Journal article
THE LYMAN ALPHA REFERENCE SAMPLE: EXTENDED LYMAN ALPHA HALOS PRODUCED AT LOW DUST CONTENT
Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.765(2), pp.1-6
03/10/2013
DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/765/2/L27
Abstract
We report on new imaging observations of the Lyman alpha emission line (Ly alpha), performed with the Hubble Space Telescope, that comprise the backbone of the Lyman alpha Reference Sample. We present images of 14 starburst galaxies at redshifts 0.028 < z < 0.18 in continuum-subtracted Ly alpha, H alpha, and the far ultraviolet continuum. We show that Ly alpha is emitted on scales that systematically exceed those of the massive stellar population and recombination nebulae: as measured by the Petrosian 20% radius, RP20, Ly alpha radii are larger than those of H alpha by factors ranging from 1 to 3.6, with an average of 2.4. The average ratio of Ly alpha-to-FUV radii is 2.9. This suggests that much of the Ly alpha light is pushed to large radii by resonance scattering. Defining the Relative Petrosian Extension of Ly alpha compared to H alpha, xi(Ly alpha) = R-P20(Ly alpha)/R-P20(H alpha), we find xi(Ly alpha) to be uncorrelated with total Ly alpha luminosity. However, xi(Ly alpha) is strongly correlated with quantities that scale with dust content, in the sense that a low dust abundance is a necessary requirement (although not the only one) in order to spread Ly alpha photons throughout the interstellar medium and drive a large extended Ly alpha halo.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- THE LYMAN ALPHA REFERENCE SAMPLE: EXTENDED LYMAN ALPHA HALOS PRODUCED AT LOW DUST CONTENT
- Creators
- Matthew Hayes - Research Institute in Astrophysics and PlanetologyGoeran Oestlin - Stockholm UniversityDaniel Schaerer - Research Institute in Astrophysics and PlanetologyAnne Verhamme - University of GenevaJ. Miguel Mas-Hesse - Ctr Astrobiol CSIC INTA, Dept Astrofis, Villanueva De La Canada 28691, SpainAngela Adamo - Max Planck Institute for AstronomyHakim Atek - École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneJohn M. Cannon - Macalester CollegeFlorent Duval - Stockholm UniversityLucia Guaita - Stockholm UniversityE. Christian Herenz - Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics PotsdamDaniel Kunth - Institut d'Astrophysique de ParisPeter Laursen - University of CopenhagenJens Melinder - Stockholm UniversityIvana Orlitova - University of GenevaHector Oti-Floranes - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoAndreas Sandberg - Stockholm University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.765(2), pp.1-6
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1088/2041-8205/765/2/L27
- ISSN
- 2041-8205
- eISSN
- 2041-8213
- Number of pages
- 6
- Grant note
- ANR-09-BLAN-0234-01 / Agence Nationale de la recherche; Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) 129204 / CONACYT; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) CSD2006-00070; AYA2010-21887-C04- 02; AYA2011-24780/ESP / Spanish MICINN; Spanish Government BES-2006-13489 / Spanish FPI; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia NAS 5-26555 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation; Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation Boursiere d'excellence de l'Universite de Geneve Sciex fellowship Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES); Centre National D'etudes Spatiales Swedish Research Council (VR); Swedish Research Council Programme National de Cosmologie et Galaxies (PNCG)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/10/2013
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984627210902771
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