The Lyman Alpha Reference Sample: V. The impact of neutral ISM kinematics and geometry on Lyman Alpha escape
Thøger E. Rivera-Thorsen, Matthew Hayes, Göran Östlin, Florent Duval, Ivana Orlitová, Anne Verhamme, J. Miguel Mas-Hesse, Daniel Schaerer, John M. Cannon, Hécto… 展开作者
Thøger E. Rivera-Thorsen, Matthew Hayes, Göran Östlin, Florent Duval, Ivana Orlitová, Anne Verhamme, J. Miguel Mas-Hesse, Daniel Schaerer, John M. Cannon, Héctor Otí-Floranes, Andreas Sandberg, Lucia Guaita, Angela Adamo, Hakim Atek, E. Christian Herenz, Daniel Kunth, Peter Laursen, Jens Melinder
我们提出了高分辨率的远紫外光谱的莱曼阿尔法参考样本的14个星系，强烈的恒星形成星系在低红移（$0.028 < z < 0.18$）的样本。我们比较派生的属性来自多波段成像和21厘米HI干涉和单碟观测，以及档案光学SDSS光谱的全球性。除了莱曼$α$线，光谱包含一些金属吸收功能，使我们能够探测的中性ISM的运动学和评估的光学深度和覆盖率的中性介质作为视线速度的函数。此外，我们展示了如何结合系统速度的精确测定和良好的Ly $α$光谱，将单独的团块一起完全覆盖背景源的模型与Heckman等人（2011）命名的“栅栏”模型区分开来。我们发现，没有一个单一的效果占主导地位的管理赖氨酸$α$辐射转移和逃逸。在我们的样本中，Ly $α$逃逸与$\lesssim 0.9$的最大速度分仓覆盖分数和$\gtrsim 50$ km s $^{-1}$的批量流出速度相吻合，尽管一些星系显示出这些特征，但Ly $α$逃逸很少或根本没有。我们发现，Ly $α$峰值速度，在可用的情况下，是不一致的一个强大的后向散射分量，而是与一个简单的模型的内在发射线覆盖的蓝移吸收轮廓从外流风。最后，我们发现H $α$等效宽度和最大速度分组覆盖因子之间存在很强的相关性，并提出了一个启发式解释模型。
英文摘要：
We present high-resolution far-UV spectroscopy of the 14 galaxies of the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample; a sample of strongly star-forming galaxies at low redshifts ($0.028 < z < 0.18$). We compare the derived properties to global properties derived from multi band imaging and 21 cm HI interferometry and single dish observations, as well as archival optical SDSS spectra. Besides the Lyman $α$ line, the spectra contain a number of metal absorption features allowing us to probe the kinematics of the neutral ISM and evaluate the optical depth and and covering fraction of the neutral medium as a function of line-of-sight velocity. Furthermore, we show how this, in combination with precise determination of systemic velocity and good Ly$α$ spectra, can be used to distinguish a model in which separate clumps together fully cover the background source, from the "picket fence" model named by Heckman et al. (2011). We find that no one single effect dominates in governing Ly$α$ radiative transfer and escape. Ly$α$ escape in our sample coincides with a maximum velocity-binned covering fraction of $\lesssim 0.9$ and bulk outflow velocities of $\gtrsim 50$ km s$^{-1}$, although a number of galaxies show these characteristics and yet little or no Ly$α$ escape. We find that Ly$α$ peak velocities, where available, are not consistent with a strong backscattered component, but rather with a simpler model of an intrinsic emission line overlaid by a blueshifted absorption profile from the outflowing wind. Finally, we find a strong anticorrelation between H$α$ equivalent width and maximum velocity-binned covering factor, and propose a heuristic explanatory model.
Star forming galaxies are believed to be a major source of Lyman Continuum (LyC) radiation responsible for reionizing the early Universe. Direct observations of escaping ionizing radiation have however been few and with low escape fractions. In the local Universe, only ~10 emitters have been observed, with typical escape fractions of a few percent. The mechanisms regulating this escape need to be strongly evolving with redshift in order to account for the Epoch of Reionization. Gas content and star formation feedback are among the main suspects, known to both regulate neutral gas coverage and …
Escaping Lyman continuum photons from galaxies likely reionized the intergalactic medium at redshifts $z\gtrsim6$. However, the Lyman continuum is not directly observable at these redshifts and secondary indicators of Lyman continuum escape must be used to estimate the budget of ionizing photons. Observationally, at redshifts $z\sim2-3$ where the Lyman continuum is observationally accessible, surveys have established that many objects that show appreciable Lyman continuum escape fractions $f_{esc}$ also show enhanced [OIII]/[OII] (O$_{32}$) emission line ratios. Here, we use radiative transfer…
We present FLaREON (Fast Lyman-Alpha Radiative Escape from Outflowing Neutral gas), a public python package that delivers fast and accurate Lyman alpha escape fractions and line profiles over a wide range of outflow geometries and properties. The code incorporates different algorithms, such as interpolation and machine learning to predict Lyman alpha line properties from a pre-computed grid of outflow configurations based on the outputs of a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. Here we describe the algorithm, discuss its performance and illustrate some of its many applications. Most notably, F…
Context. The presence of dust in the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) dramatically changes the metal abundances that we measure. Understanding the metal content in the neutral ISM, and a direct comparison between different environments, has been hampered to date because of the degeneracy to the observed ISM abundances caused by the effects of metallicity, the presence of dust, and nucleosynthesis. Aims. We study the metal and dust content in the neutral ISM consistently in different environments, and assess the universality of recently discovered sequences of relative abundances. We also inte…
We report on the detection of Lyman continuum radiation in two nearby starburst galaxies. Tol 0440-381, Tol 1247-232 and Mrk 54 were observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescopes. The three galaxies have radial velocities of ~13,000 km/s, permitting a ~35 A window on the restframe Lyman continuum shortward of the Milky Way Lyman edge at 912 A. The chosen instrument configuration using the G140L grating covers the spectral range from 912 to 2,000 Å. We developed a dedicated background subtraction method to account for temporal and spatial background variation…
High redshift star-forming galaxies are likely responsible for the reionization of the Universe, yet direct detection of their escaping ionizing (Lyman continuum) photons has proven to be extremely challenging. In this study, we search for escaping Lyman continuum of the Cosmic Horseshoe, a gravitationally lensed, star-forming galaxy at z=2.38 with a large magnification of $\sim24$. Transmission at wavelengths of low ionization interstellar absorption lines in the rest-frame ultraviolet suggest a patchy, partially transparent interstellar medium. This makes it an ideal candidate for direct det…
Star-forming galaxies are considered the likeliest source of the H I ionizing Lyman Continuum (LyC) photons that reionized the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. However, above z >~ 6, the neutral intergalactic medium prevents direct observations of LyC. Therefore, recent years have seen the development of indirect indicators for LyC that can be calibrated at lower redshifts and applied in the Epoch of Reionization. Emission from Mg II \ly\ly 2796, 2803 doublet has been proposed as a promising LyC proxy. In this paper, we present new Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph obse…
We discuss the rest-frame optical emission line spectra of a large (~50) sample of z=3.1 Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) whose physical properties suggest such sources are promising analogs of galaxies in the reionization era. Reliable Lyman continuum escape fractions have now been determined for a large sample of such LAEs from the Lyman Continuum Escape Survey (LACES) undertaken via deep HST imaging in the SSA22 survey area reported in Fletcher et al. (2019). Using new measures of [OII] emission secured from Keck MOSFIRE spectra we re-examine, for a larger sample, earlier claims that Lyman conti…
We present a study of 7 star-forming galaxies from the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The galaxies are located at relatively low redshifts, $z\sim$0.3, with morphologies ranging from extended and disturbed to compact and smooth. To complement the HST observations we also analyze observations taken with the VIMOS spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). In our galaxy sample we identify three objects with double peak Lyman-$α$ profiles similar to those seen in Green Pea compact galaxies and me…
Low redshift, spatially resolved Lyman continuum (LyC) emitters allow us to clarify the processes for LyC escape from these starburst galaxies. We use Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 and ACS imaging of the confirmed low-redshift LyC emitter Tol 1247-232 to study the ionization structure of the gas and its relation to the ionizing star clusters. We perform ionization parameter mapping (IPM) using [O III]4959, 5007 and [O II]3727 imaging as the high- and low-ionization tracers, revealing broad, large-scale, optically thin regions originating from the center, and reaching the outskirts of the g…
We present an analysis of far--infrared (FIR) [CII] and [OI] fine structure line and continuum observations obtained with $Herschel$/PACS, and CO(1-0) observations obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, of Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs) at $z\sim 0.2$. The principal aim of this work is to determine the typical ISM properties of $z\sim 1-2$ Main Sequence (MS) galaxies, with stellar masses between $10^{9.5}$ and $10^{11}$ $M_{\odot}$, which are currently not easily detectable in all these lines even with ALMA and NOEMA. We perform PDR modeling and apply different IR diagnostics to de…
We measure the LyC escape fraction in 54 faint Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) at $z\simeq3.1$ in the GOODS-South field. With the average magnitude of $R=26.7$ AB ($M_{UV}=-18.8$, $L\simeq0.1L^*$), these galaxies represent a population of compact young dwarf galaxies. Their properties are likely to resemble those in the galaxies responsible for reionising the Universe at $z>6$. We do not detect LyC emission in any individual LAEs in the deep {\em HST} F336W images, which covers the rest-frame 820Å. We do not detect the LyC emission of these LAEs in the stacked F336W images, either. The $3σ$ upper …
The connection between the escape fraction of ionizing radiation ($f_{esc}$) and the properties of galaxies, such as stellar mass (M*), age, star-formation rate (SFR), and dust content, are key inputs for reionization models, but many of these relationships remain untested at high redshift. We present an analysis of a sample of 96 z~3 galaxies from the Keck Lyman Continuum Spectroscopic Survey (KLCS). These galaxies have both sensitive Keck/LRIS spectroscopic measurements of the Lyman continuum (LyC) region, and multi-band photometry that places constraints on stellar population parameters. We…
Recent work suggests that strong emission line, star-forming galaxies may be significant Lyman Continuum leakers. We combine archival HST broadband ultraviolet and optical imaging (F275W and F606W, respectively) with emission line catalogs derived from WFC3 IR G141 grism spectroscopy to search for escaping Lyman Continuum (LyC) emission from homogeneously selected $z\simeq$2.5 SFGs. We detect no escaping Lyman Continuum from SFGs selected on [OII] nebular emission (N=208) and, within a narrow redshift range, on [OIII]/[OII]. We measure 1$σ$ upper limits to the LyC escape fraction relative to t…
We investigate the relation between the turbulent Mach number (\mach) and the escape fraction of Lyman continuum photons ($f_{\rm esc}$) in high-redshift galaxies. Approximating the turbulence as isothermal and isotropic, we show that the increase in the variance in column densities from $\mathcal{M}=1$ to $\mathcal{M}=10$ causes $f_{\rm esc}$ to increase by $\approx 25$\%, and the increase from $\mathcal{M}=1$ to $\mathcal{M}=20$ causes $f_{\rm esc}$ to increases by $\approx 50$\% for a medium with opacity $τ\approx1$. At a fixed Mach number, the correction factor for escape fraction relative…
We present rest-frame ultraviolet and optical spectroscopy of the brightest lensed galaxy yet discovered, at redshift z = 2.4. This source reveals a characteristic, triple-peaked Lyman α profile which has been predicted by various theoretical works but to our knowledge has not been unambiguously observed previously. The feature is well fit by a superposition of two components: a double-peak profile emerging from substantial radiative transfer, and a narrow, central component resulting from directly escaping Lyman α photons; but is poorly fit by either component alone. We demonstrate that the f…
Direct collapse black holes forming in pristine, atomically-cooling haloes at $z \approx 10-20$ may act as the seeds of supermassive black holes (BH) at high redshifts. In order to create a massive BH seed, the host halo needs to be prevented from forming stars. H$_2$ therefore needs to be irradiated by a large flux of Lyman-Werner (LW) UV photons in order to suppress H$_2$ cooling. A key uncertainty in this scenario is the escape fraction of LW radiation from first galaxies, the dominant source of UV photons at this epoch. To better constrain this escape fraction, we have performed radiation-…
The reionization of the Universe is one of the most important topics of present day astrophysical research. The most plausible candidates for the reionization process are star-forming galaxies, which according to the predictions of the majority of the theoretical and semi-analytical models should dominate the HI ionizing background at z~3. We aim at measuring the Lyman continuum escape fraction, which is one of the key parameters to compute the contribution of star-forming galaxies to the UV background. We have used ultra-deep U-band imaging (U=30.2mag at 1sigma) by LBC/LBT in the CANDELS/GOOD…
We have recently reported the discovery of five low redshift Lyman continuum (LyC) emitters (LCEs, hereafter) with absolute escape fractions fesc(LyC) ranging from 6 to 13%, higher than previously found, and which more than doubles the number of low redshift LCEs.We use these observations to test theoretical predictions about a link between the characteristics of the Lyman-alpha (Lya) line from galaxies and the escape of ionising photons. We analyse the Lya spectra of eight LCEs of the local Universe observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (our five lea…
To date no direct detection of Lyman continuum emission has been measured for intermediate--redshift z~1 star-forming galaxies . We combine HST grism spectroscopy with GALEX UV and ground--based optical imaging to extend the search for escaping Lyman continuum to a large (~600) sample of z~1 low-mass, moderately star-forming galaxies selected initially on H$α$ emission. The characteristic escape fraction of LyC from SFGs that populate this parameter space remains weakly constrained by previous surveys, but these faint SFGs are assumed to play a significant role in the reionization of neutral h…
Low- and intermediate mass galaxies are widely discussed as cause of reionization at redshift $z\sim10-6$. However, observational proof of galaxies that are leaking ionizing radiation (Lyman continuum; LyC) is a currently ongoing challenge and the list of LyC emitting candidates is still short. Tololo 1247-232 is among those very few galaxies with recently reported leakage. We performed intermediate resolution ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope and confirm ionizing radiation emerging from Tololo 1247-232. Adopting an impr…
We have studied ultraviolet images of 40 Green Pea galaxies and 15 local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs to understand the relation between Ly$α$ photon escape and central UV photometric properties. We measured star formation intensity (SFI, star formation rate per unit area) from the central 250 pc region ($S_{\rm 250pc}$) using COS/NUV images from the \textit{Hubble Space Telescope}. The measured $S_{\rm 250pc}$ of our sample Green Peas ranges from 2.3--46 $M_{\odot} \ \rm{year}^{-1} \ \rm{kpc^{-2}}$, with a geometric mean of $15 M_{\odot} \ \rm{year}^{-1} \ \rm{kpc^{-2}}$ and a standard deviatio…
The fraction of ionizing photons that escape high-redshift galaxies sensitively determines whether galaxies reionized the early universe. However, this escape fraction cannot be measured from high-redshift galaxies because the opacity of the intergalactic medium is large at high redshifts. Without methods to indirectly measure the escape fraction of high-redshift galaxies, it is unlikely that we will know what reionized the universe. Here, we analyze the far-ultraviolet (UV) H I (Lyman series) and low-ionization metal absorption lines of nine low-redshift, confirmed Lyman continuum emitting ga…
Supernovae Driven Winds Impede Lyman Continuum Escape from Dwarf Galaxies in First 10 Myr
Institute for Advanced Study in Physics（高等研究院物理学院）；Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学）；Stockholm University（斯德哥尔摩大学）；University of Minnesota（明尼苏达大学）；Williams College（威廉姆斯学院）；University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学）；University of Michigan（密歇根大学）；Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC)（安达卢西亚天体物理学研究所（西班牙国家研究委员会））；Arizona State University（亚利桑那州立大学）
Identifying the mechanisms driving the escape of Lyman Continuum (LyC) photons is crucial to find Lyman Continuum Emitter (LCE) candidates. To understand the physical properties involved in the leakage of LyC photons, we investigate the connection between the HI covering fraction, HI velocity width, the Lyman alpha (LyA) properties and escape of LyC photons in a sample of 22 star-forming galaxies including 13 LCEs. We fit the stellar continua, dust attenuation, and absorption lines between 920 and 1300 A to extract the HI covering fractions and dust attenuation. Additionally, we measure the HI…
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics（马克斯·普朗克天体物理学研究所）；Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München（慕尼黑大学）；Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学天文学计算中心）
Lyman-alpha line and continuum radiative transfer in a clumpy interstellar medium
目的：我们的目标是研究非均匀星际介质（ISM）对星暴星系中莱曼α（Lya）线的强度和形状的影响。研究方法：利用我们的三维Monte Carlo Lya辐射传输程序，研究了Lya、紫外和光学连续谱光子在中性氢和尘埃的均匀壳层和团壳层中围绕中心源的辐射转移。我们的模拟预测的Lya和连续逃逸分数，Lya等效宽度EW（Lya），Lya线的轮廓和它们的依赖于气体的几何形状和主要的输入物理参数。结果如下：ISM的块状被发现有强烈的影响Lya线辐射转移，需要一个强烈的依赖性Lya线的紧急功能（逃逸分数，EW（Lya））的ISM形态。虽然cloudies和灰尘ISM出现更透明的辐射（线和连续）相比，一个相等的均匀ISM的相等的灰尘光学深度，我们发现，Lya光子，在一般情况下，仍然比紫外线连续辐射衰减。因此，观察到的Lya等效宽度（EWobs（Lya））是低于本征的（EWint（Lya）），几乎所有的clusionism配置考虑。然而，在特殊条件下，Lya光子比连续体更容易逃逸，从而导致增强的EWobs（Lya）。要实现这一点，需要ISM几乎是静止的（星系外流速度小于200 km/s），极其稠密（在HI中，星系团和星系团间介质的密度差大于10^7），并且尘埃非常多（E（B-V）> 0.30）。当满足这些条件时，出现的Lya线轮廓显示没有速度移动和小的不对称性。考虑到不对称性和速度的变化，通常观察到的…
We present an investigation on escape fractions of UV photons from a unique sample of lensed low-mass emission line selected galaxies at z < 3.5 found in the SHARDS Hubble Frontier Fields medium-band survey. We have used this deep imaging survey to locate 42 relatively low-mass galaxies, down to $log(M_{*}/M_{\odot}) = 7$, between redshifts 2.4 < z < 3.5 which are candidate line emitters. Using deep multi-band Hubble UVIS imaging we investigate the flux of escaping ionizing photons from these systems, obtaining 1$σ$ upper limits of $f^{rel}_{esc}$ ~7% for individual galaxies, and < 2% for stac…
Combining 66 ultraviolet (UV) spectra and ancillary data from the Low-Redshift Lyman Continuum Survey (LzLCS) and 23 LyC observations by earlier studies, we form a statistical sample of star-forming galaxies at $z \sim 0.3$ to study the role of the cold interstellar medium (ISM) gas in the leakage of ionizing radiation. We first constrain the massive star content (ages and metallicities) and UV attenuation, by fitting the stellar continuum with a combination of simple stellar population models. The models, together with accurate LyC flux measurements, allow to determine the absolute LyC photon…
We present results from the LymAn Continuum Escape Survey (LACES), a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program designed to characterize the ionizing radiation emerging from a sample of Lyman alpha emitting galaxies at redshift $z\simeq 3.1$. As many show intense [O III] emission characteristic of $z>6.5$ star-forming galaxies, they may represent valuable low redshift analogs of galaxies in the reionization era. Using HST Wide Field Camera 3 / UVIS $F336W$ to image Lyman continuum emission, we investigate the escape fraction of ionizing photons in this sample. For 61 sources, of which 77% are spectr…
We report the discovery of a double-peaked Lyman-alpha profile in a galaxy at $z=6.803$, A370p\_z1, in the parallel Frontier Field of Abell 370. The velocity separation between the blue and red peaks of the Lyman-$α$ profile ($Δv=101_{-19}^{+38} (\pm48)\,\text{km s}^{-1}$) suggests an extremely high escape fraction of ionising photons $> 59(51)\% (2σ)$. The spectral energy distribution indicates a young ($50$ Myr), star-forming ($12\pm 6 \, \rm{M}_\odot \rm{yr}^{-1}$) galaxy with an IRAC excess implying strong [OIII]+H$β$ emission. On the basis of the high escape fraction measured, we demonstr…
We present the HST WFC3/F275W UV imaging observations of A2218-Flanking, a lensed compact dwarf galaxy at redshift $z\approx2.5$. The stellar mass of A2218-Flanking is $\log(M/M_{\odot}=9.14$ and SFR is 12.5$M_\odot$yr$^{-1}$ after correcting the magnification. This galaxy has a young galaxy age of 127 Myr and a compact galaxy size of $r_{1/2}=2.4$kpc. The HST UV imaging observations cover the rest-frame Lyman continuum (LyC) emission ($\sim800$Å) from A2218-Flanking. We firmly detect ($14σ$) the LyC emission in A2218-Flanking in the F275W image. Together with the HST F606W images, we find tha…
Star forming galaxies have long been considered the dominant sources of the cosmic ultraviolet background radiation at early epochs. However, observing and characterizing the galaxy population with significant ionizing emission has proven to be challenging. In particular, the fraction of ionizing radiation that escapes the local environment to the intergalactic medium is poorly known. We investigate the relation between the escape fraction and galaxy luminosity. We combine the deep ultraviolet observations of Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF) with the deep Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE…
Finding and elucidating the properties of Lyman-continuum(LyC)-emitting galaxies is an important step for our understanding of cosmic reionization. Although the z - 0.3-0.4 LyC emitters found recently show strong optical emission lines, no consistent quantitative photoionization model taking into account the escape of ionizing photons and inhomogenous interstellar medium (ISM) geometry of these galaxies has yet been constructed. We hence construct one- and two-zone photoionization models accounting for the observed LyC escape, which we compare to the observed emission line measurements. We fin…
We investigate the effects of stellar populations and sizes on Ly$α$ escape in 27 spectroscopically confirmed and 35 photometric Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) at z $\approx$ 2.65 in seven fields of the Boötes region of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. We use deep $HST$/WFC3 imaging to supplement ground-based observations and infer key galaxy properties. Compared to typical star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at similar redshifts, the LAEs are less massive ($M_{\star} \approx 10^{7} - 10^{9}~M_{\odot}$), younger (ages $\lesssim$ 1 Gyr), smaller ($r_{e} <$ 1 kpc), less dust-attenuated (E(B$-$V) $\le$ 0.2…
We report on the serendipitous discovery of a z=4.0, M1500=-22.20 star-forming galaxy (Ion3) showing copious Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage (~60% escaping), a remarkable multiple peaked Lya emission, and significant Lya radiation directly emerging at the resonance frequency. This is the highest redshift confirmed LyC emitter in which the ionising and Lya radiation possibly share a common ionised cavity (with N_HI<10^17.2 cm^-2). Ion3 is spatially resolved, it shows clear stellar winds signatures like the P-Cygni NV1240 profile, and has blue ultraviolet continuum (β= -2.5 +/- 0.25, F_λ~ λ^β) wit…
We report on the discovery of ionised gas filaments in the circum-galactic halo of the extremely metal-poor compact starburst SBS 0335-052E in a 1.5h integration with the MUSE integral-field spectrograph. We detect these features in H$α$ and [OIII] emission down to surface-brightness levels of $5 \times 10^{-19}$erg s$^{-1}$cm$^{-2}$arcsec$^{-2}$. The filaments have projected diameters of 2.1 kpc and extend more than 9 kpc to the north and north-west from the main stellar body. We also detect extended nebular HeII $λ$4686 emission that brightens towards the north-west at the rim of a star-burs…
The processes allowing the escape of ionizing photons from galaxies into the intergalactic medium are poorly known. To understand how Lyman continuum (LyC) photons escape galaxies, we constrain the HI covering fractions and column densities using ultraviolet HI and metal absorption lines of 18 star-forming galaxies which have Lyman series observations. Nine of these galaxies are confirmed LyC emitters. We fit the stellar continuum, dust attenuation, metal, and HI properties to consistently determine the UV attenuation, as well as the column densities and covering factors of neutral hydrogen an…
The Sunburst Arc with JWST. IV. The importance of interaction, turbulence, and feedback for Lyman-continuum escape
Stockholm University（斯德哥尔摩大学）；International Space Science Institute（国际空间科学研究所）；Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA/GSFC（NASA戈达德太空飞行中心空间科学与技术研究实验中心）；NASA Goddard Space Flight Center（美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心）；California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院）；Steward Observatory, University of Arizona（亚利桑那大学斯蒂沃德天文台）
The Lyman-alpha and Continuum Origins Survey II: the connection between the escape of ionizing radiation and Lyman-alpha halos in star-forming galaxies
Stockholm University（斯德哥尔摩大学）；University of Minnesota（明尼苏达大学）；Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学）；Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；CNRS, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon UMR5574, Univ Lyon, Ens de Lyon（法国国家科学研究中心，里昂天体物理研究中心UMR5574，里昂大学，里昂高等师范学校）；Observatoire de Genève, Université de Genève（日内瓦天文台，日内瓦大学）
The Lyman continuum (LyC) escape fraction is a key quantity to determine the contribution of galaxies to cosmic reionization. It has been known that the escape fractions estimated by observations and numerical simulations show a large diversity. However, the origins of the diversity are still uncertain. In this work, to understand what quantities of galaxies are responsible for controlling the escape fraction, we numerically evaluate the escape fraction by performing ray-tracing calculation with simplified disc galaxy models. With a smooth disc model, we explore the dependence of the escape fr…
The neutral intergalactic medium above redshift 6 is opaque to ionizing radiation, therefore one needs indirect measurements of the escape fraction of ionizing photons from galaxies of this epoch. Low-ionization state absorption lines are a common feature in the spectrum of galaxies, showing a diversity of strengths and shapes. Since these lines indicate the presence of neutral gas in front of the stars, they have been proposed to carry information on the escape of ionizing radiation from galaxies. We study which processes are responsible for the shape of the absorption lines, to better unders…
Compact starburst galaxies are thought to include many or most of the galaxies from which substantial Lyman continuum emission can escape into the intergalactic medium. Li and Malkan (2018) used SDSS photometry to find a population of such starburst galaxies at z~0.5. They were discovered by their extremely strong [OIII]4959+5007 emission lines, which produce a clearly detectable excess brightness in the i bandpass, compared with surrounding filters. We therefore used the HST/COS spectrograph to observe two of the newly discovered i-band excess galaxies around their Lyman limits. One has stron…
We present observations with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope of five star-forming galaxies at redshifts z in the range 0.2993-0.4317 and with high emission-line flux ratios O32=[OIII]5007/[OII]3727 ~ 8-27 aiming to detect the Lyman continuum (LyC) emission. We detect LyC emission in all galaxies with the escape fractions fesc(LyC) in a range of 2-72 per cent. A narrow Ly-alpha emission line with two peaks in four galaxies and with three peaks in one object is seen in medium-resolution COS spectra with a velocity separation between the peaks Vsep varying from …
The Mg II 2796, 2803 doublet has been suggested to be a useful indirect indicator for the escape of Ly-alpha and Lyman continuum (LyC) photons in local star-forming galaxies. However, studies to date have focused on small samples of galaxies with strong Mg II or strong LyC emission. Here we present the first study of Mg II probing a large dynamic range of galaxy properties, using newly obtained high signal-to-noise, moderate-resolution spectra of Mg II for a sample of 34 galaxies selected from the Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey. We show that the galaxies in our sample have Mg II profiles …
One of the major challenges in observational cosmology is related to the redshift evolution of the average hydrogen ionization in the Universe. In order to probe the ionization level of the IGM and the ionization capabilities of bright QSOs at z=4, we have selected a sample of 2508 QSOs from the SDSS survey (DR14) at 3.6<z<4.6 and -29.0<M1450<-26.0. Starting from UV/optical rest-frame spectra of the whole QSO sample, we estimate the escape fraction and free path individually for each of them. We calculate the Lyman Continuum (LyC) escape fraction as the flux ratio blue-ward (~900 A rest-frame)…
Mrk 71/NGC 2366 is the closest Green Pea (GP) analog and candidate Lyman Continuum (LyC) emitter. Recently, 11 LyC-leaking GPs have been detected through direct observations of the ionizing continuum, making this the most abundant class of confirmed LyC-emitters at any redshift. High resolution, multi-wavelength studies of GPs can lead to an understanding of the method(s), through which LyC escapes from these galaxies. The proximity of Mrk 71/NCG 2366 offers unprecedented detail on the inner workings of a GP analog, and enables us to identify the mechanisms of LyC escape. We use 5825-7650Å int…
