  We use state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations combined with a 1D
radiative transfer code to assess the extent to which the highly ionized
regions observed close to z~6 quasars, which we refer to as near-zones, can
constrain the ionization state of the surrounding IGM. We find the appearance
in Lya absorption of a quasar HII ionization front expanding into a neutral IGM
can be very similar to a classical proximity zone, produced by the enhancement
in ionizing flux close to a quasar embedded in a highly ionized IGM. The
observed sizes of these highly ionized near-zones and their redshift evolution
can be reproduced for a wide range of IGM neutral hydrogen fractions for
plausible values of the luminosity and lifetime of the quasars. The observed
near-zone sizes at the highest observed redshifts are equally consistent with a
significantly neutral and a highly ionized surrounding IGM. Stronger
constraints on the IGM neutral hydrogen fraction can be obtained by considering
the relative size of the near-zones in the Lya and Lyb regions of a quasar
spectrum. A large sample of high quality quasar absorption spectra with
accurate determinations of near-zone sizes and their redshift evolution in both
the Lya and Lyb regions should confirm or exclude the possibility that the
Universe is predominantly neutral at the highest observed redshifts. The width
of the discrete absorption features in these near-zones will contain important
additional information on the ionization state and the previous thermal history
of the IGM at these redshifts.
