Journal article
On the evolution of the size of Lyman alpha haloes across cosmic time: no change in the circumgalactic gas distribution when probed by line emission
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.522(3), pp.4275-4293
05/02/2023
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad1264
Abstract
Lyman alpha (Ly alpha) is now routinely used as a tool for studying high-redshift galaxies, and its resonant nature means it can trace neutral hydrogen around star-forming galaxies. Integral field spectrograph measurements of high-redshift Ly alpha emitters indicate that significant extended Ly alpha halo emission is ubiquitous around such objects. We present a sample of redshift 0.23 to 0.31 galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope selected to match the star formation properties of high-z samples while optimizing the observations for detection of low surface brightness Ly alpha emission. The Ly alpha escape fractions range between 0.7 and 37 per cent, and we detect extended Ly alpha emission around six out of seven targets. We find Ly alpha halo to UV scale length ratios around 6:1, which is marginally lower than high-redshift observations, and halo flux fractions between 60 and 85 per cent - consistent with high-redshift observations - when using comparable methods. However, our targets show additional extended stellar UV emission: we parametrize this with a new double exponential model. We find that this parametrization does not strongly affect the observed Ly alpha halo fractions. We find that deeper H alpha data would be required to firmly determine the origin of Ly alpha halo emission; however, there are indications that H alpha is more extended than the central FUV profile, potentially indicating conditions favourable for the escape of ionizing radiation. We discuss our results in the context of high-redshift galaxies, cosmological simulations, evolutionary studies of the circumgalactic medium in emission, and the emission of ionizing radiation.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- On the evolution of the size of Lyman alpha haloes across cosmic time: no change in the circumgalactic gas distribution when probed by line emission
- Creators
- Axel Runnholm - AlbaNovaMatthew J. Hayes - AlbaNovaYu-Heng Lin - University of MinnesotaJens Melinder - AlbaNovaClaudia Scarlata - University of MinnesotaAngela Adamo - AlbaNovaRamona Augustin - Space Telescope Science InstituteArjan Bik - AlbaNovaJeremy Blaizot - Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de LyonJohn M. Cannon - Macalester CollegeSebastiano Cantalupo - University of Milano-BicoccaThibault Garel - University of GenevaMax Gronke - Max Planck Institute for AstrophysicsEdmund C. Herenz - European Southern ObservatoryFloriane Leclercq - The University of Texas at AustinGoeran Oestlin - Stockholm UniversityCeline Peroux - European Southern ObservatoryArmin Rasekh - AlbaNovaMichael J. Rutkowski - Minnesota State University, MankatoAnne Verhamme - University of GenevaLutz Wisotzki - Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.522(3), pp.4275-4293
- Publisher
- Oxford Univ Press
- DOI
- 10.1093/mnras/stad1264
- ISSN
- 0035-8711
- eISSN
- 1365-2966
- Number of pages
- 19
- Grant note
- NAS 5-26555; 15643 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) 80NSSC18K110 / Knut~ ~and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/02/2023
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984627303002771
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