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Title: Stellar Populations of Lyα-emitting Galaxies in the HETDEX Survey. I. An Analysis of LAEs in the GOODS-N Field
Abstract We present the results of a stellar population analysis of 72 Ly α -emitting galaxies (LAEs) in GOODS-N at 1.9 < z < 3.5 spectroscopically identified by the Hobby−Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). We provide a method for connecting emission-line detections from the blind spectroscopic survey to imaging counterparts, a crucial tool needed as HETDEX builds a massive database of ∼1 million Ly α detections. Using photometric data spanning as many as 11 filters covering 0.4 < λ ( μ m) < 4.5 from the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope, we study the objects’ global properties and explore which properties impact the strength of Ly α emission. We measure a median stellar mass of 0.8 − 0.5 + 2.9 × 10 9 M ⊙ and conclude that the physical properties of HETDEX spectroscopically selected LAEs are comparable to LAEs selected by previous deep narrowband studies. We find that stellar mass and star formation rate correlate strongly with the Ly α equivalent width. We then use a known sample of z > 7 LAEs to perform a protostudy of predicting Ly α emission from galaxies in the epoch of reionization, finding agreement at the 1 σ level between prediction and observation for the majority of strong emitters.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1908817
PAR ID:
10454761
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
936
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
131
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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