The clustering of Hα emitters at z=2.23 from HiZELS

Geach, J. E. and Sobral, D. and Hickox, R. C. and Wake, D. A. and Smail, Ian and Best, P. N. and Baugh, C. M. and Stott, John (2012) The clustering of Hα emitters at z=2.23 from HiZELS. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 426 (1). pp. 679-689. ISSN 0035-8711

Abstract

We present a clustering analysis of 370 high-confidence Hα emitters (HAEs) at z = 2.23. The HAEs are detected in the Hi-Z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS), a large-area blank field 2.121μm narrow-band survey using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Wide Field Camera (WFCAM). Averaging the two-point correlation function of HAEs in two ∼1° scale fields [United Kingdom Infrared Deep Sky Survey/Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) and Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) fields] we find a clustering amplitude equivalent to a correlation length of r 0 = 3.7 ± 0.3h -1Mpc for galaxies with star formation rates of ≳7M ⊙yr -1. The data are also well-fitted by the expected correlation function of cold dark matter (CDM), scaled by a bias factor: ω HAE = b 2ω DM where b=2.4-0.2+0.1. The corresponding 'characteristic' mass for the haloes hosting HAEs is log(M h/[h -1M ⊙]) = 11.7 ± 0.1. Comparing to the latest semi-analytic galform predictions for the evolution of HAEs in a ΛCDM cosmology, we find broad agreement with the observations, with galform predicting an HAE correlation length of ∼4h -1Mpc. Motivated by this agreement, we exploit the simulations to construct a parametric model of the halo occupation distribution (HOD) of HAEs, and use this to fit the observed clustering. Our best-fitting HOD can adequately reproduce the observed angular clustering of HAEs, yielding an effective halo mass and bias in agreement with that derived from the scaled ω DM fit, but with the relatively small sample size the current data provide a poor constraint on the HOD. However, we argue that this approach provides interesting hints into the nature of the relationship between star-forming galaxies and the matter field, including insights into the efficiency of star formation in massive haloes. Our results support the broad picture that 'typical' (≲L {black star}) star-forming galaxies have been hosted by dark matter haloes with M h ≲ 10 12h -1M ⊙ since z ≈ 2, but with a broad occupation distribution and clustering that is likely to be a strong function of luminosity.