您选择的条件: Dawn K. Erb
  • The KBSS-KCWI Survey: The connection between extended Ly$\alpha$ halos and galaxy azimuthal angle at $z\sim 2-3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present the first statistical analysis of kinematically-resolved, spatially-extended Ly$\alpha$ emission around $z = 2-3$ galaxies in the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS) using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). Our sample of 59 star-forming galaxies ($z_\mathrm{med} = 2.29$) comprises the subset with typical KCWI integration times of ~5 hours and with existing imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope and/or adaptive optics-assisted integral field spectroscopy. The high resolution images were used to evaluate the azimuthal dependence of the diffuse Ly$\alpha$ emission with respect to the stellar continuum within projected galactocentric distances of $\lesssim 30$ proper kpc. We introduce cylindrically-projected 2D spectra (CP2D) that map the averaged Ly$\alpha$ spectral profile over a specified range of azimuthal angle, as a function of impact parameter around galaxies. The averaged CP2D spectrum of all galaxies shows clear signatures of Ly$\alpha$ resonant scattering by outflowing gas. We stacked the CP2D spectra of individual galaxies over ranges of azimuthal angle with respect to their major axes. The extended Ly$\alpha$ emission along the galaxy principal axes are statistically indistinguishable, with residual asymmetry of $\le$ 2% ($\sim 2 \sigma$) of the integrated Ly$\alpha$ emission. The symmetry implies that the Ly$\alpha$ scattering medium is dominated by outflows in all directions within 30 kpc. Meanwhile, we find that the blueshifted component of Ly$\alpha$ emission is marginally stronger along galaxy minor axes for galaxies with relatively weak Ly$\alpha$ emission. We speculate that this weak directional dependence of Ly$\alpha$ emission becomes discernible only when the Ly$\alpha$ escape fraction is low. These discoveries highlight the need for similar analyses in simulations with Ly$\alpha$ radiative transfer modeling.

  • The Circumgalactic Medium of Extreme Emission Line Galaxies at z ~ 2: Resolved Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer Modeling of Spatially Extended Lyman-alpha Emission in the KBSS-KCWI Survey

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The resonantly scattered Lyman-$\alpha$ line illuminates the extended halos of neutral hydrogen in the circumgalactic medium of galaxies. We present integral field Keck Cosmic Web Imager observations of double-peaked, spatially extended Ly$\alpha$ emission in 12 relatively low-mass ($M_{\star} \sim10^9 \, M_{\odot}$) $z\sim2$ galaxies characterized by extreme nebular emission lines. Using individual spaxels and small bins as well as radially binned profiles of larger regions, we find that for most objects in the sample the Ly$\alpha$ blue-to-red peak ratio increases, the peak separation decreases, and the fraction of flux emerging at line center increases with radius. We use new radiative transfer simulations to model each galaxy with a clumpy, multiphase outflow with radially varying outflow velocity, and self-consistently apply the same velocity model to the low ionization interstellar absorption lines. These models reproduce the trends of peak ratio, peak separation and trough depth with radius, and broadly reconcile outflow velocities inferred from Ly$\alpha$ and absorption lines. The galaxies in our sample are well-described by a model in which neutral, outflowing clumps are embedded in a hotter, more highly ionized inter-clump medium (ICM), whose residual neutral content produces absorption at the systemic redshift. The peak ratio, peak separation and trough flux fraction are primarily governed by the line-of-sight component of the outflow velocity, the HI column density, and the residual neutral density in the ICM respectively. Azimuthal asymmetries in the line profile further suggest non-radial gas motions at large radii and variations in the HI column density in the outer halos.

  • Tracing Lyman-alpha and Lyman Continuum Escape in Galaxies with Mg II Emission

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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 observations for 8 LyC emitter candidates, selected to have strong Mg II emission lines. We securely detect LyC emission in 50% (4/8) galaxies with 2$\sigma$ significance. This high detection rate suggests that strong Mg II emitters might be more likely to leak LyC than similar galaxies without strong Mg II. Using photoionization models, we constrain the escape fraction of Mg II as ~ 15 -- 60%. We confirm that the escape fraction of Mg II correlates tightly with that of Lyman-alpha (LyA), which we interpret as an indication that the escape fraction of both species is controlled by resonant scattering in the same low column density gas. Furthermore, we show that the combination of the Mg II emission and dust attenuation can be used to estimate the escape fraction of LyC statistically. These findings confirm that Mg II emission can be adopted to estimate the escape fraction of LyA and LyC in local star-forming galaxies and may serve as a useful indirect indicator at the Epoch of Reionization.