We perform Lyman-alpha radiative transfer calculations for reproducing Lyman-alpha properties of star-forming galaxies at high redshifts. We model a galaxy as a halo in which the density distributions of Lyman-alpha sources and H I plus dust medium are described with exponential functions. We also consider an outflow of the medium that represents a momentum-driven wind in a gravitational potential well. We successfully reproduce both the spectra and the surface brightness profiles of eight star-forming galaxies at z =3-6 observed with MUSE using this outflowing halo model with Lyman-alpha scattering. The best-fit model parameters (i.e., the outflowing velocity and optical depth) for these galaxies are consistent with other studies. We examine the impacts of individual model parameters and input spectrum on emerging spectrum and surface brightness profile. Further investigations on correlations among observables (i.e., the spatial extent of Lyman-alpha halos and Lyman-alpha spectral features) and model parameters, and spatially resolved spectra are presented as well. We demonstrate that the combination of spectrum and surface brightness profile provides strong constraints on model parameters and thus spatial/kinematic distributions of medium.
I provide an overview about star-forming galaxies at high redshift and their physical properties. Starting from the populations of Ly-$α$ emitters and Lyman break galaxies, I summarize their common features and distinction. Then I summarize recent insight onto their physical properties gained from SED models including nebular emission, and various implications from these studies on the properties of star-formation at high redshift. Finally, I present new results and an overview on the dust content and UV attenuation of $z>6$ galaxies obtained from IRAM and ALMA observations.
The leakage of Lyman continuum photons from star forming galaxies is an elusive parameter. When observed, it provides a wealth of information on star formation in galaxies and the geometry of the interstellar medium, and puts constraints on the role of star forming galaxies in the reionization of the universe. H-alpha-selected galaxies at z~2 trace the highest star formation population at the peak of cosmic star formation history, providing a base for directly measuring Lyman continuum escape. Here we present this method, and highlight its benefits as well as caveats. We also use the method on…
We present the results of a stellar-population analysis of Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAES) in GOODS-N at 1.9 < z < 3.5 spectroscopically identified by the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). We provide a method for connecting emission-line detections from the blind spectroscopic survey to imaging counterparts, a crucial tool needed as HETDEX builds a massive database of ~1 million Lyman-alpha detections. Using photometric data spanning as many as 11 filters covering 0.4-4.5 microns from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, we study the objects' global properties an…
We present the results of a high-spatial-resolution study of the line emission in a sample of z=3.1 Lyman-Alpha-Emitting Galaxies (LAEs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. Of the eight objects with coverage in our HST/WFPC2 narrow-band imaging, two have clear detections and an additional two are barely detected (~2-sigma). The clear detections are within ~0.5 kpc of the centroid of the corresponding rest-UV continuum source, suggesting that the line-emitting gas and young stars in LAEs are spatially coincident. The brightest object exhibits extended emission with a half-light radius of …
Bright quasars, observed when the Universe was less than one billion years old (z>5.5), are known to host massive black holes (~10$^{9}$ M$_{\odot}$), and are thought to reside in the center of massive dark matter overdensities. In this picture, overdensities of galaxies are expected around high redshift quasars. However, observations based on the detection of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) around these quasars do not offer a clear picture: this may be due to the uncertain redshift constraints of LBGs, which are selected through broad-band filters only. To circumvent such uncertainties, we here p…
Context. Lyman alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) are used to probe the distant universe and are therefore important for galaxy evolution studies and for providing clues to the nature of the epoch of reionization, but the exact circumstances under which Lyman alpha escapes a galaxy are still not fully understood. Aims. The Trident project is designed to simultaneously examine Lyman alpha, H-alpha and Lyman Continuum emission from galaxies at redshift z~2, thus linking together these three aspects of ionising radiation in galaxies. In this paper, we outline the strategy of this project and examine …
Recent studies have revealed intense UV metal emission lines in a modest sample of z>7 Lyman-alpha emitters, indicating a hard ionizing spectrum is present. If such high ionization features are shown to be common, it may indicate that extreme radiation fields play a role in regulating the visibility of Lyman-alpha in the reionization era. Here we present deep near-infrared spectra of seven galaxies with Lyman-alpha emission at 5.4<z<8.7 (including a newly-confirmed lensed galaxy at z=6.031) and three bright z>7 photometric targets. In nine sources we do not detect UV metal lines. However in th…
We have obtained the first complete ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a strong Lyman continuum(LyC) emitter at low redshift -- the compact, low-metallicity, star-forming galaxy J1154+2443 -- with a Lyman continuum escape fraction of 46% discovered recently. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectrum shows strong Lya and CIII] 1909 emission, as well as OIII] 1666. Our observations show that strong LyC emitters can have UV emission lines with a high equivalent width (e.g. EW(CIII])$=11.7 \pm 2.9 Å$ rest-frame), although their equivalent widths should be reduced due to the loss of ionizing phot…
Chandra observations of the nearby, candidate Lyman-continuum (LyC) emitting galaxy Tol 0440-381 show brightening of an X-ray source by at least a factor of 4 to a luminosity of 1.6E40 erg/s over 3.8~days. The X-ray emission likely arises from either a low-luminosity AGN or an ultraluminous X-ray source. The properties of the X-ray source are similar to those found in Haro 11 and Tololo 1247-232, the only other LyC-emitting galaxies that have been resolved in X-rays. All three galaxies host luminous, variable, and hard spectrum X-ray sources that are likely accretion-powered. Accretion onto co…
Chandra observations of the nearby, Lyman-continuum (LyC) emitting galaxy Tol 1247-232 resolve the X-ray emission and show that it is dominated by a point-like source with a hard spectrum ($Γ= 1.6 \pm 0.5$) and a high luminosity ($(9 \pm 2) \times 10^{40} \rm \, erg \, s^{-1}$). Comparison with an earlier XMM-Newton observation shows flux variation of a factor of 2. Hence the X-ray emission likely arises from an accreting X-ray source: a low-luminosity AGN or one or a few X-ray binaries. The Chandra X-ray source is similar to the point-like, hard spectrum ($Γ= 1.2 \pm 0.2$), high luminosity ($…
We present the first robust detection of HI 21 cm emission in the blue compact galaxy Haro 11 using the 100m Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Haro 11 is a luminous blue compact galaxy with emission in both Lyman Alpha and the Lyman continuum. We detect (5.1 $\pm$ 0.7 $\times$10$^8$) M$_{\odot}$ of HI gas at an assumed distance of 88 Mpc, making this galaxy HI deficient compared to other local galaxies with similar optical properties. Given this small HI mass, Haro 11 has an elevated M$_{H2}$/M$_{HI}$ ratio and a very low gas fraction compared to most local galaxies, and contains twic…
Using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, we have obtained ultraviolet (UV) spectra from $\sim 1200$ to 2000 Å of known Lyman continuum (LyC) emitting galaxies at low redshift ($z \sim 0.3-0.4$) with varying absolute LyC escape fractions (fesc $\sim 0.01 - 0.72$). Our observations include in particular the galaxy J1243+4646, which has the highest known LyC escape fraction at low redshift. While all galaxies are known Lyman alpha emitters, we consistently detect an inventory of additional emission lines, including CIV 1550, HeII 1640, OIII] 1666, and CIII] 1909, whose origin is presumably…
Neutral diffuse intergalactic gas that existed during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) suppresses Lyman Alpha (Lya) flux emitted by background galaxies. In this chapter I summarise the increasing observational support for the claim that Lya photons emitted by galaxies at z>6 are suppressed by intervening HI gas. I describe key physical processes that affect Lya transfer during the EoR. I argue that in spite of the uncertainties associated with this complex multiscale problem, the data on Lya emitting galaxies at z=0-6 strongly suggests that the observed reduction in Lya flux from galaxies at z>…
X-ray binaries may have helped reionize the early Universe by enabling Lyman continuum escape. We analyzed a set of 8 local galaxies that are potential Lyman leaking galaxies, identified by a blue color and weak emission lines, using Chandra X-ray observations. Five of the galaxies feature X-ray sources, while three galaxies are not significantly detected in X-rays. X-ray luminosities were found for the galaxies and X-ray sources. Four of the galaxies have elevated X-ray luminosity versus what would be expected based on star formation rate and metallicity. The presence of detected X-ray source…
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…
Understanding Ly$α$ emitting galaxies (LAEs) can be a key to reveal cosmic reionization and galaxy formation in the early Universe. Based on halo merger trees and Ly$α$ radiation transfer calculations, we model redshift evolution of LAEs and their observational properties at $z \ge 6$. We consider ionized bubbles associated with individual LAEs and IGM transmission of Ly$α$ photons. We find that Ly$α$ luminosity tightly correlates with halo mass and stellar mass, while the relation with star formation rate has a large dispersion. Comparing our models with the observed luminosity function by Ko…
Star-forming Compact Dwarf Galaxies (CDGs) resemble the expected pristine conditions of the first galaxies in the Universe and are the best systems to test models on primordial galaxy formation and evolution. Here we report on one of such CDGs, Tololo 1214-277, which presents a broad, single peaked, highly symmetric Ly$α$ emission line that had evaded theoretical interpretation so far. In this paper we reproduce for the first time these line features with two different physically motivated kinematic models: an interstellar medium composed by outflowing clumps with random motions and an homogen…
We report the discovery of J0121+0025, an extremely luminous and young star-forming galaxy (M_UV = -24.11, log[L_Lya / erg s^-1] = 43.8) at z = 3.244 showing copious Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage (f_esc,abs ~ 40%). High signal-to-noise ratio rest-frame UV spectroscopy with the Gran Telescopio Canarias reveals a high significance (7.9 sigma) emission below the Lyman limit (< 912A), with a flux density level f_900A = 0.78 +/- 0.10 uJy, and strong P-Cygni in wind lines of OVI 1033A, NV 1240A and CIV 1550A that are indicative of a young age of the starburst (<10 Myr). The spectrum is rich in stell…
Lyman Break Analogs (LBA) are local proxies of high-redshift Lyman Break Galaxies (LBG). Studies of nearby starbursts have shown that Lyman continuum and line emission are absorbed by dust and that the Lyman-alpha is resonantly scattered by neutral hydrogen. A source of feedback is required to prevent scattering and allow the Lyman-alpha emission to escape. There are two X-ray point sources embedded in the Lyman Break Analog (LBA) galaxy Haro 11. Haro 11 X-1 is an extremely luminous (L$_{X} \sim 10^{41}$ ergs s$^{-1}$), spatially compact source with a hard X-ray spectrum. Haro 11 X-1 is simila…
With a total integration time of 168 hours and a narrowband (NB) filter tuned to Lyman alpha at z = 8.8, the UltraVISTA survey has set out to find some of the most distant galaxies, on the verge of the Epoch of Reionization. Previous calculations of the expected number of detected Lya-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at this redshift did not explicitly take into account the radiative transfer (RT) of Lya. In this work we combine a theoretical model for the halo mass function with numerical results from high-res cosmological hydrosimulations with LyC+Lya RT, assessing the visibility of LAEs residing in…
We present the median-stacked Lyman-$α$ surface brightness profile of 968 spectroscopically selected Lyman-$α$ emitting galaxies (LAEs) at redshifts $1.9<z<3.5$ in the early data of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The selected LAEs are high-confidence Lyman-$α$ detections with large signal-to-noise ratios observed with good seeing conditions (point-spread-function full-width-at-half-maximum $<1.4"$), excluding active galactic nuclei (AGN). The Lyman-$α$ luminosities of the LAEs are $10^{42.4}-10^{43}\, \mathrm{erg}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$. We detect faint emission in the…
Ly$α$ photons scattered by neutral hydrogen atoms in the circumgalactic media or produced in the halos of star-forming galaxies are expected to lead to extended Ly$α$ emission around galaxies. Such low surface brightness Ly$α$ halos (LAHs) have been detected by stacking Ly$α$ images of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. We study the origin of LAHs by performing radiative transfer modeling of nine $z=3.1$ Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) in a high resolution hydrodynamic cosmological galaxy formation simulation. We develop a method of computing the mean Ly$α$ surface brightness profile of each LAE…
Quasar proximity zones at $z>5.5$ correspond to over-dense and over-ionized environments. Galaxies found inside proximity zones can therefore display features which would otherwise be masked by absorption in the IGM. We demonstrate the utility of this quasar-galaxy synergy by reporting the discovery of the first three `proximate Lyman-$α$ emitters' (LAEs) within the proximity zone of quasar J0836 at $z=5.802$ (\textit{Aerith A, B} and \textit{C}). \textit{Aerith A}, located behind the quasar with an impact parameter $D_\perp = 278$ pkpc, provides the first detection of a Lyman-$α$ transverse p…
Though Lyman alpha emission (Lya) is one of the most used tracers of massive star formation at high redshift, a correct understanding of radiation transfer effects by neutral gas is required to properly quantify the star formation rate along the history of the Universe. We are embarked in a program to study the properties of the Lya emission (spectral profile, spatial distribution, relation to Balmer lines intensity,...) in several local starburst galaxies. We present here the results obtained for IRAS 08339+6517. Using evolutionary population synthesis models, we have characterized the proper…
Spectroscopic observations of massive $z>7$ galaxies selected to have extremely large [OIII]+H$β$ equivalent width (EW $\sim1500$ Å) have recently revealed large Ly$α$ detection rates, in contrast to the weak emission seen in the general population. Why these systems are uniquely visible in Ly$α$ at redshifts where the IGM is likely significantly neutral is not clear. With the goal of better understanding these results, we have begun a campaign with MMT and Magellan to measure Ly$α$ in galaxies with similar [OIII]+H$β$ EWs at $z\simeq2-3$. At these redshifts, the IGM is highly ionized, allowin…
We present semi-analytical models of high redshift Lyman-α emitters (LAEs) in order to constrain the star formation efficiency in those galaxies. Our supernova feedback induced star formation model along with Sheth-Tormman halo mass function correctly reproduces the shape, amplitude and the redshift evolution of UV and Lyman-α luminosity functions of LAEs in the redshift range z = 2 to 7.3. We show that the fraction of Lyman-α emitting galaxies increases with increasing redshifts reaching to unity just after the reionisation. However, we show that star formation efficiency in those LAEs does n…
The Ly$α$ emission line is one of the main observables of galaxies at high redshift, but its output depends strongly on the neutral gas distribution and kinematics around the star-forming regions where UV photons are produced. We present observations of Ly$α$ and 21-cm HI emission at comparable scales with the goal to qualitatively investigate how the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) properties impact Ly$α$ transfer in galaxies. We have observed 21-cm HI at the highest angular resolution possible (~ 3" beam) with the VLA in two local galaxies from the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample. We contrast…
We present a study of ~100 high redshift (z~2-4) extremely strong damped Lyman-alpha systems (ESDLA, with N(HI)>0.5x10^22 cm^-2) detected in quasar spectra from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey SDSS-III DR11. We study the neutral hydrogen, metal, and dust content of this elusive population of absorbers and confirm our previous finding that the high column density end of the N(HI) frequency distribution has a relatively shallow slope with power-law index -3.6, similar to what is seen from 21-cm maps in nearby galaxies. The stacked absorption spectrum indicates a typical metallicity ~…
The size, mass, luminosity, and space density of Lyman-alpha emitting (LAE) galaxies observed at intermediate to high redshift agree with expectations for the properties of galaxies that formed metal-poor halo globular clusters (GCs). The low metallicity of these clusters is the result of their formation in low-mass galaxies. Metal-poor GCs could enter spiral galaxies along with their dwarf galaxy hosts, unlike metal-rich GCs which form in the spirals themselves. Considering an initial GC mass larger than the current mass to account for multiple stellar populations, and considering the additio…
HETDEX: Star Formation Stochasticity Diagram of Lyman Alpha Emitting Galaxies at Cosmic Noon Confirms Three Archetypes
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey（新泽西州立罗格斯大学）；School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study（高等研究院自然科学学院）；Columbia University（哥伦比亚大学）；New York City College of Technology（纽约市立技术学院）；University of Maryland Baltimore County（马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校）；NASA Goddard Space Flight Center（美国国家航空航天局戈达德太空飞行中心）；Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA/GSFC（NASA/GSFC空间科学与探索技术中心）；Purdue University（普渡大学）；The University of Texas at Austin（德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校）；The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学）
We study the link between galaxies and HI-selected absorption systems at z~3-4 in the MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) survey, an ESO large programme consisting of integral field pectroscopic observations of 28 quasar fields hosting 61 strong absorbers with $\rm N_{\rm HI}\gtrsim 10^{16.5}~\rm cm^{-2}$. We identify 127 Ly$α$ emitting galaxies (LAEs) around the absorbers, corresponding to a detection rate of 82$\pm$16 per cent. The luminosity function of these LAEs is approximately 5 times higher in normalization than the field population and we detect a significant clustering of gal…
The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) represents a milestone in the evolution of our Universe. Star-forming galaxies that existed during the EoR likely emitted a significant fraction (~5-40%) of their bolometric luminosity as Lyman Alpha (Lya) line emission. However, neutral intergalactic gas that existed during the EoR was opaque to Lya emission that escaped from galaxies during this epoch, which makes it difficult to observe. The neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) may thus reveal itself by suppressing the Lya flux from background galaxies. Interestingly, a `sudden' reduction in the observed Lya fl…
Context. The Lyman alpha emission line of galaxies is an important tool for finding galaxies at high redshift, and thus probe the structure of the early universe. However, the resonance nature of the line and its sensitivity to dust and neutral gas is still not fully understood. Aims. We present measurements of the velocity, covering fraction and optical depth of neutral gas in front of two well known local blue compact galaxies that show Lyman alpha in emission: ESO 338-IG 04 and Haro 11. We thus test observationally the hypothesis that Lyman alpha can escape through neutral gas by being Dopp…
We present the first results of our pilot study of 8 photometrically selected Lyman continuum (LyC) emitting galaxy candidates from the COSMOS field and focus on their optical emission line ratios. Observations were performed in the H and K bands using the Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration (MOSFIRE) instrument at the Keck Observatory, targeting the [OII], H$β$, and [OIII] emission lines. We find that photometrically selected LyC emitting galaxy candidates have high ionization parameters, based on their high [OIII]/[OII] ratios (O32), with an average ratio for our sample of 2.…
The new era of Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs): Typical star formation histories of LAEs in the ILLUSTRIS simulation
Universidad Central de Chile（智利中央大学）；Universidad de La Serena（拉塞雷纳大学）；Universidad Andrés Bello（安德烈斯贝洛大学）；Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey（新泽西州立罗格斯大学）；Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton（普林斯顿高等研究院）；Purdue University（普渡大学）
We present a rest-frame ultraviolet morphological analysis of 108 z=2.1 Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDF-S) and compare it to a similar sample of 171 LAEs at z=3.1. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images from the Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs survey, Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, and Hubble Ultradeep Field, we measure size and photometric component distributions, where photometric components are defined as distinct clumps of UV-continuum emission. At both redshifts, the majority of LAEs have observed half-light radii <~ 2 kpc,…
Probing the Nature of Lyman Continuum Emitting and Low-metallicity Galaxies Using the SKA
The NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins（NSF-Simons 宇宙起源人工智能研究所）；CNRS, IRAP（法国国家科学研究中心，天体物理学研究所在图卢兹）；Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)（洛桑联邦理工学院）
With the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), it is now possible to detect spatially extended Lyman alpha emission from individual faint (M_UV ~ -18) galaxies at redshifts, 3 < z < 6, tracing gas out to circum-galactic scales comparable to the dark matter halo virial radius. To explore the implications of such observations, we present a cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulation of a single galaxy, chosen to be typical of the Lyman alpha-emitting galaxies detected by MUSE in deep fields. We use this simulation to study the origin and dynamics of the high-redshift circum-galactic medi…
We have discovered a 300kpc-wide giant Lya nebula centered on the massive galaxy group RO-1001 at z=2.91 in the COSMOS field. Keck Cosmic Web Imager observations reveal three cold gas filaments converging into the center of the potential well of its ~4x10^13Msun dark matter halo, hosting 1200Msun/yr of star formation as probed by ALMA and NOEMA observations. The nebula morphological and kinematics properties and the prevalence of blueshifted components in the Lya spectra are consistent with a scenario of gas accretion. The upper limits on AGN activity and overall energetics favor gravity as th…
The redshift-dependent fraction of color-selected galaxies revealing Lyman alpha emission has become the most valuable constraint on the evolving neutrality of the early intergalactic medium. However, in addition to resonant scattering by neutral gas, the visibility of Lyman alpha is also dependent on the intrinsic properties of the host galaxy, including its stellar population, dust content and the nature of outflowing gas. Taking advantage of significant progress we have made in determining the line emitting properties of $z \simeq 4-6$ galaxies, we propose an improved method, based on using…
We present a rest-frame ultraviolet analysis of ~120 z~3.1 Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDF-S). Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images taken as part of the Galaxy Evolution From Morphology and SEDS (GEMS) survey, Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), and Hubble Ultradeep Field (HUDF) surveys, we analyze the sizes of LAEs, as well as the spatial distribution of their components, which are defined as distinct clumps of UV-continuum emission. We set an upper limit of ~1 kpc (~0.1") on the rms offset between the centroids of the continuum and…
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…
The large, faint H$α$ emission surrounding the early B-star binary Spica has been used to constrain the total hydrogen recombination rate of the nebula and indirectly probe the Lyman continuum luminosity of the primary star. Early analysis suggested that a stellar atmosphere model, consistent with Spica A's spectral type, has a Lyman continuum luminosity about two times lower than required to account for the measured H$α$ surface brightness within the nebula. To more consistently model both the stellar and nebular emission, we have used a model atmosphere for Spica A which includes the effects…
The visibility of LyA emitting galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization is controlled by both diffuse HI patches in large-scale bubble morphology and small-scale absorbers. To investigate the impact on LyA photons, we apply a novel combination of analytic and numerical calculations to three scenarios: (i) the `bubble' model, where only diffuse HI outside ionized bubbles is present; (ii) the `web' model, where HI exists only in overdense self-shielded gas; and (iii) the more realistic 'web-bubble' model, which contains both. Our analysis confirms that there is a degeneracy between the ionizati…
Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) are usually thought to be powered by star formation. It has been recently reported that a fraction of LAEs at redshift z~3-4 hosts an Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). If an AGN is present it could be obscured and undetectable in X-rays, but yet dominate the Lya luminosity. We examine the properties of these AGN-powered LAEs at high redshift (z>=6) using radiative transfer cosmological simulations and obtain a reliable criterion to identify them from their observed \Lya line and surface brightness. We find that these sources should have: (a) negative line weighted skewn…
Several `giant' Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) nebulae with extent $\gtrsim 300\,$kpc and observed Ly$α$ luminosity of $\gtrsim 10^{44}\,{\rm erg}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}\,{\rm arcsec}^{-2}$ have recently been detected, and it has been speculated that their presence hints at a substantial cold gas reservoir in small cool clumps not resolved in modern hydro-dynamical simulations. We use the Illustris simulation to predict the Ly$α$ emission emerging from large halos ($M > 10^{11.5}M_{\odot}$) at $z\sim 2$ and thus test this model. We consider both AGN and star driven ionization, and compare the simulat…
We present a sample of 33 spectroscopically confirmed z ~ 3.1 Ly$α$-emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. This paper details the narrow-band survey we conducted to detect the LAE sample, the optical spectroscopy we performed to confirm the nature of these LAEs, and a new near-infrared spectroscopic detection of the [O III] 5007 Å line in one of these LAEs. This detection is in addition to two [O III] detections in two z ~ 3.1 LAEs we have reported on previously (McLinden et al 2011). The bulk of the paper then presents detailed constraints on the physica…
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is a large-volume spectroscopic survey without pre-selection of sources, searching ~ 540 deg^2 for Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at 1.9 < z < 3.5. Taking advantage of such a wide-volume survey, we perform a pilot study using early HETDEX data to search for lensed Lyman-alpha emitters. After performing a proof-of-concept using a previously known lensed LAE covered by HETDEX, we perform a search for previously unknown lensed LAEs in the HETDEX spectroscopic sample. We present a catalog of 26 potential LAEs lensed by foreground, re…
We use Herschel 70 to 160um images to study the size of the far-infrared emitting region in about 400 local galaxies and quasar (QSO) hosts. The sample includes normal `main-sequence' star-forming galaxies, as well as infrared luminous galaxies and Palomar-Green QSOs, with different levels and structures of star formation. Assuming Gaussian spatial distribution of the far-infrared (FIR) emission, the excellent stability of the Herschel point spread function (PSF) enables us to measure sizes well below the PSF width, by subtracting widths in quadrature. We derive scalings of FIR size and surfac…
