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arXiv 0906.4785astro-ph.CO
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z~1.67的大Lyman α + HeII星云的发现:一个候选的低金属丰度区?

The Discovery of a Large Lyman-alpha+HeII Nebula at z~1.67: A Candidate Low Metallicity Region?

M. K. M. Prescott, A. Dey, B. T. Jannuzi

摘要:

我们在z~1.67处发现了一个~45 kpc的Lya星云(或Lya "blob“),它具有强的、空间扩展的He Ⅱ发射和非常弱的CIV和CIII]发射。这是第一个观测到的空间扩展的Lya+HeII发射体,也是迄今为止发现的红移最低的Lya斑点。在没有金属线的情况下,强Lya和HeII-1640发射被认为是原始星系形成的独特观测特征(例如,从引力冷却辐射或第三星族恒星形成),但没有令人信服的例子,空间扩展的Lya+HeII发射器已经浮出水面,无论是在高红移(z > 4)的Lya发射星系调查或在低红移的Lya星云的研究。通过与光电离模型的比较,我们发现在该星云中观测到的谱线比与低金属丰度气体(Z < 10^-2 - 10^-3 Z_sun)一致,但这一结论依赖于系统的未知电离参数。大的HeII等效宽度(~37+/-10A)和大的HeII/Lya比(0.12+/-0.04)表明,云被硬电离连续体照亮,要么是活动星系核,要么是金属丰度非常低的恒星,或者可能是由引力冷却辐射提供动力。到目前为止,还没有明显的迹象表明该系统内或附近有一个强大的活动星系核,所以为了给星云提供能量,同时即使在中红外线下也保持隐藏,活动星系核需要被严重遮蔽。尽管有强烈的Lya+HeII辐射,但目前还不清楚这个星云的主要能量来源是什么。因此,该系统作为一个指导性的例子,如何真正的天体物理来源的复杂性将复杂的问题时,试图使用一个强大的Lya+HeII签名作为一个独特的原始星系形成的示踪剂。

英文摘要:

We have discovered a ~45 kpc Lya nebula (or Lya ``blob'') at z~1.67 which exhibits strong, spatially-extended HeII emission and very weak CIV and CIII] emission. This is the first spatially-extended Lya+HeII emitter observed and the lowest redshift Lya blob yet found. Strong Lya and HeII-1640 emission in the absence of metal lines has been proposed as a unique observational signature of primordial galaxy formation (e.g., from gravitational cooling radiation or Population III star formation), but no convincing examples of spatially-extended Lya+HeII emitters have surfaced either in Lya-emitting galaxy surveys at high redshifts (z > 4) or in studies of Lya nebulae at lower redshifts. From comparisons with photoionization models, we find that the observed line ratios in this nebula are consistent with low metallicity gas (Z < 10^-2 - 10^-3 Z_sun), but that this conclusion depends on the unknown ionization parameter of the system. The large HeII equivalent width (~37+/-10A) and the large HeII/Lya ratio (0.12+/-0.04) suggest that the cloud is being illuminated by a hard ionizing continuum, either an AGN or very low metallicity stars, or perhaps powered by gravitational cooling radiation. Thus far there is no obvious sign of a powerful AGN in or near the system, so in order to power the nebula while remaining hidden from view even in the mid-infrared, the AGN would need to be heavily obscured. Despite the strong Lya+HeII emission, it is not yet clear what is the dominant power source for this nebula. The system therefore serves as an instructive example of how the complexities of true astrophysical sources will complicate matters when attempting to use a strong Lya+HeII signature as a unique tracer of primordial galaxy formation.

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