(Nearly) Model-independent Constraints on the Neutral Hydrogen Fraction in the Intergalactic Medium at z ∼ 5–7 Using Dark Pixel Fractions in Lyα and Lyβ Forests

Abstract Cosmic reionization was the last major phase transition of hydrogen from neutral to highly ionized in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Current observations show that the IGM is significantly neutral at z > 7 and largely ionized by z ∼ 5.5. However, most methods to measure the IGM neutral fraction are highly model dependent and are limited to when the volume-averaged neutral fraction of the IGM is either relatively low ( x ¯ H I ≲ 10 − 3 ) or close to unity ( x ¯ H I ∼ 1 ). In particular, the neutral fraction evolution of the IGM at the critical redshift range of z = 6–7 is poorly constrained. We present new constraints on x ¯ H I at z ∼ 5.1–6.8 by analyzing deep optical spectra of 53 quasars at 5.73 x ¯ H I ( z = 6.3 ) 0.79 ± 0.04 (1 σ ), x ¯ H I ( z = 6.5 ) 0.87 ± 0.03 (1 σ ), and x ¯ H I