T;
- Shioya, Y;
- Umemura, M
We report an extensive search for Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 6.5 in the Subaru Deep Field. Subsequent spectroscopy with Subaru and Keck identified eight more LAEs, giving a total of 17 spectroscopically confirmed LAEs at z = 6.5. Based on this spectroscopic sample of 17, complemented by a photometric sample of 58 LAEs, we have derived a more accurate Lyα luminosity function of LAEs at z = 6.5, which reveals an apparent deficit at the bright end of ∼0.75 mag fainter L*, compared with that observed at z = 5.7. The difference in the LAE luminosity functions between z = 5.7 and 6.5 is significant at the 3 σ level, which is reduced to 2 σ when cosmic variance is taken into account. This result may imply that the reionization of the universe has not been completed at z = 6.5. We found that the spatial distribution of LAEs at z = 6.5 was homogeneous over the field. We discuss the implications of these results for the reionization of the universe. © 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.