Abstract
We present six strongly gravitationally lensed Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 4–5 with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrowband imaging isolating Lyα. Through complex radiative transfer Lyα encodes information about the spatial distribution and kinematics of the neutral hydrogen upon which it scatters. We investigate the galaxy properties and Lyα morphologies of our sample. Many previous studies of high-redshift LAEs have been limited in Lyα spatial resolution. In this work we take advantage of high-resolution Lyα imaging boosted by lensing magnification, allowing us to probe subgalactic scales that are otherwise inaccessible at these redshifts. We use broadband imaging from HST (rest-frame UV) and Spitzer (rest-frame optical) in spectral energy distribution fitting, providing estimates of the stellar masses (∼108–109 M ⊙), stellar population ages (t 50 < 40 Myr), and amounts of dust (A V ∼ 0.1–0.6, statistically consistent with zero). We employ nonparametric star formation histories to probe the young stellar populations which create the Lyα. We also examine the offsets between the Lyα and stellar continuum, finding small upper limits of offsets (<0.″1) consistent with studies of low-redshift LAEs, indicating our galaxies are not interacting or merging. Finally, we find a bimodality in our sample’s Lyα morphologies: clumpy and extended. We find a suggestive trend: our LAEs with clumpy Lyα are generally younger than the LAEs with extended Lyα, suggesting a possible correlation with age.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.