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Abstract JWST observations have recently begun delivering the first samples of Lyαvelocity profile measurements atz> 6, opening a new window into the reionization process. Interpretation ofz≳ 6 line profiles is currently stunted by limitations in our knowledge of the intrinsic Lyαprofile (before encountering the intergalactic medium (IGM)) of the galaxies that are common atz≳ 6. To overcome this shortcoming, we have obtained resolved (R∼ 3900) Lyαspectroscopy of 42 galaxies atz= 2.1–3.4 with similar properties as are seen atz> 6. We quantify a variety of Lyαprofile statistics as a function of [Oiii]+Hβequivalent width (EW). Our spectra reveal a new population ofz≃ 2–3 galaxies with large [Oiii]+HβEWs (>1200 Å) and a large fraction of Lyαflux emerging near the systemic redshift (peak velocity ≃0 km s−1). These spectra indicate that low-density neutral hydrogen channels are able to form in a subset of low-mass galaxies (≲1 × 108M⊙) that experience a burst of star formation (sSFR > 100 Gyr−1). Other extreme [Oiii] emitters show weaker Lyαthat is shifted to higher velocities (≃240 km s−1) with little emission near the line center. We investigate the impact the IGM is likely to have on these intrinsic line profiles in the reionization era, finding that the centrally peaked Lyαemitters should be strongly attenuated atz≳ 5. We show that these line profiles are particularly sensitive to the impact of resonant scattering from infalling IGM and can be strongly attenuated even when the IGM is highly ionized atz≃ 5. We compare these expectations against a new database ofz≳ 6.5 galaxies with robust velocity profiles measured with JWST/NIRSpec.
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Lyα emission in galaxies at z ≃ 5−6: new insight from JWST into the statistical distributions of Lyα properties at the end of reionization
ABSTRACT JWST has recently sparked a new era of Lyα spectroscopy, delivering the first measurements of the Lyα escape fraction and velocity profile in typical galaxies at z ≃ 6−10. These observations offer new prospects for insight into the earliest stages of reionization. But to realize this potential, we need robust models of Lyα properties in galaxies at z ≃ 5−6 when the IGM is mostly ionized. Here, we use new JWST observations from the JADES and FRESCO surveys combined with VLT/MUSE and Keck/DEIMOS data to characterize statistical distributions of Lyα velocity offsets, escape fractions, and EWs in z ≃ 5−6 galaxies. We find that galaxies with large Lyα escape fractions (>0.2) are common at z ≃ 5−6, comprising 30 per cent of Lyman break selected samples. Comparing to literature studies, our census suggests that Lyα becomes more prevalent in the galaxy population towards higher redshift from z ∼ 3 to z ∼ 6, although we find that this evolution slows considerably between z ∼ 5 and z ∼ 6, consistent with modest attenuation from residual H i in the mostly ionized IGM at z ≃ 5−6. We find significant evolution in Lyα velocity profiles between z ≃ 2−3 and z ≃ 5−6, likely reflecting the influence of resonant scattering from residual intergalactic H i on the escape of Lyα emission near line centre. This effect will make it challenging to use Lyα peak offsets as a probe of Lyman continuum leakage at z ≃ 5−6. We use our z ≃ 5−6 Lyα distributions to make predictions for typical Lyα properties at z ≳ 8 and discuss implications of a recently discovered Lyα emitter at z ≃ 8.5 with a small peak velocity offset (156 km s−1).
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- Award ID(s):
- 2109066
- PAR ID:
- 10511880
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 531
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 2701-2730
- Size(s):
- p. 2701-2730
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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