Large Area Lyman Alpha Research Articles

Lyα luminosity functions at redshift z ≈ 4.5

We present a spectroscopically confirmed sample of Lyman alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z ~ 4.5 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS), which we combine with a sample of z ~ 4.5 LAEs from the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey to build a unified Lya luminosity function (LF). We spectroscopically observed 64 candidate LAEs in the ECDFS, confirming 46 objects as z~4.5 LAEs. We did not detect significant flux from neither C_iv 1549\AA\ nor the He_ii 1640\AA\ emission in individual LAE spectra, even with a coadded spectrum. With the coadded line ratio of He_ii to Lya constraining the Population III star formation rate (SFR) to be <0.3% of the total SFR, and <1.25% of the observed SFR (both at the 2-$\sigma$ level). Only one LAE was detected in both the X-ray and radio, while the other objects remained undetected, even when stacked. The Lya LF in our two deepest narrowband filters in the ECDFS differ at >2$\sigma$ significance, and the product $L^*\Phi^*$ differs by a factor of >3. Similar LF differences have been used to infer evolution in the neutral gas fraction in the intergalactic medium at z>6, yet here the difference is likely due to cosmic variance, given that the two samples are from adjoining line-of-sight volumes. Combining our new sample of LAEs with those from previous LALA narrowband surveys at z = 4.5, we obtain one of the best measured Lya LFs to date of L* = 42.83 $\pm$ 0.06 and $\Phi^*$ = -3.48 $\pm$ 0.09. We compare our new LF to others from the literature to study the evolution of the Lya luminosity density at 0 < z < 7. We find tentative evidence for evolution in the product $L^* \Phi^*$, which approximately tracks the cosmic SFR density, but since field-to-field and survey-to-survey variations are in some cases as large as the possible evolution, some caution is needed in interpreting this trend.

Lyα-EMITTING GALAXIES AT REDSHIFTz∼ 4.5 IN THE LALA CETUS FIELD

We present a large sample of Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) spectroscopically confirmed at redshift z ≈ 4.5, based on Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph spectroscopic observations of candidate z≈ 4.5 Lyα-emitting galaxies in the large area Lyman alpha (LALA) narrowband imaging survey Cetus field. We identify 110 of them as z ≈ 4.5 Lyα emitters based on single-line detections with no continuum emission blueward of the line. Six foreground galaxies are identified, either based on multiple lines or blueward continuum emission. The Lyα confirmation rate varies from <50% to 76% for candidates selected in different narrowband filters at slightly different redshifts. We find a drop in the LAE density at redshift 4.50 ± 0.03 from redshift 4.39 to 4.47 by a factor of 66%, which could be a large-scale void in the distribution of star-forming galaxies (~18 Mpc along the line of sight and ~80 Mpc across). The sample includes many objects with equivalent widths (EWs) 200 A. These large EW candidates are spectroscopically confirmed at the same rate as candidates with more modest EWs. A composite spectrum of all 110 confirmed LAEs shows the characteristic asymmetry of the Lyα line. It also places new and stringent upper limits on the C IV 1549 A/Lyα and He II 1640 A/Lyα line ratios, providing a new upper limit on the fraction of active galactic nuclei in Lyα selected galaxy samples, and on the contribution of Pop III populations. Finally, we calculate the Lyα luminosity function for our z ≈ 4.5 sample, which is consistent with those at other redshifts, showing that there is no evolution in Lyα luminosity function from z = 3.1 to 6.6.

ChandraX‐Ray Sources in the LALA Cetus Field

The 174 ks Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer exposure of the Large Area Lyman Alpha Survey (LALA) Cetus field is the second of the two deep Chandra images on LALA fields. In this paper we present the Chandra X-ray sources detected in the Cetus field, along with an analysis of X-ray source counts, stacked X-ray spectrum, and optical identifications. A total of 188 X-ray sources were detected: 174 in the 0.5-7.0 keV band, 154 in the 0.5-2.0 keV band, and 113 in the 2.0-7.0 keV band. The X-ray source counts were derived and compared with LALA field (172 ks exposure). Interestingly, we find consistent hard-band X-ray source density, but (36 ± 12)% higher soft-band X-ray source density in Cetus field. The weighted stacked spectrum of the detected X-ray sources can be fitted by a power law with photon index Γ = 1.55. Based on the weighted stacked spectrum, we find that the resolved fraction of the X-ray background drops from (72 ± 1)% at 0.5-1.0 keV to (63 ± 4)% at 6.0-8.0 keV. The unresolved spectrum can be fitted by a power law over the range 0.5-7 keV, with a photon index Γ = 1.22. We also present optical counterparts for 154 of the X-ray sources, down to a limiting magnitude of r' = 25.9 (Vega), using a deep r'-band image obtained with the MMT.

Clustering of Lyα Emitters atz≈ 4.5

We present the clustering properties of 151 Lyα-emitting galaxies at z ≈ 4.5 selected from the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey. Our catalog covers an area of 36' × 36' observed with five narrowband filters. We assume that the angular correlation function w(θ) is well represented by a power law Awθ-β with slope β = 0.8, and we find Aw = 6.73 ± 1.80. We then calculate the correlation length r0 of the real-space two-point correlation function ξ(r) = (r/r0)-1.8 from Aw through the Limber transformation, assuming a flat, Λ-dominated universe. Neglecting contamination, we find r0 = 3.20 ± 0.42 h-1 Mpc. Taking into account a possible 28% contamination by randomly distributed sources, we find r0 = 4.61 ± 0.6 h-1 Mpc. We compare these results with the expectations for the clustering of dark matter halos at this redshift in a cold dark matter model, and find that the measured clustering strength can be reproduced if these objects reside in halos with a minimum mass of (1-2) × 1011 h-1 M☉. Our estimated correlation length implies a bias of b ~ 3.7, similar to that of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 3.8-4.9. However, Lyα emitters are a factor of ~2-16 rarer than LBGs with a similar bias value and implied host halo mass. Therefore, one plausible scenario seems to be that Lyα emitters occupy host halos of roughly the same mass as LBGs, but shine with a relatively low duty cycle of 6%-50%.

The Ages and Masses of Lyα Galaxies atz∼ 4.5

We examine the stellar populations of a sample of 98 redshift 4.5 Lyman alpha emitting galaxies using their broadband colors derived from deep photometry at the MMT. These galaxies were selected by narrowband excess from the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. Twenty-two galaxies are detected in two or more of our MMT filters (g', r', i' and z'). By comparing broad and narrowband colors of these galaxies to synthetic colors from stellar population models, we determine their ages and stellar masses. The highest equivalent width objects have an average age of 4 Myr, consistent with ongoing star formation. The lowest EW objects show an age of 40 - 200 Myr, consistent with the expectation that larger numbers of stars are causing low EWs. We found masses ranging from 2e7 solar masses for the youngest objects in the sample to 2e9 solar masses for the oldest. It is possible that dust effects could produce large equivalent widths even in older populations by allowing the Lyman alpha photons to escape, even while the continuum is extinguished, and we present models for this scenario also.

Spectroscopic Properties of thez≈ 4.5 Lyα Emitters

We present Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer optical spectra of 17 Lyα-emitting galaxies and one Lyman break galaxy at z ≈ 4.5 discovered in the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. The survey has identified a sample of ~350 candidate Lyα-emitting galaxies at z ≈ 4.5 in a search volume of 1.5 × 106 comoving Mpc3. We targeted 25 candidates for spectroscopy; hence, the 18 confirmations presented herein suggest a selection reliability of 72%. The large equivalent widths (median W ≈ 80 A) but narrow physical widths (Δv 240 A, exceeding the maximum Lyα equivalent width predicted for normal stellar populations. Nonetheless, we find no evidence for He II λ1640 emission in either individual or composite spectra, indicating that although these galaxies are young, they are not truly primitive, Population III objects.

A Luminous Lyα‐emitting Galaxy at Redshiftz= 6.535: Discovery and Spectroscopic Confirmation

We present a redshift z = 6.535 galaxy discovered by its Lyα emission in a 9180 Å narrowband image from the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. The Lyα line luminosity (1.1 × 1043 ergs s-1) is among the largest known for star-forming galaxies at z ≈ 6.5. The line shows the distinct asymmetry that is characteristic of high-redshift Lyα. The 2 σ lower bound on the observer-frame equivalent width is greater than 530 Å. This is hard to reconcile with a neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) unless the Lyα line is intrinsically strong and is emitted from its host galaxy with an intrinsic Doppler shift of several hundred km s-1. If the IGM is ionized, it corresponds to a rest-frame equivalent width greater than 40 Å after correcting for Lyα forest absorption. We also present a complete spectroscopic follow-up of the remaining candidates with line flux greater than 2 × 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1 in our 1200 arcmin2 narrowband image. These include another galaxy with a strong emission line at 9136 Å and no detected continuum flux, which, however, is most likely an [O III] λ5007 source at z = 0.824, on the basis of a weak detection of the [O III] λ4959 line.

A Lyman αemitter atz= 6.5 found with slitless spectroscopy

We report the discovery of a Lyman α emitting galaxy at z = 6.518. The single line was found in the 43 arcmin 2 VLT/FORS field by slitless spectroscopy limited to the atmospheric window at λ ∼ 9100 A (sampling Lyα at 6.4 80 A. The lower limit to the star formation rate density at z = 6.5 derived from our complete sample is 5 × 10 −4 Myr −1 Mpc −3 , consistent with measurements in the Subaru Deep Field and Hubble Ultra Deep Field but approximately ten times higher than in the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. This Lyα emitter is among the very small sample of highest redshift galaxies known.

X-Ray Nondetection of the Lyα Emitters at z ~ 4.5

The Lyα emitters found at z ~ 4.5 by the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey have high equivalent widths in the Lyα line, which can be produced by either narrow-lined active galactic nuclei (AGNs) or by stellar populations with a very high proportion of young, massive stars. To investigate the AGN scenario, we obtained two deep Chandra exposures to study the X-ray nature of the Lyα emitters. The 172 ks deep Chandra image on the LALA Bootes field was presented in a previous paper, and in this Letter we present a new Chandra deep exposure (174 ks) on the LALA Cetus field, which doubled our sample of X-ray-imaged Lyα sources and imaged the brightest source among our Lyα emitters. None of the 101 Lyα sources covered by two Chandra exposures were detected individually in X-rays, with a 3 σ limiting X-ray flux of F0.5-10.0 keV < 3.3 × 10-16 ergs cm-2 s-1 for on-axis targets. The sources remain undetectable in the stacked image, implying a 3 σ limit to the average luminosity of L2-8 keV < 2.8 × 1042 ergs s-1. The resulting X-ray to Lyα ratio is greater than 21 times lower than the ratios for known high-redshift type II quasars. Together with optical spectra obtained at Keck, we conclude that no evidence of AGN activity was found among our Lyα emitters at z ~ 4.5.

The 172 ksChandraExposure of the LALA Bootes Field: X-Ray Source Catalog

We present an analysis of a deep, 172 ks Chandra observation of the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey (LALA) Bootes field, obtained with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-I) on board the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This is one of the deepest Chandra images of the extragalactic sky; only the 2 Ms Chandra Deep Field North (CDF-N) and 1 Ms Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) are substantially deeper. In this paper we present the X-ray source catalog obtained from this image, along with an analysis of source counts and optical identifications. The X-ray image is composed of two individual observations obtained in 2002 and reaches 0.5–2.0 and 2.0–10.0 keV flux limits of 1.5 × 10-16 and 1.0 × 10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1, respectively, for point sources near the aim point. A total of 168 X-ray sources were detected: 160 in the 0.5–7.0 keV band, 132 in the 0.5–2.0 keV band, and 111 in the 2.0–7.0 keV band. The X-ray source counts were derived and compared with those from other Chandra deep surveys; the hard X-ray source density of the LALA Bootes field is 33% higher than that of CDF-S at the flux level of 2.0 × 10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1, confirming the field-to-field variances of the hard-band source counts reported by previous studies. The deep exposure resolves 72% of the 2.0–10.0 keV X-ray background. Our primary optical data are R-band imaging from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS), with a limiting magnitude of R = 25.7 (Vega, 3 σ, and 4'' diameter aperture). We have found optical counterparts for 152 of the 168 Chandra sources (90%); 144 of these are detected in the R-band image, and eight have optical counterparts in other bands (either BW, V, I, or z'). Among the R-band nondetected sources, not more than 11 of them can possibly be at z > 5, based on the hardness ratios of their X-ray emission and nondetections in bluer bands (BW, V). The majority (~76%) of the X-ray sources are found to have log(fX/fR) within 0.0 ± 1; these are believed to be AGNs. Most of the X-ray–faint/optically bright sources [log(fX/fR) 1.0], which are harder in X-ray and are probably obscured AGNs.

Spectroscopic Confirmation of Three Redshift [CLC][ITAL]z[/ITAL][/CLC] ≈ 5.7 L[CLC]y[/CLC]α Emitters from the Large-Area Lyman Alpha Survey

Narrowband searches for Lyα emission are an efficient way of identifying star-forming galaxies at high redshifts. We present Keck Telescope spectra confirming redshifts z ≈ 5.7 for three objects discovered in the Large-Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey at Kitt Peak National Observatory. All three spectra show strong, narrow emission lines with the asymmetric profile that is characteristically produced in high-redshift Lyα emitters by preferential H I absorption in the blue wing of the line. These objects are undetected in deep BW, V, R, and λ ≈ 6600 A narrowband images from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey and from LALA, as expected from Lyman break and Lyα forest absorption at redshift z ≈ 5.7. All three objects show large equivalent widths (150 A in the rest frame), suggesting at least one of the following: a top-heavy initial mass function, very low stellar metallicity, or the presence of an active nucleus. We consider the case for an active nucleus to be weak in all three objects due to the limited width of the Lyα emission line (less than 500 km s-1) and the absence of any other indicator of quasar activity. The three confirmed high-redshift objects were among four spectroscopically observed targets drawn from the sample of 18 candidates presented by Rhoads & Malhotra. Thus, these spectra support the Lyα emitter population statistics from our earlier photometric study, which imply little evolution in number density from z = 5.7 to 4.5 and provide strong evidence that the reionization redshift is zr > 5.7.

No X-Ray–bright Type II Quasars among the L[CLC]y[/CLC]α Emitters

The Lyα emitters found at z = 4.5 and 5.7 by the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey have high equivalent widths in the Lyα line. Such lines can be produced by narrow-lined active galactic nuclei or by stellar populations with a very high proportion of young massive stars. To check for type II (i.e., narrow-lined) quasars, we obtained a deep X-ray image of 49 Lyα sources in a single field of the ACIS instrument on the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. None of these sources was detected with a 3 σ limiting X-ray luminosity of 2.9 × 1043 ergs s-1. For comparison, the two known high-redshift type II quasars have luminosities of 4 × 1043 ergs s-1 before extinction correction. The sources remain undetected in stacked images of the 49 Lyα sources (with 6.5 Ms effective Chandra on-axis exposure) at 3 σ limits of 4.9 × 1042. The resulting X-ray-to-Lyα ratio is about 4-24 times lower than the ratio for known type II quasars, while the average Lyα luminosity of the LALA sample is between the two type II's. The cumulative X-ray-to-Lyα ratio limit is also below that of 90% of low-redshift Seyfert galaxies.

Large Equivalent Width L[CLC]y[/CLC]α line Emission at [FORMULA][F]z=4.5[/F][/FORMULA]: Young Galaxies in a Young Universe?

The Large Area Lyman Alpha survey has found ≈150 Lyα emitters at z = 4.5. While stellar models predict a maximum Lyα equivalent width (EW) of 240 A, 60% of the Lyα emitters have EWs exceeding this value. We attempt to model the observed EW distribution by combining stellar population models with an extrapolation of a Lyman break galaxy luminosity function at z = 4, incorporating observational selection effects and Malmquist bias. To reproduce the high EWs seen in the sample, we need to postulate a stellar initial mass function with an extreme slope of α = 0.5 (instead of 2.35), zero-metallicity stars, or narrow-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Not all the high-EW sources can be AGNs without exceeding the X-ray background or postulating a very steep redshift evolution. Only 7.5%-15% of galaxies need to show Lyα emission to explain the observed number counts. This raises the possibility either that star formation in high-redshift galaxies is episodic or that the Lyα galaxies we are seeing are the youngest 7.5%-15% and that Lyα is strongly quenched by dust at about 107 yr of age.

L[CLC]y[/CLC]α Emitters at Redshift [CLC][ITAL]z[/ITAL][/CLC] = 5.7

Lyman alpha galaxies at high redshifts offer a powerful probe of both the formation of galaxies and the reionization of the intergalactic medium. Lyman alpha line emission is an efficient tool for identifying young galaxies at high redshift, because it is strong in systems with young stars and little or no dust-- properties expected in galaxies undergoing their first burst of star-formation. Lyman alpha galaxies also provide a robust test of the reionization epoch that is independent of Gunn-Peterson trough observations in quasar spectra and is better able to distinguish line center optical depths tau=5 from tau=10^5. This is because neutral gas scatters Lyman alpha photons, dramatically ``blurring'' images of Lyman alpha galaxies embedded in a neutral intergalactic medium and rendering them undetectable. We present a photometrically selected sample of z=5.7 Lyman alpha emitters derived from the Large Area Lyman Alpha survey. The presence of these low-luminosity Lyman alpha sources at z=5.7 immediately implies that the reionization redshift was > 5.7. Comparing these objects to our earlier z=4.5 sample, we find that the number of z=5.7 emitters at fixed line luminosity marginally exceeds the no-evolution expectation, but falls well short of published model predictions. The equivalent width distribution is similar at the two redshifts. The large equivalent widths of the Lyman alpha line indicate young galaxies undergoing their first star formation.

First Results from the Large-Area Lyman Alpha Survey

We report on a new survey for z ≈ 4.5 Lyα sources, the Large-Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey. Our survey achieves an unprecedented combination of volume and sensitivity by using narrowband filters on the new 81922 pixel CCD Mosaic camera at the 4 m Mayall telescope of Kitt Peak National Observatory. Well-detected sources with flux and equivalent width matching previously known high-redshift Lyα galaxies (i.e., observed equivalent width EW > 80 Å; 2.6 × 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1 < line + continuum flux < 5.2 × 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1, and a small uncertainty on the equivalent width, δEW < EW/4) have an observed surface density corresponding to 11,000 ± 700 deg-2 per unit redshift at z = 4.5. Variations in this surface density are apparent on comparison between counts in 6561 ± 40 and 6730 ± 40 Å filters. Early spectroscopic followup results from the Keck telescope included three sources meeting our criteria for good Lyα candidates. Of these, one is confirmed as a z = 4.52 source, another remains consistent with either z = 4.55 or z = 0.81, and the third is an [O III] λ5007 emitter at z = 0.34. These pilot spectroscopic results suggest that approximately one-third of our good candidates are bona fide Lyα emitters, implying a net density of ~4000 Lyα emitters per square degree per unit redshift.