We calculate the void probability function (VPF) in simulations of Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) across a wide redshift range ($z=3.1,\ 4.5,\ 5.7,\ 6.6$). The VPF measures the zero-point correlation function (i.e. places devoid of galaxies) and naturally connects to higher order correlation functions while being computationally simple to calculate. We explore the Poissonian and systematic errors on the VPF, specify its accuracy as a function of average source density and the volume probed, and provide the appropriate size scales to measure the VPF. At small radii the accuracy of the VPF is limited by galaxy density, while at large radii the VPF is limited by the number of independent volumes probed. We also offer guidelines for understanding and quantifying the error in the VPF. We approximate the error in the VPF by using independent sub-volumes of the catalogs, after finding that jackknife statistics underestimate the uncertainty. We use the VPF to probe the strength of higher order correlation functions by measuring and examining the hierarchical scaling between the correlation functions using count-in-cells. The negative binomial model (NBM) has been shown to best describe the scaling between the two point correlation function and VPF for low-redshift galaxy observations. We further test the fit of the NBM by directly deriving the volume averaged two-point correlation function from the VPF and vice versa. We find the NBM best describes the $z=3.1, 4.5, 5.7$ simulated LAEs, with a 1$σ$ deviation from the model in the $z=6.6$ catalog. This suggests that LAEs show higher order clustering terms similar to those of normal low redshift galaxies.
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…
We investigate the spatial distribution of Lyman-$α$ (Ly $α$) absorbers within cosmic voids. We create a catalogue of cosmic voids in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7) with the VoidFinder algorithm of the Void Analysis Software Toolkit (VAST). Using the largest catalogue of low-redshift (z $\leq$ 0.75) IGM absorbers to date, we identify 392 Ly $α$ absorbers inside voids. The fraction of Ly $α$ absorbers inside voids (65 per cent) is comparable to the volume filling fraction of voids (68 per cent), and significantly greater than the fraction of galaxies inside voids (21 per cen…
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 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…
We report the detection of diffuse Lyman-alpha halos (LAHs) around star-forming galaxies at $z \sim 5.7$ by stacking 310 spectroscopically confirmed Lyman-alpha (LAEs). The majority of the LAEs are identified from our spectroscopic survey of galaxies at $z>5.5$. They are all located in well-studied fields with deep narrowband and broadband imaging data. We combine the LAE sample and its subsamples in the narrowband NB816 (i.e., the Lyman-alpha band) and $z$ band (i.e., the continuum band). By comparing the stacked objects with their corresponding point spread functions, we clearly detect exten…
We introduce the LEnSed laeS in the Eboss suRvey (LESSER) project, which aims to search for lensed Lyman-$α$ Emitters (LAEs) in the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS). The final catalog contains 361 candidate lensing systems. The lens galaxies are luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at redshift $0.4 < z < 0.8$, and the source galaxies are LAEs at redshift $2 < z < 3$. The spectral resolution of eBOSS ($\sim$2000) allows us to further identify the fine structures of Lyman-$α$ ($\rm Lyα$) emissions. Among our lensed LAE candidates, 281 systems present single-peaked line profiles w…
While low-luminosity galaxies dominate number counts at all redshifts, their contribution to cosmic Reionization is poorly understood due to a lack of knowledge of their physical properties. We isolate a sample of 35 z~4-5 continuum-faint Lyman-alpha emitters from deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and directly measure their Halpha emission using stacked Spitzer/IRAC Ch. 1 photometry. Based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we determine that the average UV continuum magnitude is fainter than -16 (~0.01 L_star), implying a median Lyman-alpha equivalent width of 249 Angstroms. By combining the Halpha m…
[Abridged] We investigate the physical properties of a Lyman continuum emitter candidate at $z=3.212$ with photometric coverage from $U$ to MIPS 24$μ$m band and VIMOS/VLT and MOSFIRE/Keck spectroscopy. Investigation of the UV spectrum confirms a direct spectroscopic detection of the Lyman continuum emission with $S/N>5$. Non-zero Ly$α$ flux at the systemic redshift and high Lyman-$α$ escape fraction suggest a low HI column density. The weak C and Si low-ionization absorption lines are also consistent with a low covering fraction along the line of sight. The [OIII]$λ\lambda4959,5007+\mathrm{H}β…
We present the first results from the X-SHOOTER Lyman-$α$ survey at $z=2$ (XLS-$z2$). XLS-$z2$ is a deep spectroscopic survey of 35 Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) utilising $\approx90$ hours of exposure time with VLT/X-SHOOTER and covers rest-frame Ly$α$ to H$α$ emission with R$\approx4000$. We present the sample selection, the observations and the data reduction. Systemic redshifts are measured from rest-frame optical lines for 33/35 sources. In the stacked spectrum, our LAEs are characterised by an interstellar medium with little dust, a low metallicity and a high ionisation state. The ionising s…
We model the $z \geq 6.6$ Ly$α$ luminosity function to estimate the number of lensed high$-z$ Ly$α$ emitters that may be detected by the Euclid Deep Survey. To span the whole range of possible predictions we exploit two Ly$α$ luminosity function models and two strong gravitational lensing models from the literature. We show that the planned Euclid Deep Survey observing 40 deg$^2$ over the 920-1850 nm wavelength range down to a flux limit of $F_{lim}=5\times10^{-17}\,$erg s$^{-1}\,$cm$^{-2}$ will enable us to find between $\sim 0.85$ and $\sim 1.82$ deg$^{-2}$ lensed Ly$α$ emitters at $z \geq 6…
Using Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopy, we present here the spatially resolved morphologies of [SII]$λ$6717,6731/H$α$ and [SII]$λ$6717,6731/[OIII]$λ$5007 emission line ratios for the first time in a Blueberry Lyman-$α$ emitter (BBLAE) at z $\sim$ 0.047. Our derived morphologies show that the extreme starburst region of the BBLAE, populated by young ($\leqslant$ 10 Myr), massive Wolf-Rayet stars, is [SII]-deficient, while the rest of the galaxy is [SII]-enhanced. We infer that the extreme starburst region is density-bounded (i.e., optically thin to ionizing photons), and the rest of the g…
We discuss the rest-frame ultraviolet emission line spectra of a large (~100) sample of low luminosity redshift z~3.1 Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) drawn from a Subaru imaging survey in the SSA22 survey field. Our earlier work based on smaller samples indicated that such sources have high [OIII]/[OII] line ratios possibly arising from a hard ionising spectrum that may be typical of similar sources in the reionisation era. With optical spectra secured from VLT/VIMOS, we re-examine the nature of the ionising radiation in a larger sample using the strength of the high ionisation diagnostic emission…
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)
Identifying non-contaminated sample of high-redshift galaxies with escaping Lyman continuum (LyC) flux is important for understanding the sources and evolution of cosmic reionization. We present CLAUDS $u$-band photometry of the COSMOS field to probe LyC radiation from spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at $z\geq3.5$ and outside the standard Lyman-break galaxy colour selection expectations. Complementary to the CLAUDS data, we use Subaru multi-filter photometry, \textit {Hubble Space Telescope} ($HST$) multi-filter imaging, and the spectroscopic surveys D10K, VUDS and 3D-HST. We present a sa…
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 …
We present a morphological study of the 17 lensed Lyman-$α$ emitter (LAE) galaxies of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Emission-Line Lens Survey (BELLS) for the GALaxy-Ly$α$ EmitteR sYstems (BELLS GALLERY) sample. This analysis combines the magnification effect of strong galaxy-galaxy lensing with the high resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope ($HST$) to achieve a physical resolution of $\sim$80 pc for this $2<z<3$ LAE sample, allowing a detailed characterization of the LAE rest-frame ultraviolet continuum surface brightness profiles and substructure. We use lens-model reconstruc…
Distant luminous Lyman-alpha emitters are excellent targets for detailed observations of galaxies in the epoch of reionisation. Spatially resolved observations of these galaxies allow us to simultaneously probe the emission from young stars, partially ionised gas in the interstellar medium and to constrain the properties of the surrounding hydrogen in the circumgalactic medium. We review recent results from (spectroscopic) follow-up studies of the rest-frame UV, Lyman-alpha and [CII] emission in luminous galaxies observed ~500 Myr after the Big Bang with ALMA, HST/WFC3 and VLT/X-SHOOTER. These…
Narrow-band imaging of the rest-frame Lyman continuum (LyC) of galaxies at z~3.1 has produced a large number of candidate LyC-emitting galaxies. These samples are contaminated by galaxies at lower redshift. To better understand LyC escape, we need an uncontaminated sample of galaxies that emit strongly in the LyC. Here we present deep Hubble imaging of five bright galaxies at z~3.1 that had previously been identified as candidate LyC-emitters with ground-based images. The WFC3 F336W images probe the LyC of galaxies at z>3.06 and provide an order-of-magnitude increase in spatial resolution over…
We report the first direct and robust measurement of the faint-end slope of the Lyman-alpha emitter (LAE) luminosity function at z = 5.7. Candidate LAEs from a low-spectral-resolution blind search with IMACS on Magellan-Baade were targeted at higher resolution to distinguish high redshift LAEs from foreground galaxies. All but 2 of our 42 single-emission-line systems have flux F $< 2.0 \times 10^{-17}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, making these the faintest emission-lines observed for a z = 5.7 sample with known completeness, an essential property for determining the faint end slope of the LAE lumi…
A number of independent observations suggest that the intergalactic medium was significantly neutral at $z=7$ and that reionization was, perhaps, still in progress at $z=5.7$. The narrowband survey, SILVERRUSH, has mapped over $2,000$ Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) at these redshifts. Previous analyses have assumed that reionization was over by $z=5.7$, but this data may actually sample the final stages of reionization when the last neutral islands were relegated to the cosmic voids. Motivated by these developments, we reexamine LAE void and peak statistics and their ability to constrain reionizati…
We present spectroscopic follow-up of candidate luminous Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) at $z=5.7-6.6$ in the SA22 field with VLT/X-SHOOTER. We confirm two new luminous LAEs at $z=5.676$ (SR6) and $z=6.532$ (VR7), and also present {\it HST} follow-up of both sources. These sources have luminosities L$_{\rm Lyα} \approx 3\times10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, very high rest-frame equivalent widths of EW$_0\gtrsim 200$ Å and narrow Ly$α$ lines (200-340 km s$^{-1}$). VR7 is the most UV-luminous LAE at $z>6.5$, with M$_{1500} = -22.5$, even brighter in the UV than CR7. Besides Ly$α$, we do not detect any other rest-…
Recent work has suggested extreme [OIII] emitting star-forming galaxies are important to reionization. Relatedly, [OIII]/[OII] has been put forward as an indirect estimator of the Lyman Continuum (LyC) escape fraction ($f_{esc}$) at $z\gtrsim4.5$ when the opaque IGM renders LyC photons unobservable. Using deep archival U-band (VLT/VIMOS) imaging of a recently confirmed overdensity at $z\sim3.5$ we calculate tight constraints on $f_{esc}$ for a sample (N=73) dominated by extreme [OIII] emitters. We find no Lyman Continuum signal ($f_{esc}^{rel} < 6.3^{+0.7}_{-0.7} \%$ at $1σ$) in a deep U-band …
The aim of this study is to better understand the connection between the Lyman $α$ rest-frame equivalent width (EW$_0$) and spectral properties as well as ultraviolet (UV) continuum morphology by obtaining reliable EW$_0$ histograms for a statistical sample of galaxies and by assessing the fraction of objects with large equivalent widths. We used integral field spectroscopy from MUSE combined with broad-band data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to measure EW$_0$. We analysed the emission lines of $1920$ Lyman $α$ emitters (LAEs) detected in the full MUSE-Wide (one hour exposure time) and…
We predict Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) luminosity functions (LFs) of Ly$α$-selected galaxies (Ly$α$ emitters, or LAEs) at $z=3-6$ using the phenomenological model of Dijkstra & Wyithe (2012). This model combines observed UV-LFs of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs, or drop out galaxies), with constraints on their distribution of Ly$α$ line strengths as a function of UV-luminosity and redshift. Our analysis shows that while Ly$α$ LFs of LAEs are generally not Schechter functions, these provide a good description over the luminosity range of $\log_{10}( L_α/{\rm erg}\,{\rm s}^{-1})=41-44$. Motivated by this resu…
We discuss the possible origin of the double-peaked profiles recently observed in Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) at the epoch of reionization ($z \gtrsim 6.5$) from obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). Combining the extent of the Lyman-$α$ near-zones estimated from the blue peak velocity offset in these galaxies, with the ionizing emissivity of quasars at $z \gtrsim 6$, we forecast the intrinsic UV and X-ray luminosities of the AGN needed to give rise to their double-peaked profiles. We also estimate the extent of the obscuration of the AGN by comparing their luminosities to those of similar qu…
New results are presented, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS), from the largest area survey to date (1.4 sq.deg) for Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z~9. The survey, which is primarily targeting H-alpha emitters at z<3, uses the Wide Field CAMera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrow-band filter in the J band and reaches a Lyman-alpha luminosity limit of ~10^43.8 erg/s over a co-moving volume of 1.12x10^6 Mpc^3 at z=8.96+-0.06. Only 2 candidates were found out of 1517 line emitters and those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. The limit on t…
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…
We report spectroscopic confirmations of 15 Lyman-alpha galaxies at $z\sim7$, implying a spectroscopic confirmation rate of $\sim$80% on candidates selected from LAGER (Lyman-Alpha Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization), which is the largest (24 deg$^2$) survey aimed at finding Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at $z\sim7$ using deep narrow-band imaging from DECam at CTIO. LAEs at high-redshifts are sensitive probes of cosmic reionization and narrow-band imaging is a robust and effective method for selecting a large number of LAEs. In this work, we present results from the spectroscopic follow-up of…
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the high-redshift Universe are thought to reside in overdense environments. However, recent works provide controversial results partly due to the use of different techniques and possible suppression of nearby galaxy formation by AGN feedback. We conducted deep and wide-field imaging observations with the Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope and searched for Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) around two QSOs (quasi-stellar objects) at $z\sim4.9$ and a radio galaxy at $z\sim4.5$ by using narrow-band filters to address these issues more robustly. In the QSO fields, we obt…
We probe what constraints for the global ionized hydrogen fraction the Void Probability Function (VPF) clustering can give for the Lyman-Alpha Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization (LAGER) narrowband survey as a function of area. Neutral hydrogen acts like a fog for Lyman-alpha emission, and measuring the drop in the luminosity function of Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) has been used to constrain the ionization fraction in narrowband surveys. However, the clustering of LAEs is independent from the luminosity function's inherent evolution, and can offer additional constraints for reionization under …
We present the results obtained with VLT/MUSE on the faint-end of the Lyman-alpha luminosity function (LF) based on deep observations of four lensing clusters. The precise aim of the present study is to further constrain the abundance of Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) by taking advantage of the magnification provided by lensing clusters. We blindly selected a sample of 156 LAEs, with redshifts between $2.9 \le z \le 6.7$ and magnification-corrected luminosities in the range $ 39 \lesssim \log L_{Ly_α}$ [erg s$^{-1}$] $\lesssim 43$. The price to pay to benefit from magnification is a reduction of …
We report the detection of the most luminous high-redshift Lyman Alpha Emitting galaxy (LAE) yet seen, with log L(Ly alpha) = 43.9 ergs/s. The galaxy -- COSMOS Lyman alpha 1, or COLA1 -- was detected in a search for ultra-luminous LAEs with Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope. It was confirmed to lie at z = 6.593 based on a Lyman alpha line detection obtained from followup spectroscopy with the DEIMOS spectrograph on Keck2. COLA1 is the first very high-redshift LAE to show a multi-component Lyman alpha line profile with a blue wing, which suggests that it could lie in a highly ionized re…
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…
CR7 is the brightest Lyman-$α$ emitter observed at $z>6$, which shows very strong Lyman-$α$ and HeII 1640Å line luminosities, but no metal line emission. Previous studies suggest that CR7 hosts either young primordial stars with a total stellar mass of $\sim 10^7\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ or a black hole of $\gtrsim 10^6\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$. Here, we explore different formation scenarios for CR7 with a semianalytical model, based on the random sampling of dark matter merger trees. We are unable to reproduce the observational constraints with a primordial stellar source, given our model assumptions, du…
We present the results from a stellar population modeling analysis of a sample of 162 z=4.5, and 14 z=5.7 Lyman alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the Bootes field, using deep Spitzer/IRAC data at 3.6 and 4.5 um from the Spitzer Lyman Alpha Survey, along with Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS and WFC3 imaging at 1.1 and 1.6 um for a subset of the LAEs. This represents one of the largest samples of high-redshift LAEs imaged with Spitzer IRAC. We find that 30/162 (19%) of the z=4.5 LAEs and 9/14 (64%) of the z=5.7 LAEs are detected at >3-sigma in at least one IRAC band. Individual z=4.5 IRAC-detected…
We investigate morphological properties of 61 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z = 4.86 identified in the COSMOS field, based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) imaging data in the F814W-band. Out of the 61 LAEs, we find the ACS counterparts for the 54 LAEs. Eight LAEs show double-component structures with a mean projected separation of 0."63 (~ 4.0 kpc at z = 4.86). Considering the faintness of these ACS sources, we carefully evaluate their morphological properties, that is, size and ellipticity. While some of them are compact and indistinguishable from the PSF half-lig…
The origins of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons responsible for the reionization of the universe are as of yet unknown and highly contested. Detecting LyC photons from the epoch of reionization is not possible due to absorption by the intergalactic medium, which has prompted the development of several indirect diagnostics to infer the rate at which galaxies contribute LyC photons to reionize the universe by studying lower-redshift analogs. We present the Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey (LzLCS) comprising measurements made with HST/COS for a z=0.2-0.4 sample of 66 galaxies. After careful proce…
Quasars (QSOs) hosting supermassive black holes are believed to reside in massive halos harboring galaxy overdensities. However, many observations revealed average or low galaxy densities around $z\gtrsim6$ QSOs. This could be partly because they measured galaxy densities in only tens of arcmin$^2$ around QSOs and might have overlooked potential larger scale galaxy overdensities. Some previous studies also observed only Lyman break galaxies (LBGs, massive older galaxies) and missed low mass young galaxies like Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) around QSOs. Here we present observations of LAE and LBG candi…
The flow of baryons to and from a galaxy, which is fundamental for galaxy formation and evolution, can be studied with galaxy-metal absorption system pairs. Our search for galaxies around CIV absorption systems at $z\sim5.7$ showed an excess of photometric Lyman-$α$ emitter (LAE) candidates in the fields J1030+0524 and J1137+3549. Here we present spectroscopic follow-up of 33 LAEs in both fields. In the first field, three out of the five LAEs within 10$h^{{-}1}$ projected comoving Mpc from the CIV system are within $\pm500$ km s$^{{-}1}$ from the absorption at $z_{\text{CIV}}=5.7242\pm0.0001$.…
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 search for bright Ly$\rm α$ emitters among Spitzer SMUVS galaxies at z > 2.9 with homogeneous MUSE data. Although it only covers a small region of COSMOS, MUSE has the unique advantage of providing spectral information over the entire field, without the need of target pre-selection. This gives an unbiased detection of all the brightest Ly$\rm α$ emitters among SMUVS sources, which by design are stellar-mass selected galaxies. Within the studied area, ~14% of the SMUVS galaxies at z > 2.9 have Ly$\rm α$ fluxes F$\rm _λ$ > 7 x 10$^{-18}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$. These Ly$\rm α$ emitters are ch…
We present the results of a systematic search for Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at $6 \lesssim z \lesssim 7.6$ using the HST WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel (WISP) Survey. Our total volume over this redshift range is $\sim 8 \times10^5$ Mpc$^3$, comparable to many of the narrowband surveys despite their larger area coverage. We find two LAEs at $z=6.38$ and $6.44$ with line luminosities of L$_{\mathrm{Ly}α} \sim 4.7 \times 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, putting them among the brightest LAEs discovered at these redshifts. Taking advantage of the broad spectral coverage of WISP, we are able to rule o…
We report the discovery of a double-peaked Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) emitter (LAE) at $z=3.2177\pm0.0001$ in VLT/MUSE data. The galaxy is strongly lensed by the galaxy cluster RXC~J0018.5+1626 recently observed in the RELICS survey, and the double-peaked Ly$α$ emission is clearly detected in the two counter images in the MUSE field-of-view. We measure a relatively high Ly$α$ rest-frame equivalent width (EW) of $\mathrm{EW}_{\mathrm{Ly}α,0}=(63\pm2)\,\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$. Additional near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy allows us to measure the H$β$, [OIII]$\lambda4959\,\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ and [OIII]$\…
We present the results of a Lya profile analysis of 12 Lya emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.2 with high-resolution Lya spectra. We find that all 12 objects have a Lya profile with the main peak redward of the systemic redshift defined by nebular lines, and five have a weak, secondary peak blueward of the systemic redshift (blue bump). The average velocity offset of the red main peak (the blue bump, if any) with respect to the systemic redshift is Delta_v_Lya,r = 174+/- 19 km s-1 (Delta_v_Lya,b = -316+/-45 km s-1), which is smaller than (comparable to) that of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs). The outflow v…
The fraction of Lyman-$α$ emitters among the galaxy population has been found to increase from $z\sim0$ to $z\sim6$ and drop dramatically at $z>6$. This drop has been interpreted as an effect of an increasingly neutral intergalactic medium with increasing redshift, while a LyC escape fraction evolving with redshift. We report the result of a large VLT/FORS2 program aiming to confirm spectroscopically a large galaxy sample at $z\geq6$ that has been selected in several independent fields through the Lyman Break technique. Combining those data with archival data, we create a large and homogeneous…
We study six luminous Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) with very blue rest-frame UV continua at $5.7\le z \le 6.6$. These LAEs have previous HST and Spitzer IRAC observations. Combining our newly acquired HST images, we find that their UV-continuum slopes $β$ are in a range of $-3.4\le β\le -2.6$. Unlike previous, tentative detections of $β\simeq -3$ in photometrically selected, low-luminosity galaxies, our LAEs are spectroscopically confirmed and luminous ($M_{\rm UV}<-20$ mag). We model their broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and find that two $β\simeq-2.6\pm0.2$ galaxies can be wel…
We model the transmission of the Lyman-alpha line through the circum- and intergalactic media around dark matter haloes expected to host Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z > 5.7, using the high-dynamic-range Sherwood simulations. We find very different CGM environments around more massive haloes (~10^11 M_sun) compared to less massive haloes (~10^9 M_sun) at these redshifts, which can contribute to a different evolution of the Lyman-alpha transmission from LAEs within these haloes. Additionally we confirm that part of the differential evolution could result from bright LAEs being more likely to …
The new era of Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs): Efficiency in the selection criteria
Facultad de Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Universidad Central de Chile(智利中央大学工程学院与建筑学院);Instituto de Astrofísica, Universidad Andrés Bello(安德烈斯贝略大学天体物理研究所);Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey(新泽西州立罗格斯大学物理与天文系);School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study(高等研究院自然科学院);Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University(普渡大学物理与天文系)
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…