scholarly journals Ultra-faint Lyman Alpha Emitters with MUSE

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S352) ◽  
pp. 331-335
Author(s):  
Michael V. Maseda ◽  

AbstractUsing an ultra-deep, untargeted survey with the MUSE integral field spectrograph on the ESO Very Large Telescope, we obtain spectroscopic redshifts to a depth never explored before: galaxies with observed magnitudes m > 30–32. Specifically, we detect objects via Lyman-α emission at 2.9 < z < 6.7 without individual continuum counterparts in areas covered by the deepest optical/near-infrared imaging taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. In total, we find more than 100 such objects in 9 square arcminutes at these redshifts, also including a number of sources that are visible only in the HST band that contains Lyman-α. Detailed HST and IRAC stacking analyses confirm the Lyman-α emission as well as the 1216 Å breaks, faint UV continua (MUV ∼ −15), and optical emission lines: these objects are the faintest spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies at high-z. The blue UV continuum slopes and measurements/limits on the equivalent widths of Lyman-α, which in some cases exceeds 300 Å, are consistent with ages < 10 Myr, metallicities < 5% solar, and stellar masses < 107–8 solar masses. The nature of these types of objects is intriguing as they could be the faint star-forming sources of Reionization and could represent the initial (strong) phase of stellar mass growth in galaxies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S352) ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
Pascal Oesch

AbstractOver the last few years, great progress has been made in understanding the build-up of the first generations of galaxies based on deep optical and near-infrared imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. However, HST only samples the rest-frame UV light of galaxies at z …4, providing only limited information on the dust obscuration and on stellar masses of these sources. Fortunately, several Spitzer/IRAC programs have complemented the extragalactic HST fields with ultra-deep imaging data, allowing for a rest-frame optical view on early galaxies. Together with first ALMA/ NOEMA (sub)mm observations on distant galaxies, we are starting to gain a more and more complete picture of galaxy star-formation and mass build-up in the early universe. In this talk, I will present an overview of our current understanding of normal star-forming galaxies at z > 3 based the combination of HST+Spitzer+ALMA/NOEMA data. In particular, I will show how HST as already pushed into JWST territory with the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of a galaxy at z = 11.1 ± 0.1, only : 400 Myr after the Big Bang. I will also highlight some of the exciting possibilities that lie ahead with JWST to push the spectroscopic frontier to the cosmic dawn and to finally probe the physics of early galaxies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S352) ◽  
pp. 253-265
Author(s):  
Stijn Wuyts ◽  
Natascha M. Förster Schreiber

AbstractResolved observations of star-forming galaxies at cosmic noon with the Hubble Space Telescope and large ground-based facilities provide a view on the spatial distribution of stars, gas and dust, and probe gaseous motions revealing the central gravitational potential and local feedback processes at play. In this paper, we review recent insights gained from such observations, with an emphasis on results obtained through optical/near-infrared imaging and imaging spectroscopy. Their context and implications are documented more fully in a forthcoming review article by Förster Schreiber & Wuyts (in prep).


2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (2) ◽  
pp. 2305-2315
Author(s):  
Alice Zurlo ◽  
Lucas A Cieza ◽  
Megan Ansdell ◽  
Valentin Christiaens ◽  
Sebastián Pérez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present results from a near-infrared (NIR) adaptive optics (AO) survey of pre-main-sequence stars in the Lupus molecular cloud with NACO at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to identify (sub)stellar companions down to ∼20-au separation and investigate the effects of multiplicity on circumstellar disc properties. We observe for the first time in the NIR with AO a total of 47 targets and complement our observations with archival data for another 58 objects previously observed with the same instrument. All 105 targets have millimetre Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) data available, which provide constraints on disc masses and sizes. We identify a total of 13 multiple systems, including 11 doubles and 2 triples. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the most massive (Mdust &gt; 50 M⊕) and largest (Rdust &gt; 70 au) discs are only seen around stars lacking visual companions (with separations of 20–4800 au) and that primaries tend to host more massive discs than secondaries. However, as recently shown in a very similar study of &gt;200 PMS stars in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud, the distributions of disc masses and sizes are similar for single and multiple systems for Mdust &lt; 50 M⊕ and radii Rdust &lt; 70 au. Such discs correspond to ∼80–90 per cent of the sample. This result can be seen in the combined sample of Lupus and Ophiuchus objects, which now includes more than 300 targets with ALMA imaging and NIR AO data, and implies that stellar companions with separations &gt;20 au mostly affect discs in the upper 10${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the disc mass and size distributions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (1) ◽  
pp. 292-311
Author(s):  
Zeinab Khorrami ◽  
Maud Langlois ◽  
Paul C Clark ◽  
Farrokh Vakili ◽  
Anne S M Buckner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the sharpest and deepest near-infrared photometric analysis of the core of R136, a newly formed massive star cluster at the centre of the 30 Doradus star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We used the extreme adaptive optics of the SPHERE focal instrument implemented on the ESO Very Large Telescope and operated in its IRDIS imaging mode for the second time with longer exposure time in the H and K filters. Our aim was to (i) increase the number of resolved sources in the core of R136, and (ii) to compare with the first epoch to classify the properties of the detected common sources between the two epochs. Within the field of view (FOV) of 10.8″ × 12.1″ ($2.7\,\text {pc}\times 3.0\, \text {pc}$), we detected 1499 sources in both H and K filters, for which 76 per cent of these sources have visual companions closer than 0.2″. The larger number of detected sources enabled us to better sample the mass function (MF). The MF slopes are estimated at ages of 1, 1.5, and 2 Myr, at different radii, and for different mass ranges. The MF slopes for the mass range of 10–300 M⊙ are about 0.3 dex steeper than the mass range of 3–300 M⊙, for the whole FOV and different radii. Comparing the JHK colours of 790 sources common in between the two epochs, 67 per cent of detected sources in the outer region (r &gt; 3″) are not consistent with evolutionary models at 1–2 Myr and with extinctions similar to the average cluster value, suggesting an origin from ongoing star formation within 30 Doradus, unrelated to R136.


2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A60 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Cañameras ◽  
N. P. H. Nesvadba ◽  
M. Limousin ◽  
H. Dole ◽  
R. Kneissl ◽  
...  

We report the discovery of a molecular wind signature from a massive intensely star-forming clump of a few 109 M⊙, in the strongly gravitationally lensed submillimeter galaxy “the Emerald” (PLCK_G165.7+49.0) at z = 2.236. The Emerald is amongst the brightest high-redshift galaxies on the submillimeter sky, and was initially discovered with the Planck satellite. The system contains two magnificient structures with projected lengths of 28.5″ and 21″ formed by multiple, near-infrared arcs, falling behind a massive galaxy cluster at z = 0.35, as well as an adjacent filament that has so far escaped discovery in other wavebands. We used HST/WFC3 and CFHT optical and near-infrared imaging together with IRAM and SMA interferometry of the CO(4–3) line and 850 μm dust emission to characterize the foreground lensing mass distribution, construct a lens model with LENSTOOL, and calculate gravitational magnification factors between 20 and 50 in most of the source. The majority of the star formation takes place within two massive star-forming clumps which are marginally gravitationally bound and embedded in a 9 × 1010 M⊙, fragmented disk with 20% gas fraction. The stellar continuum morphology is much smoother and also well resolved perpendicular to the magnification axis. One of the clumps shows a pronounced blue wing in the CO(4–3) line profile, which we interpret as a wind signature. The mass outflow rates are high enough for us to suspect that the clump might become unbound within a few tens of Myr, unless the outflowing gas can be replenished by gas accretion from the surrounding disk. The velocity offset of –200 km s−1 is above the escape velocity of the clump, but not that of the galaxy overall, suggesting that much of this material might ultimately rain back onto the galaxy and contribute to fueling subsequent star formation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Feltre ◽  
Roland Bacon ◽  
Laurence Tresse ◽  
Hayley Finley ◽  
David Carton ◽  
...  

The physical origin of the near-ultraviolet Mg II emission remains an underexplored domain, unlike more typical emission lines that are detected in the spectra of star-forming galaxies. We explore the nebular and physical properties of a sample of 381 galaxies between 0.70 < z < 2.34 drawn from the MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Survey. The spectra of these galaxies show a wide variety of profiles of the Mg II λλ2796, 2803 resonant doublet, from absorption to emission. We present a study on the main drivers for the detection of Mg II emission in galaxy spectra. By exploiting photoionization models, we verified that the emission-line ratios observed in galaxies with Mg II in emission are consistent with nebular emission from HII regions. From a simultaneous analysis of MUSE spectra and ancillary Hubble Space Telescope information through spectral energy distribution fitting, we find that galaxies with Mg II in emission have lower stellar masses, smaller sizes, bluer spectral slopes, and lower optical depth than those with absorption. This leads us to suggest that Mg II emission is a potential tracer of physical conditions that are not merely related to those of the ionized gas. We show that these differences in Mg II emission and absorption can be explained in terms of a higher dust and neutral gas content in the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies showing Mg II in absorption, which confirms the extreme sensitivity of Mg II to the presence of the neutral ISM. We conclude with an analogy between the Mg II doublet and the Ly α line that lies in their resonant nature. Further investigations with current and future facilities, including the James Webb Space Telescope, are promising because the detection of Mg II emission and its potential connection with Lyα could provide new insights into the ISM content in the early Universe.


2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (4) ◽  
pp. 5053-5075 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Saxena ◽  
H J A Röttgering ◽  
K J Duncan ◽  
G J Hill ◽  
P N Best ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present spectra and near-infrared images of a sample of faint radio sources initially selected as promising high-redshift radio galaxy (HzRG) candidates. We have determined redshifts for a total of 13 radio galaxies with redshifts ranging from 0.52 ≤ $z$ ≤ 5.72. Our sample probes radio luminosities that are almost an order of magnitude fainter than previous large samples at the highest redshifts. We use near-infrared photometry for a subsample of these galaxies to calculate stellar masses using simple stellar population models, and find stellar masses to be in the range $10^{10.8} {--}10^{11.7} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$. We then compare our faint radio galaxies with brighter radio galaxies at $z$ ≥ 2 from the literature. We find that fainter radio galaxies have lower Ly α luminosities and narrower line widths compared to the bright ones, implying photoionization by a weaker active galactic nucleus (AGN). We also rule out the presence of strong shocks in faint HzRGs. The stellar masses determined for faint HzRGs are lower than those observed for brighter ones. We find that faint HzRG population in the redshift range 2–4 forms a bridge between star-forming and narrow-line AGNs, whereas the ones at $z$ &gt; 4 are likely to be dominated by star formation, and may be building up their stellar mass through cold accretion of gas. Finally, we show that the overall redshift evolution of radio sizes at $z$ &gt; 2 is fully compatible with increased inverse Compton scattering losses at high redshifts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R M Bielby ◽  
J P Stott ◽  
F Cullen ◽  
T M Tripp ◽  
J N Burchett ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the first results from a study of O vi absorption around galaxies at z &lt; 1.44 using data from a near-infrared grism spectroscopic Hubble Space Telescope Large Programme, the Quasar Sightline and Galaxy Evolution (QSAGE) survey. QSAGE is the first grism galaxy survey to focus on the circumgalactic medium at z ∼ 1, providing a blind survey of the galaxy population. The galaxy sample is H α flux limited (f(H α) &gt; 2 × 10−17 erg s−1 cm−2) at 0.68 &lt; z &lt; 1.44, corresponding to ≳0.2–0.8 M⊙ yr−1. In this first of 12 fields, we combine the galaxy data with high-resolution STIS and COS spectroscopy of the background quasar to study O vi in the circumgalactic medium. At z ∼ 1, we find O vi absorption systems up to b ∼ 350 kpc (∼4Rvir) from the nearest detected galaxy. Further, we find ${\sim }50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of ≳1 M⊙ yr−1 star-forming galaxies within 2Rvir show no associated O vi absorption to a limit of at least N(O vi) = 1013.9 cm−2. That we detect O vi at such large distances from galaxies and that a significant fraction of star-forming galaxies show no detectable O vi absorption disfavours outflows from ongoing star formation as the primary medium traced by these absorbers. Instead, by combining our own low- and high-redshift data with existing samples, we find tentative evidence for many strong (N(O vi) &gt; 1014 cm−2) O vi absorption systems to be associated with M⋆ ∼ 109.5–10 M⊙ mass galaxies (Mhalo ∼ 1011.5–12 M⊙ dark matter haloes), and infer that they may be tracing predominantly collisionally ionized gas within the haloes of such galaxies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 608 ◽  
pp. A4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael V. Maseda ◽  
Jarle Brinchmann ◽  
Marijn Franx ◽  
Roland Bacon ◽  
Rychard J. Bouwens ◽  
...  

The C III] λλ1907, 1909 emission doublet has been proposed as an alternative to Lyman-α in redshift confirmations of galaxies at z ≳ 6 since it is not attenuated by the largely neutral intergalactic medium at these redshifts and is believed to be strong in the young, vigorously star-forming galaxies present at these early cosmic times. We present a statistical sample of 17 C III]-emitting galaxies beyond z ~ 1.5 using ~30 h deep VLT/MUSE integral field spectroscopy covering 2 square arcminutes in the Hubble Deep Field South (HDFS) and Ultra Deep Field (UDF), achieving C III] sensitivities of ~ 2 × 10-17 erg s-1 cm-2 in the HDFS and ~ 7 × 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 in the UDF. The rest-frame equivalent widths range from 2 to 19 Å. These 17 galaxies represent ~3% of the total sample of galaxies found between 1.5 ≲ z ≲ 4. They also show elevated star formation rates, lower dust attenuation, and younger mass-weighted ages than the general population of galaxies at the same redshifts. Combined with deep slitless grism spectroscopy from the HST/WFC3 in the UDF, we can tie the rest-frame ultraviolet C III] emission to rest-frame optical emission lines, namely [O III] λ5007, finding a strong correlation between the two. Down to the flux limits that we observe (~ 1 × 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 with the grism data in the UDF), all objects with a rest-frame [O III] λλ4959, 5007 equivalent width in excess of 250 Å, the so-called extreme emission line galaxies, have detections of C III] in our MUSE data. More detailed studies of the C III]-emitting population at these intermediate redshifts will be crucial to understand the physical conditions in galaxies at early cosmic times and to determine the utility of C III] as a redshift tracer.


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