Lyman Limit Research Articles

Lyman Limit System with O vi in the Circumgalactic Environment of a Pair of Galaxies

We report on the analysis of a multiphase Lyman limit system (LLS) at z = 0.39047 identified toward the background quasar FBQS J0209–0438. The O VI doublet lines associated with this absorber have a different profile from the low-ionization metals and H i. Ly α has a very broad H i (b ≈ 150 km s−1) component well-aligned with one of the O VI components. The Doppler b-parameters for the broad H i and O VI indicate gas with T = (0.8 − 2.0) × 106 K and a total hydrogen column density that is an order of magnitude larger than the cooler phase of gas responsible for the LLS. Observations by the Very Large Telescope MUSE show two moderately star-forming galaxies within ρ ≲ 105 kpc and ∣Δv∣ ≲ 130 km s−1 of the absorber, one of them a dwarf galaxy (M * ≈ 106 M ⊙) overlapping with the quasar point-spread function, and the other a larger galaxy (R 1/2 ≈ 4 kpc) with M * ≈ 3 × 1010 M ⊙ and M h ≈ 7 × 1011 M ⊙, and the dwarf galaxy within its virial radius. Although the absorption is aligned with the extended major axis of the larger galaxy, the line-of-sight velocity of the absorbing gas is inconsistent with corotating accretion. The metallicity inferred for the LLS is lower than the gas phase [O/H] of the two galaxies. The mixture of cool and warm/hot gas phases for the absorbing gas and its proximity and orientation to the galaxy pair points to the LLS being a high-velocity gas in the combined halo environment of both galaxies.

High redshift LBGs from deep broadband imaging for future spectroscopic surveys

Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) are promising probes for clustering measurements at high redshift, z > 2, a region only covered so far by Lyman-α forest measurements. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of selecting LBGs by exploiting the existence of a strong deficit of flux shortward of the Lyman limit, due to various absorption processes along the line of sight. The target selection relies on deep imaging data from the HSC and CLAUDS surveys in the g, r, z and u bands, respectively, with median depths reaching 27 AB in all bands. The selections were validated by several dedicated spectroscopic observation campaigns with DESI. Visual inspection of spectra has enabled us to develop an automated spectroscopic typing and redshift estimation algorithm specific to LBGs. Based on these data and tools, we assess the efficiency and purity of target selections optimised for different purposes. Selections providing a wide redshift coverage retain 57% of the observed targets after spectroscopic confirmation with DESI, and provide an efficiency for LBGs of 83±3%, for a purity of the selected LBG sample of 90±2%. This would deliver a confirmed LBG density of ~ 620 deg-2 in the range 2.3 < z < 3.5 for a r-band limiting magnitude r < 24.2. Selections optimised for high redshift efficiency retain 73% of the observed targets after spectroscopic confirmation, with 89±4% efficiency for 97±2% purity. This would provide a confirmed LBG density of ~ 470 deg-2 in the range 2.8 < z < 3.5 for a r-band limiting magnitude r < 24.5. A preliminary study of the LBG sample 3d-clustering properties is also presented and used to estimate the LBG linear bias. A value of b LBG = 3.3 ± 0.2 (stat.) is obtained for a mean redshift of 2.9 and a limiting magnitude in r of 24.2, in agreement with results reported in the literature.

Helium reionization from empirical quasar luminosity functions before and after JWST

ABSTRACT Recently, models of the quasar luminosity function (QLF) rooted on large observational compilations have been produced that, unlike their predecessors, feature a smooth evolution with time. This bypasses the need to assume an ionizing emissivity evolution when simulating helium reionization with observations-based QLF, thus yielding more robust constraints. We combine one such QLF with a cosmological hydrodynamical simulation and 3D multifrequency radiative transfer. The simulated reionization history is consistently delayed in comparison to most other models in the literature. The predicted intergalactic medium temperature is larger than the observed one at $z \lesssim 3$. Through forward modelling of the He ii Lyman $\alpha$ forest, we show that our model produces an extended helium reionization and successfully matches the bulk of the observed effective optical depth distribution, although it overionizes the Universe at $z\lesssim 2.8$ as the effect of small-scale Lyman Limit Systems not being resolved. We thoroughly characterize transmission regions and dark gaps in He ii Lyman $\alpha$ forest sightlines. We quantify their sensitivity to the helium reionization, opening a new avenue for further observational studies of this epoch. Finally, we explore the implications for helium reionization of the large number of active galactic nuclei revealed at $z\gtrsim 5$ by JWST. We find that such modifications do not affect any observable at $z\le 4$, except in our most extreme model, indicating that the observed abundance of high-z AGNs does not bear consequences for helium reionization.

Impact of Helium ii Resonant Absorption on the Ultraviolet Background Modeled in Three Dimensions

We implement a treatment of helium ii absorption and reemission into the Technicolor Dawn cosmological simulations to study its impact on the metagalactic ultraviolet background (UVB) in three dimensions. By comparing simulations with and without He ii reprocessing, we show that it weakens the mean UVB by ∼3 dex from z = 10–5 between 3.5 and 4 Ryd, where the He ii Lyman series resonance occurs. In overdense regions, the overall UVB amplitude is higher, and the impact of He ii reprocessing is weaker, qualitatively indicating an early start to He ii reionization near galaxies. Comparing our simulations to two popular one-dimensional UV models, we find good agreement up to 3 Ryd at z = 5. At higher energies, our simulation shows significantly greater He ii absorption because it accounts for He ii arising both in diffuse regions and in Lyman limit systems. By contrast, the comparison models account only for He ii in Lyman limit systems, which are subdominant prior to the completion of He ii reionization. The H i and He ii reionization histories are nearly unaffected by He ii reprocessing, although the cosmic star formation rate density is altered by up to 4%. The cosmic mass density of C iv is reduced by ∼2 dex when He ii is accounted for, while Si iv, C ii, Mg ii, Si ii, and O i are unaffected.

GHOST commissioning science results III: Characterizing an iron-poor damped Lyman α system

Abstract The Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) is a new echelle spectrograph available on the Gemini-South telescope as of Semester 2024A. We present the first high resolution spectrum of the quasar J1449−1227 (redshift zem = 3.27) using data taken during the commissioning of GHOST. The observed quasar hosts an intervening iron-poor ([Fe/H] =−2.5) damped Lyman α (DLA) system at redshift z = 2.904. Taking advantage of the high spectral resolving power of GHOST (R ≈ 55000), we are able to accurately model the metal absorption lines of the metal-poor DLA and find a supersolar [Si/Fe], suggesting the DLA gas is in an early stage of chemical enrichment. Using simple ionization models, we find that the large range in the C iv/Si iv column density ratio of individual components within the DLA’s high ionization absorption profile can be reproduced by several metal-poor Lyman limit systems surrounding the low-ionization gas of the DLA. It is possible that this metal-poor DLA resides within a complex system of metal-poor galaxies or filaments with inflowing gas. The high spectral resolution, wavelength coverage and sensitivity of GHOST makes it an ideal spectrograph for characterizing the chemistry and kinematics of quasar absorption lines.

Quasar Island – three new z ∼ 6 quasars, including a lensed candidate, identified with contrastive learning

ABSTRACT Of the hundreds of z ≳ 6 quasars discovered to date, only one is known to be gravitationally lensed, despite the high lensing optical depth expected at z ≳ 6. High-redshift quasars are typically identified in large-scale surveys by applying strict photometric selection criteria, in particular by imposing non-detections in bands blueward of the Lyman-α line. Such procedures by design prohibit the discovery of lensed quasars, as the lensing foreground galaxy would contaminate the photometry of the quasar. We present a novel quasar selection methodology, applying contrastive learning (an unsupervised machine learning technique) to Dark Energy Survey imaging data. We describe the use of this technique to train a neural network which isolates an ‘island’ of 11 sources, of which seven are known z ∼ 6 quasars. Of the remaining four, three are newly discovered quasars (J0109−5424, z = 6.07; J0122−4609, z = 5.99; J0603−3923, z = 5.94), as confirmed by follow-up and archival spectroscopy, implying a 91 per cent efficiency for our novel selection method; the final object on the island is a brown dwarf. In one case (J0109−5424), emission below the Lyman limit unambiguously indicates the presence of a foreground source, though high-resolution optical/near-infrared imaging is still needed to confirm the quasar’s lensed (multiply imaged) nature. Detection in the g band has led this quasar to escape selection by traditional colour cuts. Our findings demonstrate that machine learning techniques can thus play a key role in unveiling populations of quasars missed by traditional methods.

Cosmic Reionization on Computers: Statistics, Physical Properties, and Environments of Lyman Limit Systems at z ∼ 6

Lyman limit systems (LLSs) are dense hydrogen clouds with high enough H i column densities to absorb Lyman continuum photons emitted from distant quasars. Their high column densities imply an origin in dense environments; however, the statistics and distribution of LLSs at high redshifts still remain uncertain. In this paper, we use self-consistent radiative transfer cosmological simulations from the Cosmic Reionization on Computers (CROC) project to study the physical properties of LLSs at the tail end of cosmic reionization at z ∼ 6. We generate 3000 synthetic quasar sight lines to obtain a large number of LLS samples in the simulations. In addition, with the high physical fidelity and resolution of CROC, we are able to quantify the association between these LLS samples and nearby galaxies. Our results show that the fraction of LLSs spatially associated with nearby galaxies increases with H i column density. Moreover, we find that LLSs that are not near any galaxy typically reside in filamentary structures connecting neighboring galaxies in the intergalactic medium (IGM). This quantification of the distribution and association of LLSs to large-scale structure informs our understanding of the IGM–galaxy connection during the “Epoch of Reionization,” and provides a theoretical basis for interpreting future observations.

A halo model for cosmological Lyman-limit systems

ABSTRACT We present an analytical model for cosmological Lyman-limit systems (lls) that successfully reproduces the observed evolution of the mean free path (λeff) of ionizing photons. The evolution of the co-moving mean free path is predominantly a consequence of the changing meta galactic photoionization rate and the increase with cosmic time of the minimum mass below which haloes lose their gas due to photoheating. In the model, Lyman-limit absorption is caused by highly ionized gas in the outskirt of dark matter haloes. We exploit the association with haloes to compute statistical properties of λeff and of the bias, b, of lls. The latter increases from b ∼ 1.5 → 2.6 from redshifts z = 2 → 6. Combined with the rapid increase with redshift of the bias of the haloes that host a quasar, the model predicts a rapid drop in the value of λeff when measured in quasar spectra from z = 5 → 6, whereas the actual value of λeff falls more smoothly. We derive an expression for the effective optical depth due to Lyman limit absorption as a function of wavelength and show that it depends sensitively on the poorly constrained number density of lls as a function of column density. The optical depth drops below unity for all wavelengths below a redshift of ∼2.5 which is therefore the epoch when the Universe first became transparent to ionizing photons.

Exploring the evolution of dust temperature using spectral energy distribution fitting in a large photometric survey

ABSTRACT Panchromatic analysis of galaxy spectral energy distributions, spanning from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared, probes not only the stellar population but also the properties of interstellar dust through its extinction and long-wavelength re-emission. However, little work has exploited the full power of such fitting to constrain the redshift evolution of dust temperature in galaxies. To do so, we simultaneously fit ultraviolet, optical, and infrared observations of stacked galaxy subsamples at a range of stellar masses and photometric redshifts at 0 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 5, using an energy-balance formalism. However, we find UV-emission beyond the Lyman limit in some photometric redshift selected galaxy subsamples, giving rise to the possibility of contaminated observations. We carefully define a robust clean subsample which extends to no further than z ∼ 2. This has consistently lower derived temperatures by $4.0^{+5.0}_{-1.9}$ K, relative to the full sample. We find a linear increase in dust temperature with redshift, with Td (z) = (4.8 ± 1.5) × z + (26.2 ± 1.5) K. Our inferred temperature evolution is consistent with a modest rise in dust temperature with redshift, but inconsistent with some previous analyses. We also find a majority of photometrically selected subsamples at z &amp;gt; 4.5 underpredict the IR emission while giving reasonable fits to the UV-optical. This could be due to a spatial disconnect in the locations of the UV and IR emission peaks, suggesting that an energy-balance formalism may not always be applicable in the distant Universe.

Quasars as standard candles

Context. A non-linear relation between quasar monochromatic luminosities at 2500 Å and 2 keV holds at all observed redshifts and luminosities, and it has been used to derive quasar distances and to build a Hubble diagram of quasars. The choice of the X-ray and UV indicators has so far been somewhat arbitrary and has typically relied on photometric data. Aims. We aim to determine the X-ray and UV proxies that provide the smallest dispersion of the relation in order to obtain more precise distance estimates and to confirm the reliability of the X-ray-to-UV relation as a distance indicator. Methods. We performed a complete UV spectroscopic analysis of a sample of ∼1800 quasars with SDSS optical spectra and XMM-Newton X-ray serendipitous observations. In the X-rays, we analysed the spectra of all the sample objects at redshift z &gt; 1.9, while we relied on photometric measurements at lower redshifts. As done in previous studies, we analysed the relation in small redshift bins, using fluxes instead of luminosities. Results. We show that the monochromatic fluxes at 1 keV and 2500 Å are, respectively, the best X-ray and UV continuum indicators among those that are typically available. We also find a tight relation between soft X-ray and Mg IIλ2800 Å line fluxes, and a marginal dependence of the X-ray-to-UV relation on the width of the Mg II line. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that the physical quantities that are more tightly linked to one another are the soft X-ray flux at ∼1 keV and the ionising UV flux blueward of the Lyman limit. However, the ‘usual’ monochromatic fluxes at 2 keV and 2500 Å estimated from photometric data provide an almost as tight X-ray-to-UV relation, and can be used to derive quasar distances. The Hubble diagram obtained using spectroscopic indicators is fully consistent with the one presented in previous papers, based on photometric data.

XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

ABSTRACT The final phase of the reionization process can be probed by rest-frame UV absorption spectra of quasars at z ≳ 6, shedding light on the properties of the diffuse intergalactic medium within the first Gyr of the Universe. The ESO Large Programme ‘XQR-30: the ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z ≃ 5.8–6.6’ dedicated ∼250 h of observations at the VLT to create a homogeneous and high-quality sample of spectra of 30 luminous quasars at z ∼ 6, covering the rest wavelength range from the Lyman limit to beyond the Mg ii emission. Twelve quasar spectra of similar quality from the XSHOOTER archive were added to form the enlarged XQR-30 sample, corresponding to a total of ∼350 h of on-source exposure time. The median effective resolving power of the 42 spectra is R ≃ 11 400 and 9800 in the VIS and NIR arm, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio per 10 km s−1 pixel ranges from ∼11 to 114 at λ ≃ 1285 Å rest frame, with a median value of ∼29. We describe the observations, data reduction, and analysis of the spectra, together with some first results based on the E-XQR-30 sample. New photometry in the H and K bands are provided for the XQR-30 quasars, together with composite spectra whose characteristics reflect the large absolute magnitudes of the sample. The composite and the reduced spectra are released to the community through a public repository, and will enable a range of studies addressing outstanding questions regarding the first Gyr of the Universe.

Forecasting constraints on the mean free path of ionizing photons at z ≥ 5.4 from the Lyman-α forest flux autocorrelation function

ABSTRACT Fluctuations in Lyman-α (Ly α) forest transmission towards high-z quasars are partially sourced from spatial fluctuations in the ultraviolet background, the level of which are set by the mean free path of ionizing photons (λmfp). The autocorrelation function of Ly α forest flux characterizes the strength and scale of transmission fluctuations and, as we show, is thus sensitive to λmfp. Recent measurements at z ∼ 6 suggest a rapid evolution of λmfp at z &amp;gt; 5.0 which would leave a signature in the evolution of the autocorrelation function. For this forecast, we model mock Ly α forest data with properties similar to the XQR-30 extended data set at 5.4 ≤ z ≤ 6.0. At each z, we investigate 100 mock data sets and an ideal case where mock data matches model values of the autocorrelation function. For ideal data with λmfp = 9.0 cMpc at z = 6.0, we recover $\lambda _{\text{mfp}}=12^{+6}_{-3}$ cMpc. This precision is comparable to direct measurements of λmfp from the stacking of quasar spectra beyond the Lyman limit. Hypothetical high-resolution data leads to a $\sim 40~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ reduction in the error bars over all z. The distribution of mock values of the autocorrelation function in this work is highly non-Gaussian for high-z, which should caution work with other statistics of the high-z Ly α forest against making this assumption. We use a rigorous statistical method to pass an inference test, however future work on non-Gaussian methods will enable higher precision measurements.

The Bimodal Absorption System Imaging Campaign (BASIC). I. A Dual Population of Low-metallicity Absorbers at z < 1

The bimodal absorption system imaging campaign (BASIC) aims to characterize the galaxy environments of a sample of 36 H i-selected partial Lyman limit systems (pLLSs) and Lyman limit systems (LLSs) in 23 QSO fields at z ≲ 1. These pLLSs/LLSs provide a unique sample of absorbers with unbiased and well-constrained metallicities, allowing us to explore the origins of metal-rich and low-metallicity circumgalactic medium (CGM) at z < 1. Here we present Keck/KCWI and Very Large Telescope/MUSE observations of 11 of these QSO fields (19 pLLSs) that we combine with Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging to identify and characterize the absorber-associated galaxies at 0.16 ≲ z ≲ 0.84. We find 23 unique absorber-associated galaxies, with an average of one associated galaxy per absorber. For seven absorbers, all with <10% solar metallicities, we find no associated galaxies with within ρ/R vir and ∣Δv∣/v esc ≤ 1.5 with respect to the absorber. We do not find any strong correlations between the metallicities or H i column densities of the gas and most of the galaxy properties, except for the stellar mass of the galaxies: the low-metallicity ([X/H] ≤ −1.4) systems have a probability of for having a host galaxy with within ρ/R vir ≤ 1.5, while the higher metallicity absorbers have a probability of . This implies metal-enriched pLLSs/LLSs at z < 1 are typically associated with the CGM of galaxies with , whereas low-metallicity pLLSs/LLSs are found in more diverse locations, with one population arising in the CGM of galaxies and another more broadly distributed in overdense regions of the universe. Using absorbers not associated with galaxies, we estimate the unweighted geometric mean metallicity of the intergalactic medium to be [X/H] ≲ −2.1 at z < 1, which is lower than previously estimated.

Discovery of three new near-pristine absorption clouds at z = 2.6–4.4

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of three new ‘near-pristine’ Lyman limit systems (LLSs), with metallicities ≈1/1000 solar, at redshifts 2.6, 3.8, and 4.0, with a targeted survey at the Keck Observatory. High-resolution echelle spectra of eight candidates yielded precise column densities of hydrogen and weak, but clearly detected, metal lines in seven LLSs; we previously reported the one remaining, apparently metal-free LLS, to have metallicity &amp;lt;1/10 000 solar. Robust photoionization modelling provides metallicities [Si/H] = −3.05 to −2.94, with 0.26 dex uncertainties (95 per cent confidence) for three LLSs, and $\textrm {[Si/H]} \gtrsim -2.5$ for the remaining four. Previous simulations suggest that near-pristine LLSs could be the remnants of PopIII supernovae, so comparing their detailed metal abundances with nucleosynthetic yields from supernovae models is an important goal. Unfortunately, at most two different metals were detected in each new system, despite their neutral hydrogen column densities ($10^{19.2}\textrm {--}10^{19.4}\, \textrm {cm}^{-2}$) being two orders of magnitude larger than the two previous, serendipitously discovered near-pristine LLSs. Nevertheless, the success of this first targeted survey for near-pristine systems demonstrates the prospect that a much larger, future survey could identify clear observational signatures of PopIII stars. With a well-understood selection function, such a survey would also yield the number density of near-pristine absorbers that, via comparison to future simulations, could reveal the origin(s) of these rare systems.

The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) – IV. The complex multiphase circumgalactic medium as revealed by partial Lyman limit systems

ABSTRACT We present a detailed study of two partial Lyman limit systems (pLLSs) of neutral hydrogen column density $N_\mathrm{H\, I}\approx (1-3)\times 10^{16}\, \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ discovered at $z$ = 0.5 in the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS). Available far-ultraviolet spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and optical echelle spectra from MIKE on the Magellan Telescopes enable a comprehensive ionization analysis of diffuse circumgalactic gas based on resolved kinematics and abundance ratios of atomic species spanning five different ionization stages. These data provide unambiguous evidence of kinematically aligned multiphase gas that masquerades as a single-phase structure and can only be resolved by simultaneous accounting of the full range of observed ionic species. Both systems are resolved into multiple components with inferred α-element abundance varying from [α/H] ≈−0.8 to near solar and densities spanning over two decades from log nH/cm−3 ≈ −2.2 to &amp;lt;−4.3. Available deep galaxy survey data from the CUBS program taken with VLT/MUSE, Magellan/LDSS3-C and Magellan/IMACS reveal that the $z$ = 0.47 system is located 55 kpc from a star-forming galaxy with prominent Balmer absorption of stellar mass ${{M_{\rm star}}}\approx 2\times 10^{10}\, {{M_{\odot}}}$, while the $z$ = 0.54 system resides in an overdense environment of 11 galaxies within 750 kpc in projected distance, with the most massive being a luminous red galaxy of ${{M_{\rm star}}}\approx 2\times 10^{11}\, {{M_{\odot}}}$ at 375 kpc. The study of these two pLLSs adds to an emerging picture of the complex, multiphase circumgalactic gas that varies in chemical abundances and density on small spatial scales in diverse galaxy environments. The inhomogeneous nature of metal enrichment and density revealed in observations must be taken into account in theoretical models of diffuse halo gas.

The UV-brightest Lyman continuum emitting star-forming galaxy

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of J0121+0025, an extremely luminous and young star-forming galaxy (MUV = −24.11, log[$L_{\rm Ly \alpha } / \rm erg~s^{-1}] = 43.8$) at z = 3.244 showing copious Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage ($f_{\rm esc, abs} \approx 40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). High signal-to-noise ratio rest-frame UV spectroscopy with the Gran Telescopio Canarias reveals a high significance (7.9σ) emission below the Lyman limit (&amp;lt;912 Å), with a flux density level f900 = 0.78 ± 0.10μJy, and strong P-Cygni in wind lines of O vi 1033 Å, N v 1240 Å, and C iv 1550 Å that are indicative of a young age of the starburst (&amp;lt;10 Myr). The spectrum is rich in stellar photospheric features, for which a significant contribution of an AGN at these wavelengths is ruled out. Low-ionization interstellar medium (ISM) absorption lines are also detected, but are weak ($EW_{0} \rm \simeq 1$ Å) and show large residual intensities, suggesting a clumpy geometry of the gas with a non-unity covering fraction or a highly ionized ISM. The contribution of a foreground and AGN contamination to the LyC signal is unlikely. Deep optical to Spitzer/IRAC 4.5 μm imaging show that the spectral energy distribution of J0121+0025 is dominated by the emission of the young starburst, with log($M_{\star }^{\rm burst}/M_{\odot }) = 9.9\pm 0.1$ and $\rm SFR = 981\pm 232$ M⊙ yr−1. J0121+0025 is the most powerful LyC emitter known among the star-forming galaxy population. The discovery of such luminous and young starburst leaking LyC radiation suggests that a significant fraction of LyC photons can escape in sources with a wide range of UV luminosities and are not restricted to the faintest ones as previously thought. These findings might shed further light on the role of luminous starbursts to the cosmic reionization.

The Distribution and Evolution of Quasar Proximity Zone Sizes

Abstract In this paper, we study the sizes of quasar proximity zones with synthetic quasar absorption spectra obtained by postprocessing a Cosmic Reionization On Computers (CROC) simulation. CROC simulations have both relatively large box sizes and high spatial resolution, allowing us to resolve Lyman limit systems (LLSs), which are crucial for modeling the quasar absorption spectra. We find that before reionization, most quasar proximity zone sizes grow steadily for ∼10 Myr, while after reionization, they grow rapidly but only for ∼0.1 Myr. We also find a slow growth of R obs with decreasing turn-on redshift. In addition, we find that ∼1%–2% of old quasars (30 Myr old) display extremely small proximity zone sizes (&lt;1 proper Mpc), the vast majority of which are due to the occurrence of a damped Lyα absorber (DLA) or an LLS along the line of sight. These DLAs and LLSs are contaminated with metal, which offers a way to distinguish them from the normal proximity zones of young quasars.

Constraining the cosmic UV background at z &amp;gt; 3 with MUSE Lyman-α emission observations

ABSTRACT The intensity of the Cosmic UV background (UVB), coming from all sources of ionizing photons such as star-forming galaxies and quasars, determines the thermal evolution and ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and is, therefore, a critical ingredient for models of cosmic structure formation. Most of the previous estimates are based on the comparison between observed and simulated Lyman-α forest. We present the results of an independent method to constrain the product of the UVB photoionization rate and the covering fraction of Lyman limit systems (LLSs) by searching for the fluorescent Lyman-α emission produced by self-shielded clouds. Because the expected surface brightness is well below current sensitivity limits for direct imaging, we developed a new method based on 3D stacking of the IGM around Lyman-α emitting galaxies (LAEs) between 2.9 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 6.6 using deep MUSE observations. Combining our results with covering fractions of LLSs obtained from mock cubes extracted from the EAGLE simulation, we obtain new and independent constraints on the UVB at z &amp;gt; 3 that are consistent with previous measurements, with a preference for relatively low UVB intensities at z = 3, and which suggest a non-monotonic decrease of ΓH i with increasing redshift between 3 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 5. This could suggest a possible tension between some UVB models and current observations which however require deeper and wider observations in Lyman-α emission and absorption to be confirmed. Assuming instead a value of UVB from current models, our results constrain the covering fraction of LLSs at 3 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 4.5 to be less than 25 per cent within 150 kpc from LAEs.

Lyman Continuum Emission Escaping from Luminous Green Pea Galaxies at z = 0.5

Abstract Compact starburst galaxies are thought to include many or most of the galaxies from which substantial Lyman continuum emission can escape into the intergalactic medium. Li &amp; Malkan used Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry to find a population of such starburst galaxies at z ∼ 0.5. They were discovered by their extremely strong [O iii] λλ4959+5007 emission lines, which produce a clearly detectable excess brightness in the i bandpass, compared with surrounding filters. We therefore used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/COS spectrograph to observe two of the newly discovered i-band excess galaxies around their Lyman limits. One has strongly detected continuum below its Lyman limit, corresponding to a relative escape fraction of ionizing photons of 20% ± 2%. The other, which is less compact in UV imaging, has a 2σ upper limit to its Lyman escape fraction of &lt;5%. Before the UV spectroscopy, the existing data could not distinguish these two galaxies. Although a sample of two is hardly sufficient for statistical analysis, it shows the possibility that some fraction of these strong [O iii] emitters as a class have ionizing photons escaping. The differences might be determined by the luck of our particular viewing geometry. Obtaining the HST spectroscopy revealed that the Lyman-continuum-emitting galaxy differs in having no central absorption in its prominent Lyα emission-line profile. The other target, with no escaping Lyman continuum, shows the more common double-peaked Lyα emission.

Gamma-Ray Absorption by the Cosmic Lyman Continuum from Star-forming Galaxies

Abstract Motivated by the discovery of the ultra-strong emission-line starburst galaxies (EELGs) known as “green pea galaxies,” in this work we consider their contribution to the intergalactic flux of ionizing UV at high redshifts. Most galaxies that have been observed show a precipitous drop in the flux blueward of their Lyman limit. However, recent observations of EELGs have discovered that many more Lyman continuum photons escape from them into intergalactic space than previously suspected. We calculate their contribution to the extragalactic background light. We also calculate the effect of these photons on the absorption of high-energy γ-rays. For the more distant γ-ray sources, particularly at z ≥ 3, an intergalactic opacity above a few GeV is significantly higher than previous estimates which ignored the Lyman continuum photons. We calculate the results of this increased opacity on observed γ-ray spectra, which produce a high-energy turnover starting at lower energies than previously thought, and a gradual spectral steepening that may also be observable.