Lyman alpha emitting galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.35 from GALEX spectroscopy
Jean-Michel Deharveng, Todd Small, Tom A. Barlow, Celine Peroux, Bruno Milliard, Peter G. Friedman, D. Christopher Martin, Patrick Morrissey, David Schiminovich… 展开作者
Jean-Michel Deharveng, Todd Small, Tom A. Barlow, Celine Peroux, Bruno Milliard, Peter G. Friedman, D. Christopher Martin, Patrick Morrissey, David Schiminovich, Karl Forster, Mark Seibert, Ted K. Wyder, Luciana Bianchi, Jose Donas, Timothy M. Heckman, Young-Wook Lee, Barry F. Madore, Susan G. Neff, R. Michael Rich, Alex S. Szalay, Barry Y. Welsh, Sukyoung K. Yi
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18 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
The GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer) spectroscopic survey mode, with a resolution of about 8 A in the FUV (1350 - 1750 A) and about 20 A in the NUV (1950 - 2750 A) is used for a systematic search of Ly-a emitting galaxies at low redshift. This aims at filling a gap between high-redshift surveys and a small set of objects studied in detail in the nearby universe. A blind search of 7018 spectra extracted in 5 deep exposures (5.65 sq.deg) has resulted in 96 Ly-a emitting galaxy candidates in the FUV domain, after accounting for broad-line AGNs. The Ly-a EWs (equivalent width) are consistent with stellar population model predictions and show no trends as a function of UV color or UV luminosity, except a possible decrease in the most luminous that may be due to small-number statistics. Their distribution in EW is similar to that at z about 3 but their fraction among star-forming galaxies is smaller. Avoiding uncertain candidates, a sub-sample of 66 objects in the range 0.2 < z < 0.35 has been used to build a Ly-a LF (luminosity function). The incompleteness due to objects with significant Ly-a emission but a UV continuum too low for spectral extraction has been evaluated. A comparison with H-a LF in the same redshift domain is consistent with an average Ly-a/H-a of about 1 in about 15 % of the star-forming galaxies. A comparison with high-redshift Ly-a LFs implies an increase of the Ly-a luminosity density by a factor of about 16 from z about 0.3 to z about 3. By comparison with the factor 5 increase of the UV luminosity density in the same redshift range, this suggests an increase of the average Ly-a escape fraction with redshift.
The first large sample of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z~1 is selected from GALEX Far-UV and Near-UV images of the Chandra Deep Field South. This multi-wavelength study is based on the wealth of data available in this field: SPITZER-MIPS to estimate total IR luminosities and dust attenuations, redshifts from COMBO-17, EIS and GOODS to check the validity of dropout identifications and GOODS to derive the morphology of about 40 of our LBGs. The advantages of this "nearby" LBG sample are that images reach fainter fluxes and surface brightnesses, allowing a deeper detection at all wavelengths an…
We report the spectroscopic confirmation of a compact \lya emitting galaxy at $z=5.721$. A FORS2 spectrum of the source shows a strong asymmetric line with a flux of 5$\times10^{-17}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, making it one of the brightest \lya emitting galaxies at this redshift, and a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of 400 km s$^{-1}$. We also have a tentative detection of a second, narrower component that is redshifted by 400 km s$^{-1}$ with respect to the main peak. A FORS2 image shows that the source is compact, with a FWHM of 0\farcs5, which corresponds to 3.2 kpc at this redshift. This…
Shull et al. (1999) have asserted that the contribution of stars, relative to quasars, to the metagalactic background radiation that ionizes most of the baryons in the universe remains almost completely unknown at all epochs. The potential to directly quantify this contribution at low redshift has recently become possible with the identification by GALEX of large numbers of sparsely distributed faint ultraviolet galaxies. Neither STIS nor FUSE nor GALEX have the ability to efficiently survey these sparse fields and directly measure the Lyman continuum radiation that may leak into the low redsh…
The gravitationally lensed Lyman-alpha emitting galaxy, HCM6A, detected by Hu et al. (2002) at z=6.56 behind the Abell 370 cluster was observed with the MAMBO-2 array of bolometers at 1.2mm wavelength. The galaxy was not detected down to 1.08 mJy (3 sigma), but the depth of the observations and the lens amplification allow us to improve by approximately one order of magnitude previously published upper limits on far infrared emission of Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies at this redshift. The following upper limits are derived from our observations assuming typical dust parameters: dust mass <5.3x1…
We present new VLA C-configuration HI imaging of the Lyman Alpha-emitting starburst galaxies Tol 1924-416 and IRAS 08339+6517. The effective resolution probes neutral gas structures larger than 4.7 kpc in Tol 1924-416, and larger than 8.1 kpc in IRAS 08339+6517. Both systems are revealed to be tidally interacting: Tol 1924-416 with ESO 338-IG04B (6.6 arcminutes = 72 kpc minimum separation), and IRAS 08339+6517 with 2MASX J08380769+6508579 (2.4 arcminutes = 56 kpc minimum separation). The HI emission is extended in these systems, with tidal tails and debris between the target galaxies and their…
We present a catalog of 59 z=4.5 Lyman alpha emitting galaxies spectroscopically confirmed in a campaign of Keck/DEIMOS follow-up observations to candidates selected in the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) narrow-band imaging survey. We targeted 97 candidates for spectroscopic follow-up; by accounting for the variety of conditions under which we performed spectroscopy, we estimate a selection reliability of about 76%. Together with our previous sample of Keck/LRIS confirmations, the 59 sources confirmed herein bring the total catalog to 73 spectroscopically confirmed z=4.5 Lyman alpha emitting ga…
We present deep submillimeter imaging of two spectroscopically confirmed z~6.5 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in the Subaru Deep Field. Although we reach the nominal confusion limit at 850 micron, neither LAE is detected at 850 micron nor 450 micron, thus we conclude that the LAEs do not contain large dust masses (<2.3e8 Msun and <5.7e8 Msun). The limit on their average L(FIR)/L(UV) ratios (<~35) is substantially lower than seen for most submillimeter selected galaxies at z~3, and is within the range of values exhibited by Lyman-break galaxies. We place upper-limits on their individual star forma…
We present results from a deep spectroscopic search in the 9150A atmospheric window for z~6.5 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies using the VLT/FORS2. Our multi-slit+narrow-band filter survey covers a total spatial area of 17.6 sq. arcmin in four different fields and reaches fluxes down to 5x10^(-18) erg/s/cm^2 (7 sigma detection). Our detection limit is significantly fainter than narrow-band searches at this redshift and fainter also than the unlensed brightness of Hu et al.'s HCM6A at z=6.56, and thus provides better overlap with surveys at much lower redshifts. Eighty secure emission line galaxie…
We have discovered an extended Lyman alpha plume associated with a compact source at redshift 5.4 in slitless spectroscopic data from the Grism ACS Program for Extragalactic Science (GRAPES) project. The spatial extent of the emission is about 6 x 1.5 kpc (1 x 0.25 arcsec). Combining our grism data and the broadband images from the Hubble UltraDeep Field (UDF) images, we find a Lyman alpha line flux of 2e-17 erg/cm2/s and surface brightness 7e-17 erg/cm2/s/arcsec2. The UDF images show diffuse continuum emission associated with the Lyman alpha plume (hereafter UDF 5225), with three embedded kno…
Medium-band imaging with HST/WFPC2 in the F410M filter has previously revealed a population of compact Lyman-alpha emission objects around the radio galaxy 53W002 at z~2.4. We report detections of similar objects at z~2.4 in random, high-latitude HST parallel observations of three additional fields, lending support to the idea that they constitute a widespread population at these redshifts. The three new fields contain 18 Lyman-alpha candidates, in contrast to the 17 detected in the deeper exposure of the single WFPC2 field around 53W002. We find substantial differences in the number of candid…
We present results from a blind, spectroscopic survey for redshift ~5.7 Lyman-alpha-emitting galaxies using the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph. A total of ~200 square arcminutes were observed in the COSMOS and LCIRS fields using a narrowband filter, which transmits between atmospheric emission lines at 8190 A, and a mask with 100 longslits. This observing technique provides higher emission-line sensitivity than narrowband imaging and probes larger volumes than strong lensing. We find 170 emission-line galaxies and identify their redshifts spectroscopically. We confirm three Lym…
We investigate the stellar populations of a sample of 162 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z = 3.1 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, using deep Spitzer IRAC data available from the GOODS and SIMPLE surveys to derive reliable stellar population estimates. We divide the LAEs according to their rest-frame near-IR luminosities into IRAC-detected and IRAC-undetected samples. About 70% of the LAEs are undetected in 3.6 micron down to [3.6] = 25.2 AB. Stacking analysis reveals that the average stellar population of the IRAC-undetected sample has an age of ~ 200 Myr and a mass of ~ 3x10…
The Wide Field Imager Lyman-Alpha Search (WFILAS) is a search for Lya emitting galaxies at z~5.7. Deep images from the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the ESO/MPI 2.2m telescope have been used to detect 7 bright Lya emitting candidates in three fields covering 0.74 sq. degree on the sky. For this we used three narrowband (FWHM ~70A), one encompassing intermediate band (FWHM \~220A) and broadband B and R filters. One has thus far been spectroscopically confirmed as a Lya emitting galaxy at z=5.721 using FORS2 at the VLT. This galaxy shows a bright, well resolved asymmetric line profile, which is cha…
Studies of the formation and early history of galaxies have been hampered by the difficulties inherent in detecting faint galaxy populations at high redshift. As a consequence, observations at the highest redshifts (3.5 < z < 5) have been restricted to objects that are intrinsically bright. These include quasars, radio galaxies, and some Ly alpha-emitting objects that are very close to (within ~10 kpc) -- and appear to be physically associated with -- quasars. But the extremely energetic processes which make these objects easy to detect also make them unrepresentative of normal (field) galaxie…
The optical properties of a number of supercompact ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLG), recently discovered in the local Universe matching GALEX and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, are discussed. Detailed re-analysis of the SDSS data for these and other similar but nearer galaxies shows that their surface brightness radial profile in both R and u bands is in most cases well described by an extended disk plus a central unresolved component (possibly a bulge). Since the SDSS pipeline used a single disk component to derive the half light radius of these UVLGs their size was severely undere…
We present model calculations for the expected surface density of Ly-$α$ emitting primeval galaxies (PGs) at high redshifts. We assume that elliptical galaxies and bulges of spiral galaxies (= spheroids) formed early in the universe and that the Ly-$α$ emitting PGs are these spheroids during their first burst of star formation at high redshift. One of the main assumptions of the models is that the Ly-$α$ bright phase of this first starburst in the spheroids is confined to a short period after its onset due to rapid formation of dust. The models do not only explain the failure of early surveys …
We present a redshift z=6.535 galaxy discovered by its Lyman alpha emission in a 9180A narrowband image from the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey. The Ly-a line luminosity (1.1e43 erg/s) is among the largest known for star forming galaxies at z=6.5. The line shows the distinct asymmetry that is characteristic of high-redshift Ly-a. The 2 sigma lower bound on the observer-frame equivalent width is > 530A. This is hard to reconcile with a neutral intergalactic medium unless the Ly-a line is intrinsically strong and is emitted from its host galaxy with an intrinsic Doppler shift of several hu…
In Paper 1 of this series we identified an 80 co-moving Mpc filament of candidate Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies at redshift 2.38. In this paper we present spectroscopy of the 37 galaxy candidates. Our spectroscopy reached a surface brightness limit of 5.0E-17 erg/cm^2/s/arcsec^2. Of the 14 candidates down to this limit, 12 were confirmed to be Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies at the filament redshift. We also obtained spectral confirmation for six of the lower surface brightness candidates, all of which also lay at the filament redshift. In addition, we identify a foreground cluster of QSOs at z=…
In this paper we study the variability properties of the Lyman alpha and C IV emission lines in 3C273 using archival IUE observations. Our data show for the first time the existence of variability on time scales of several years. We study the spatial distribution and the velocity field of the emitting gas by performing detailed analyses on the line variability using correlations, 1D and 2D response functions, and principal component analysis. In both lines we find evidence for two components, one which has the dynamic properties of gas in Keplerian motion around a black hole with a mass of the…
We selected 40 candidate Lyman Alpha Emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z ~=3.1 with observed frame equivalent widths >150A and inferred emission line fluxes >2.5x10^-17 ergs/cm^2/s from deep narrow-band and broad-band MUSYC images of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South. Covering 992 sq. arcmin, this is the largest ``blank field'' surveyed for LAEs at z ~3, allowing an improved estimate of the space density of this population of 3+-1x10^-4 h_70^3/Mpc^3. Spectroscopic follow-up of 23 candidates yielded 18 redshifts, all at z ~=3.1. Over 80% of the LAEs are dimmer in continuum magnitude than the typi…
We present a study of three Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs), selected via a narrow-band survey in the GOODS northern field, and spectroscopically confirmed to have redshifts of z ~ 5.65. Using HST ACS and Spitzer IRAC data, we constrain the rest-frame UV-to-optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the galaxies. Fitting stellar population synthesis models to the observed SEDs, we find best-fit stellar populations with masses between ~ 10^9 - 10^10 M_sun and ages between ~ 5 - 100 Myr, assuming a simple starburst star formation history. However, stellar populations as old as 700 Myr …
We use deep GALEX images of CDFS in UV to define the first large sample of 420 Lyman Break Galaxies at z~1. We use a PSF fitting to estimate UV magnitudes on these deep crowded images. Deep Spitzer IRAC and MIPS provide the first detection of a large sample of Lyman Break Galaxies in the mid- to far-infrared range. We are therefore able to study and compare the UV and TIR emission of Lyman Break Galaxies. We find that about 15% of the LBG sample are strong emitters at 24 microns (Red LBGs). Most of them are Luminous IR Galaxies (LIRGs) while the rest (Blue LBGs) are undetected at the 83 microJ…
Recent observations imply that the observed number counts of Lya Emitters (LAEs) evolved significantly between z=5.7 and z=6.5. It has been suggested that this was due to a rapid evolution in the ionisation state, and hence transmission of the IGM which caused Lya flux from z=6.5 galaxies to be more strongly suppressed. In this paper we consider the joint evolution of the Lya and UV luminosity functions (LFs) and show that the IGM transmission evolved between z=6.5 and z=5.7 by a factor 1.1 <R < 1.8 (95% CL). This result is insensitive to the underlying model of the Lya LF (as well as cosmic v…
Lyman-alpha emission from high-redshift galaxies may be a powerful probe of the ionization history of the IGM at z>6: the observed Lyman-alpha emission line is sensitive to the neutral fraction of IGM hydrogen in the range 0.1-1. We present calculations of observed Lyman-alpha emission lines from z>6 galaxies, illustrating the effect of varying the many free parameters associated with the emitting galaxy, its halo, and the IGM around the galaxy. In particular, we use a dynamic model of the IGM that includes the effect of IGM infall toward the emitting galaxy. Galactic winds may play a crucial …
We present Keck/LRIS optical spectra of 17 Lya-emitting galaxies and one Lyman break galaxy at z=4.5 discovered in the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey. The survey has identified a sample of ~350 candidate Lya-emitting galaxies at z=4.5 in a search volume of 1.5 x 10^6 comoving Mpc^3. We targeted 25 candidates for spectroscopy; hence, the 18 confirmations presented herein suggest a selection reliability of 72%. The large equivalent widths (median W(rest)~80 A) but narrow physical widths (v < 500 km/s) of the Lya emission lines, along with the lack of accompanying high-ionization state emis…
Based on GALEX and IRAS/Spitzer datasets, we have found that both FUV and FIR luminosity functions (LFs) show a strong evolution from z=0 to z=1, but the FIR LF evolves much stronger than the FUV one. Consequently, the FIR/FUV luminosity density ratio increases from 4 (z=0) to 15 (z=1). It means that more than 80% of the star-forming activity in the Universe is hidden by dust at z=1. To explore this issue further, we have performed a combined analysis of the galaxy sample in FUV and FIR. For the Local Universe we used GALEX-IRAS sample, whereas at z=1 we used the Lyman-break galaxy sample sele…
GALEX has identified large numbers of extra galactic objects that are too faint to be observed by FUSE. These star forming systems are potential sources of Lyman continuum (Lyc) radiation and may contribute to the metagalactic background radiation that ionizes most of the baryons in the universe. By measuring the level of Lyc radiation leaking from these galaxies we can quantify the contribution of stars, relative to quasars, to the ionizing background at low redshift (0.025 <~ z <~ 0.4) and provide insight into the reionization processes at high redshift. A meter class instrument with a moder…
We present the results of a stellar population analysis of 30 Lyman alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z ~ 0.3, previously discovered with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). With a few exceptions, we can accurately fit model spectral energy distributions to these objects, representing the first time this has been done for a large sample of LAEs at z < 3, a gap of ~ 8 Gyr in the history of the Universe. From the 26/30 LAEs which we can fit, we find an age and stellar mass range of 200 Myr - 10 Gyr and 10^9 - 10^11 Msol, respectively. These objects thus appear to be significantly older and mo…
The recently discovered z=10 galaxy (Pello et al 2004) has a strong Lyman alpha emission line that is consistent with being surprisingly symmetric, even given the relatively poor quality of its spectrum. The blue wing of a Lyman alpha line originating at high redshift should be strongly suppressed by resonant hydrogen absorption along the line of sight, an expectation borne out by the observed asymmetric shapes of the existing sample of Lyman alpha emitting sources at lower redshifts (3< z < 6.7). Absorption on the blue side of the line of the Pello et al. source could be reduced if the interg…
We use a numerical simulation of cosmological reionization to estimate the likelihood of detecting Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies during the pre-reionization era. We show that it is possible to find galaxies even at z~9 that are barely affected by the dumping wing of the Gunn-Peterson absorption from the neutral IGM outside of their HII regions. The damping wing becomes rapidly more significant at z>9, but even at z>10 is it not inconceivable (although quite hard) to see a Lyman-alpha emission line from a star-forming galaxy.
We present the first large, unbiased sample of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 1. Far ultraviolet-dropout (1530 A) galaxies in the Chandra Deep Field South have been selected using GALEX data. This first large sample in the z ~ 1 universe provides us with a high quality reference sample of LBGs. We analyzed the sample from the UV to the IR using GALEX, SPITZER, ESO and HST data. The morphology (obtained from GOODS data) of 75 % of our LBGs is consistent with a disk. The vast majority of LBGs with an IR detection are also Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs). As a class, the galaxies not detec…
We report the discovery of a Lyman-alpha-emitting galaxy at redshift z=6.545 serendipitously identified in the course of spectroscopic follow-up of hard X-ray sources on behalf of the Serendipitous Extragalactic X-Ray Source Identification (SEXSI) survey. The line flux of the galaxy, 2.1e-17 erg/cm2/s, is similar to line fluxes probed by narrow-band imaging surveys; the 5.2 square-arcminutes surveyed implies a surface density of z~6.5 Lyman-alpha emitters somewhat higher than that inferred from narrow-band surveys. This source marks the sixth Lyman-alpha-emitting galaxy identified at z~6.5, a …
Observations of the powerful radio galaxy 1138-262 at z=2.2 suggest that this galaxy is a massive galaxy in the center of a forming cluster. We have imaged the field of 1138-262 with the Very Large Telescope in a narrow band encompassing the redshifted Lyman alpha emission. We detect 34 probable line emitters in the 6'x6' field. These are candidate Lyman alpha emitting galaxies in the supposed cluster. The observations also reveal that the radio galaxy is enclosed by a very extended Lyman alpha halo (160 kpc).
We have calculated FeII emission line strengths for Active Galactic Nuclei Broad-Line Regions using precise radiative transfer and Iron Project atomic data. We improve the treatment of all previously considered excitation mechanisms for the FeII emission, continuum fluorescence, collisional excitation, fluorescence by self-overlap among the iron lines, and fluorescent excitation by Lyman-alpha. We demonstrate that Lyman-alpha fluorescence is of fundamental importance in determining the strength of the FeII emission. In addition to enhancing the ultraviolet and optical FeII flux, Lyman-alpha fl…
Context: Ly-alpha-emitters have proven to be excellent probes of faint, star-forming galaxies in the high redshift universe. However, although the sample of known emitters is increasingly growing, their nature (e.g. stellar masses, ages, metallicities, star-formation rates) is still poorly constrained. Aims: We aim to study the nature of Ly-alpha-emitters, to find the properties of a typical Ly-alpha-emitting galaxy and to compare these properties with the properties of other galaxies at similar redshift, in particular Lyman-break galaxies. Methods: We have performed narrow-band imaging at the…
We present a spectroscopic survey for strong galaxy-galaxy lenses. Exploiting optimal sight-lines to massive, bulge-dominated galaxies at redshifts $z \sim 0.4$ with wide-field, multifibre spectroscopy, we anticipate the detection of 10-20 lensed Lyman-$α$ emitting galaxies at redshifts $z \simgreat 3$ from a sample of 2000 deflectors. Initial spectroscopic observations are described and the prospects for constraining the emission-line luminosity function of the Lyman-$α$ emitting population are outlined.
We review the history and the current status of the understanding of the processes that regulate Lyman alpha emission from star-forming galaxies. We present some of the most recent results of our study to image local starburst galaxies in the Lyman alpha emission line using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. Particular attention is dedicated to our study of the low-metallicity, dust-poor Blue Compact Galaxy ESO338-IG04. We discuss some of our local observational results with reference to the interpretation of results of high-redshift Lyman alpha surveys and recent s…
The high-redshift Universe contains luminous Lyman Alpha (hereafter Lya) emitting sources such as galaxies and quasars. The emitted Lya radiation is often scattered by surrounding neutral hydrogen atoms. We show that the scattered Lya radiation obtains a high level of polarization for a wide range of likely environments of high-redshift galaxies. For example, the back-scattered Lya flux observed from galaxies surrounded by a superwind-driven outflow may reach a fractional polarization as high as ~40%. Equal levels of polarization may be observed from neutral collapsing protogalaxies. Resonant …
The 8m class telescopes in the ground-based optical astronomy together with help from the ultra-sharp eye of the Hubble Space Telescope have enabled us to observe forming galaxies beyond redshift $z=5$. In particular, more than twenty Ly$α$-emitting galaxies have already been found at $z > 5$. These findings provide us with useful hints to investigate how galaxies formed and then evolved in the early universe. Further, detailed analysis of Ly$α$ emission line profiles are useful in exploring the nature of the intergalactic medium because the trailing edge of cosmic reionization could be close …
We derive an analytic expression for the intensity of resonance-line radiation ``trapped'' in a semi-infinite medium. Given a source function and destruction probability per scattering, the radiation pressure due to trapped photons can be calculated by numerically integrating over analytic functions. We apply this formalism to a plane-parallel model stellar atmosphere to calculate the radiation pressure due to Lyman-alpha photons produced following absorption of UV and X-rays from an AGN. For low surface gravity stars near the AGN (g~10 cm/sec^2, r~0.25 pc), we find that the pressure due to Ly…
Context: Wide-field narrowband surveys are an efficient way of searching large volumes of high-redshift space for distant galaxies. Aims: We describe the Wide Field Imager Lyman-Alpha Search (WFILAS) over 0.74 sq. degree for bright emission-line galaxies at z~5.7. Methods: WFILAS uses deep images taken with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the ESO/MPI 2.2m telescope in three narrowband (70 A), one encompassing intermediate band (220 A) and two broadband filters, B and R. We use the novel technique of an encompassing intermediate band filter to exclude false detections. Images taken with broadban…
Large nebulae (>50 kpc) emitting strongly in Lya (also known as Lya ``blobs'') are likely signposts of ongoing massive galaxy formation. The relative rarity of these sources and their discovery in well-studied galaxy overdensities suggest that they may be associated with regions of high galaxy density. One of the largest Lya nebulae, discovered at a redshift of z~2.7 via its strong mid-infrared emission, provides an unbiased test of this association. We have carried out a deep intermediate-band imaging survey for Lya-emitting galaxies (LAEs) within a 30'x26' field of view around this Lya nebul…
I summarize current knowledge of galaxy formation with emphasis on the initial conditions provided by the Lambda CDM cosmology, integral constraints from cosmological quantities, and the demographics of high-redshift protogalaxies. Tables are provided summarizing the number density, star formation rate and stellar mass per object, cosmic star formation rate and stellar mass densities, clustering length and typical dark matter halo masses for Lyman break galaxies, Lyman alpha emitting galaxies, Distant red galaxies, Sub-millimeter galaxies, and Damped Lyman alpha absorption systems. I also disc…
We present models for dusty high-redshift Lyman alpha emitting galaxies by combining the Press-Schechter formalism with a treatment of inhomogeneous dust distribution inside galaxies. These models reproduce the surface density of emitters inferred from recent observations, and also agree with previous non-detections. Although a detailed determination of the individual model parameters is precluded by uncertainties, we find that (i) the dust content of primordial galaxies builds up in no more than 5x10^8 years, (ii) the galactic HII regions are inhomogeneous with a cloud covering factor of orde…
We compute the polarization of the Lyman alpha line photons emerging from an anisotropically expanding and optically thick medium, which is expected to operate in many Lyman alpha emitting objects including the primeval galaxy DLA~2233+131 and Lyman break galaxies. In the case of a highly optically thick medium, the escape of resonance line photons is achieved by a large number of resonant local scatterings followed by a small number of scatterings in the damping wing. We show that some polarization can develop because the wing scatterings are coupled with strong spatial diffusion which depend…
In the course of our ongoing search for serendipitous high-redshift Lyman alpha (LyA) Emissionin deep archival Keck spectra, we discovered two very high equivalent width (W_{obs} ~ 450A, 2-sigma) LyA emission line candidates at z ~3 in a moderate dispersion (R~1200) spectrogram. Both lines have low velocity dispersions (sigma_v ~ 60 km/s) and deconvolved radii r ~ 1 kpc (h = 0.5). We argue that the lines are LyA, and are powered by stellar ionization. The surface density of robust, high equivalent width LyA candidates is estimated to be ~3 \pm 2 per arcmin^2 per unit redshift at z ~ 3, consist…
We are carrying out a search for Lyman alpha emitting galaxies at z = 6.5 employing slitless spectroscopy at the VLT. In our 43 square arcminute field we find three isolated single emission lines with SEDs consistent with line emitting galaxies at z = 6.5.
We derive the luminosity function of high-redshift Lyman alpha emitting sources from a deep, blind, spectroscopic survey that utilized strong-lensing magnification by intermediate-redshift clusters of galaxies. We observed carefully selected regions near 9 clusters, consistent with magnification factors generally greater than 10 for the redshift range 4.5<z<6.7. Eleven emission-line candidates were located in the range 2.2<z<5.6 whose identification we justify as Lyman alpha, in most cases via further spectroscopic observations. The selection function we constructed for our survey takes into a…
We present the results of a search for Lyman-alpha emission galaxies at z~ 5.7 in the FORS Deep Field. The objective of this study is to improve the faint end of the luminosity function of high-redshift Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies and to derive properties of intrinsically faint Lyman-alpha emission galaxies in the young universe. Using FORS2 at the ESO VLT and a set of special interference filters, we identified candidates for high-redshift Lyman-alpha galaxies. We then used FORS2 in spectroscopic mode to verify the identifications and to study their spectral properties. The narrow-band phot…
We report the discovery of a Lyman alpha emitting galaxy at z = 6.518. The single line was found in the 43 square arcmin VLT/FORS field by slitless spectroscopy limited to the atmospheric window at 9100 A (sampling Lya at 6.4 < z < 6.6). Its counterpart is undetected in a deep I band image and the line has an asymmetric appearance in a deeper follow-up spectrum. There are no plausible line identifications except for Lya with a flux of 1.9x10^-17 erg/s/cm2 and rest frame equivalent width > 80 A. The lower limit to the star formation rate density at z = 6.5 derived from our complete sample is 5x…
We present a deep, narrow J-band search for proto--galactic Lyman Alpha emission at redshifts z~9. We combine an exceptionally deep image of the Hubble Deep Field South, obtained using a narrow band filter centred on the wavelength 1.187 microns using the VLT/ISAAC facility, with existing deep, broad band images covering optical to near infrared wavelengths. We search for z~9 Lyman Alpha emitting galaxies displaying a significant narrow band excess relative to the Js-band that are undetected at optical wavelengths. We detect no sources consistent with this criterion to the 90% point source flu…
We examine the stellar populations of a sample of 98 redshift 4.5 Lyman alpha emitting galaxies using their broadband colors derived from deep photometry at the MMT. These galaxies were selected by narrowband excess from the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. Twenty-two galaxies are detected in two or more of our MMT filters (g', r', i' and z'). By comparing broad and narrowband colors of these galaxies to synthetic colors from stellar population models, we determine their ages and stellar masses. The highest equivalent width objects have an average age of 4 Myr, consistent with ongoing star forma…
We report on the discovery of a z = 3.16 Lyman-alpha emitting blob in the GOODS South field. The blob has a total Ly-alpha luminosity of ~ 10^(43) erg s^(-1) and a diameter larger than 60 kpc. The available multi-wavelength data in the GOODS field consists of 13 bands from X-rays (Chandra) to infrared (Spitzer). Unlike other discovered Ly-alpha blobs, this blob shows no obvious continuum counter-part in any of the broad-bands. In particular, no optical counter-parts are found in the deep HST/ACS imaging available. For previously published blobs, AGN (Active Galactic Nuclei) or 'superwind' mode…
We report spectroscopic detection of three z~6 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies, in the vicinity of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, from the early data of the Gemini Lyman-$α$ at Reionisation Era (GLARE) project. Two objects, GLARE#3001 (z =5.79) and GLARE#3011 (z =5.94), are new detections and are fainter in $z'$ (z'_{AB} =26.37 and 27.15) than any Lyman break galaxy previously detected in Lyman-alpha. A third object, GLARE#1042 (z =5.83) has previously been detected in line emission from the ground; we report here a new spectroscopic continuum detection. Gemini/GMOS-S spectra of these objects, obt…
Deep, 17.8 hours, narrow band imaging obtained at the ESO 3.5m New Technology Telescope has revealed extended (galaxy sized) Ly-alpha emission from a high redshift Lyman limit absorber. The absorber is a z(abs) approx. z(em) Lyman limit absorber seen in the spectrum of Q1205-30 at z(em)=3.036. The Ly-alpha luminosity of the emission line object is 12-14 x 10e41 h^-2 erg/s for Omega(matter)=1. The size and morphology of the Ly-alpha emitter are both near--identical to those of a previously reported emission line object associated with a DLA at z=1.934 (Fynbo et al. 1999a), suggesting a close co…
We present UVES observations of the log N(HI)= 21.7 damped Lyman-alpha system at z=2.03954 towards the quasar PKS 0458-020. HI Lyman-alpha emission is detected in the center of the damped Lyman-alpha absorption trough. Metallicities are derived for MgII, SiII, PII, CrII, MnII, FeII and ZnII and are found to be -1.21\pm0.12, -1.28\pm0.20, -1.54\pm0.11, -1.66\pm0.10, -2.05\pm0.11, -1.87\pm0.11, -1.22\pm0.10, respectively, relative to solar. The depletion factor is therefore of the order of [Zn/Fe]=0.65. We observe metal absorption lines to be blueshifted compared to the Lyman-alpha emission up t…
We investigate a very luminous Lyman-alpha emitting galaxy, associated with a z=2.3 damped absorption system in the spectrum of the QSO PHL 957. The galaxy was observed with the HST WFPC2, through a narrow filter (F410M) corresponding to rest-frame Lyman -alpha, for 41.2 ksec, with shorter exposures in F555W and F814W. The galaxy is resolved into a close (0.35 arcsec) pair of two components, CFgA and CFgB. The profile of CFgA is consistent with an exponential disk, but CFgB is closer to a bulge galaxy. Fr om the observed colours we estimate rest-frame Lyman-alpha equivalent widths of 151 Angst…
Using Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC (3.6-8um) and MIPS (24um) imaging, as well as Hubble Space Telescope optical observations, we identify the IRAC counterparts of the luminous power sources residing within the two largest and brightest Lyman-alpha emitting nebulae (LABs) in the SA22 protocluster at z=3.09 (LAB1 and LAB2). These sources are also both submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). From their rest-frame optical/near-infrared colors, we conclude that the SMG in LAB1 is likely to be starburst dominated and heavily obscured (Av~3). In contrast, LAB2 has excess rest-frame ~2um emission (over that ex…
We present very deep imaging observations, through a narrow-band filter tuned to Lyman alpha at <z = 3.09>, of a volume containing a significant over-density of galaxies at this redshift previously discovered in our survey for continuum-selected Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). The new observations are used in conjunction with our spectroscopic results on LBGs to compare the effectiveness of continuum and emission line searches for star forming galaxies at high redshift, and to extend the search for members of the structure at <z>= 3.09 to much fainter continuum luminosities. We find that only 20-…
