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Title: A Survey of Lyα Emission around Damped Lyα Absorbers at z ≈ 2 with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager
Abstract We present Keck Cosmic Web Imager Lyαintegral field spectroscopy of the fields surrounding 14 damped Lyαabsorbers (DLAs) atz≈ 2. Of these 14 DLAs, nine have high metallicities ([M/H] > − 0.3), and four of those nine feature a CO-emitting galaxy at an impact parameter ≲30 kpc. Our search reaches median Lyαline flux sensitivities of ∼2 × 10−17erg s−1cm−2over apertures of ∼6 kpc and out to impact parameters of ∼50 kpc. We recover the Lyαflux of three known Lyα-emitting Hi-selected galaxies in our sample. In addition, we find two Lyαemitters at impact parameters of ≈50–70 kpc from the high-metallicity DLA atz≈ 1.96 toward QSO B0551-366. This field also contains a massive CO-emitting galaxy at an impact parameter of ≈15 kpc. Apart from the field with QSO B0551-366, we do not detect significant Lyαemission in any of the remaining eight high-metallicity DLA fields. Considering the depth of our observations and our ability to recover previously known Lyαemitters, we conclude that Hi-selected galaxies associated with high-metallicity DLAs atz≈ 2 are dusty and therefore might feature low Lyαescape fractions. Our results indicate that complementary approaches—using Lyα, CO, Hα, and [Cii] 158μm emission—are necessary to identify the wide range of galaxy types associated withz≈ 2 DLAs.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2107989 2107990 2107991 2534994
PAR ID:
10530594
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
The Astrophysical Journal
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
962
Issue:
1
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
72
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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