Constraining the Evolution of the Ionizing Background and the Epoch of Reionization with z ∼ 6 Quasars. II. A Sample of 19 Quasars
@article{Fan2005ConstrainingTE, title={Constraining the Evolution of the Ionizing Background and the Epoch of Reionization with z ∼ 6 Quasars. II. A Sample of 19 Quasars}, author={Xiaohui Fan and Michael A. Strauss and Robert H. Becker and Richard L. White and James E. Gunn and Gillian R. Knapp and Gordon T. Richards and Donald P. Schneider and Jonathan Brinkmann and Masataka Fukugita}, journal={The Astronomical Journal}, year={2005}, volume={132}, pages={117 - 136} }
We study the evolution of the ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at the end of the reionization epoch using moderate-resolution spectra of a sample of 19 quasars at 5.74 < zem < 6.42 discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Three methods are used to trace IGM properties: (1) the evolution of the Gunn-Peterson (GP) optical depth in the Lyα, Lyβ, and Lyγ transitions; (2) the distribution of lengths of dark absorption gaps; and (3) the size of H II regions around luminous…
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