The subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS). IV. Evolution of lyα emitters from z = 3.1 to 5.7 in the 1 deg2 field: Luminosity functions and AGN

We present luminosity functions (LFs) and various properties of Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 3.1, 3.7, and 5.7, in a 1 deg2 sky of the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS) Field. We obtain a photometric sample of 858 LAE candidates based on deep Subaru Suprime-Cam imaging data and a spectroscopic sample of 84 confirmed LAEs from Subam FOCAS and VLT VIMOS spectroscopy in a survey volume of ∼106 Mpc3 with a limiting Lyα luminosity of ∼3 × 1042 ergs s -1. We derive the LFs of the Lyα and UV continuum (≃1500 Å) for each redshift, taking into account the statistical error and the field-to-field variation. We find that the apparent Lyα LF shows no significant evolution between z = 3.1 and 5.7 within factors of 1.8 and 2.7 in L* and φ*, respectively. On the other hand, the UV LF of LAEs increases from z = 3.1 to 5.7, indicating that galaxies with Lyα emission are more common at earlier epochs. We identify six LAEs with AGN activities from our spectra combined with VLA, Spitzer, and XMM-Newton data. Among the photometrically selected LAEs at z = 3.1 and 3.7, only ≃1% show AGN activities, while the brightest LAEs with log L(Lyα) ≥ 43.4-43.6 ergs s-1 appear to always host AGNs. Our LAEs are bluer in UV-continuum color than dropout galaxies, suggesting lower extinction and/or younger stellar populations. Our stacking analyses provide upper limits to the radio luminosity and the ∫He II/∫Lyα line fraction and constrain the hidden star formation (+low-luminosity AGN) and the primordial population in LAEs. © 2008. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.