Search

Ultraviolet (UV; rest-frame ∼1200–2000 Å) spectra provide a wealth of diagnostics to characterize fundamental galaxy properties, such as their chemical enrichment, the nature of their stellar populations, and their amount of Lyman-continuum (LyC) radiation. In this work, we leverage publicly released JWST data to construct the rest-frame UV-to-optical composite spectrum of a sample of 63 galaxies at 5.6 < z < 9, spanning a wavelength range from 1500 to 5200 Å. Based on the composite spectrum, we derive an average dust attenuation E (B − V) gas = 0.10 − 0.11 + 0.10 from H β /H γ, an electron density n e = 570 − 290 + 510 cm−3 from the [O ii ] doublet ratio, an electron temperature T e = 16700 − 1500 + 1500 K from the [O iii ] λ 4363/[O iii ] λ 5007 ratio, and an ionization parameter log (U) = − 2.15 − 0.03 + 0.03 from the [O iii ]/[O ii ] ratio. Using a direct T e method, we calculate an oxygen abundance 12 + log (O / H) = 7.67 ± 0.08 and a carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) abundance ratio log (C / O) = − 0.86 − 0.10 + 0.13 . This C/O ratio is smaller than compared to z = 0 and z = 2–4 star-forming galaxies, albeit with moderate significance. This indicates the reionization-era galaxies might be undergoing a rapid buildup of stellar mass with high specific star formation rates. A UV diagnostic based on the ratios of C iii ] λ λ 1907, 1909/He ii λ 1640 versus O iii ] λ 1666/He ii λ 1640 suggests that the star formation is the dominant source of ionization, similar to the local extreme dwarf galaxies and z ∼ 2–4 He ii –detected galaxies. The [O iii ]/[O ii ] and C iv /C iii ] ratios of the composite spectrum are marginally larger than the criteria used to select galaxies as LyC leakers, suggesting that some of the galaxies in our sample are strong contributors to the reionizing radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (NGDEEP) survey program was designed specifically to include Near Infrared Slitless Spectroscopic observations (NGDEEP-NISS) to detect multiple emission lines in as many galaxies as possible and across a wide redshift range using the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph. We present early results obtained from the first set of observations (Epoch 1, 50% of the allocated orbits) of this program (NGDEEP-NISS1). Using a set of independently developed calibration files designed to deal with a complex combination of overlapping spectra, multiple position angles, and multiple cross filters and grisms, in conjunction with a robust and proven algorithm for quantifying contamination from overlapping dispersed spectra, NGDEEP-NISS1 has achieved a 3 σ sensitivity limit of 2 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2. We demonstrate the power of deep wide field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) to characterize the star formation rates, and metallicity ([O iii ]/H β), and dust content, of galaxies at 1 < z < 3.5. The latter showing intriguing initial results on the applicability and assumptions made regarding the use of Case B recombination. Further, we identify the presence of active galactic nuclei and infer the mass of their supermassive black holes using broadened restframe Mg ii and H β emission lines. The spectroscopic results are then compared with the physical properties of galaxies extrapolated from fitting spectral energy distribution models to photometry alone. The results clearly demonstrate the unique power and efficiency of WFSS at near-infrared wavelengths over other methods to determine the properties of galaxies across a broad range of redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic studies of extreme-ionization galaxies (EIGs) are critical to our understanding of exotic systems throughout cosmic time. These EIGs exhibit spectral features requiring >54.42 eV photons: the energy needed to ionize helium into He2+ fully and emit He ii recombination lines. Spectroscopic studies of EIGs can probe exotic stellar populations or accretion onto intermediate-mass black holes (∼102–105 M ⊙), which are the possibly key contributors to the reionization of the Universe. To facilitate the use of EIGs as probes of high-ionization systems, we focus on ratios constructed from several rest-frame UV/optical emission lines: [O iii ] λ 5008, H β, [Ne iii ] λ 3870, [O ii ] λ λ 3727, 3729, and [Ne v ] λ 3427. These lines probe the relative intensity at energies of 35.12, 13.62, 40.96, 13.62, and 97.12 eV, respectively, covering a wider range of ionization than traced by other common rest-frame UV/optical techniques. We use the ratios of these lines ([Ne v ]/[Ne iii ] ≡ Ne53, [O iii ]/H β, and [Ne iii ]/[O ii ]), which are nearby in wavelength, mitigating the effects of dust attenuation and uncertainties in flux calibration. We make predictions from photoionization models constructed from Cloudy that use a broad range of stellar populations and black hole accretion models to explore the sensitivity of these line ratios to changes in the ionizing spectrum. We compare our models to observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST of galaxies with strong high-ionization emission lines at z ∼ 0, z ∼ 2, and 5 < z < 8.5. We show that the Ne53 ratio can separate galaxies with ionization from "normal" stellar populations from those with active galactic nuclei and even "exotic" Population III models. We introduce new selection methods to identify galaxies with photoionization driven by Population III stars or intermediate-mass black hole accretion disks that could be identified in upcoming high-redshift spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most luminous quasars at z > 6 are suspected to be both highly clustered and to reside in the most massive dark matter halos in the early universe, making them prime targets to search for galaxy overdensities and/or protoclusters. We search for Lyman-break dropout-selected galaxies using HST WFC3/ACS broadband imaging in the fields of three 6 < z < 7 quasars, as well as for their simultaneously observed coordinated parallel fields, and constrain their photometric redshifts using EAZY. One field, J0305-3150, shows a volume density 10× higher than the blank-field UV luminosity function (UVLF) at M UV < −20, with tentative evidence of a 3 σ overdensity in its parallel field located 15 cMpc away. Another field, J2054–0005, shows an angular overdensity within 500 ckpc from the quasar, but this is still consistent with UVLF predictions within 3 σ, while the last field, J2348–3054, shows no enhancement. We discuss methods for reducing uncertainty in overdensity measurements when using photometric selection and show that we can robustly select Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) consistent with being physically associated with the quasar, corroborated by existing JWST/NIRCam WFSS data in the J0305 field. Even accounting for incompleteness, the overdensities in J0305 and J2054 are higher for brighter galaxies at short angular separations, suggesting preferential enhancement of more massive galaxies in the quasar's immediate vicinity. Finally, we compare the population of LBGs with previously identified [C ii ] and millimeter-continuum companions. The LBG overdensities are not accompanied by an enhanced number of dusty galaxies, suggesting that the overdense quasar fields are not in the bursty star-forming phase sometimes seen in high-redshift protoclusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present analysis using a citizen science campaign to improve the cosmological measures from the Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). The goal of HETDEX is to measure the Hubble expansion rate, H (z), and angular diameter distance, D A(z), at z = 2.4, each to percent-level accuracy. This accuracy is determined primarily from the total number of detected Ly α emitters (LAEs), the false positive rate due to noise, and the contamination due to [O ii ] emitting galaxies. This paper presents the citizen science project, Dark Energy Explorers (https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers), with the goal of increasing the number of LAEs and decreasing the number of false positives due to noise and the [O ii ] galaxies. Initial analysis shows that citizen science is an efficient and effective tool for classification most accurately done by the human eye, especially in combination with unsupervised machine learning. Three aspects from the citizen science campaign that have the most impact are (1) identifying individual problems with detections, (2) providing a clean sample with 100% visual identification above a signal-to-noise cut, and (3) providing labels for machine-learning efforts. Since the end of 2022, Dark Energy Explorers has collected over three and a half million classifications by 11,000 volunteers in over 85 different countries around the world. By incorporating the results of the Dark Energy Explorers, we expect to improve the accuracy on the D A(z) and H (z) parameters at z = 2.″4 by 10%–30%. While the primary goal is to improve on HETDEX, Dark Energy Explorers has already proven to be a uniquely powerful tool for science advancement and increasing accessibility to science worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the observation by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of a z ≳ 10 galaxy candidate (GHZ1) discovered from the GLASS–JWST Early Release Science Program. Our ALMA program aims to detect the [O iii ] emission line at the rest-frame frequency 3393.0062 GHz (88.36 μ m) and far-IR continuum emission with the spectral window setup seamlessly covering a 26.125 GHz frequency range (10.10 < z < 11.14). A total of 7 hr of on-source integration was employed, using four frequency settings to cover the full range (1.7 hr per setting), with 0.″7 angular resolution. No line or continuum is clearly detected, with 5 σ upper limits on the line emission of 0.93 mJy beam−1 at 25 km s−1 channel−1 and on the continuum emission of 30 μ Jy beam−1. We report marginal spectral (at 225 km s−1 resolution) and continuum features (4.1 σ and 2.6 σ peak signal-to-noise ratio, respectively), within 0.″17 from the JWST position of GHZ1. This spectral feature implies z = 10.38 and needs to be verified with further observations. Assuming that the best estimate of photometric redshift ( z = 10.60 − 0.60 + 0.52 ) is correct, the model of the galaxy's broadband spectral energy distribution for the 3 σ upper limit of the continuum flux from GHZ1 suggests that GHZ1 has a small amount of dust (M d ≲ 104 M ⊙) at a high temperature (T d ≳ 90 K). The 5 σ upper limit on the [O iii ]88 μ m line luminosity and the inferred star formation rate of GHZ1 are consistent with the properties of low-metallicity dwarf galaxies. We also report serendipitous clear detections of six continuum sources at the locations of the JWST galaxy counterparts in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze a sample of 25 [Ne v ] (λ 3426) emission-line galaxies at 1.4 < z < 2.3 using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 G102 and G141 grism observations from the CANDELS Ly α Emission at Reionization (CLEAR) survey. [Ne v ] emission probes extremely energetic photoionization (creation potential of 97.11 eV) and is often attributed to energetic radiation from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), shocks from supernovae, or an otherwise very hard ionizing spectrum from the stellar continuum. In this work, we use [Ne v ] in conjunction with other rest-frame UV/optical emission lines ([O ii ] λ λ 3726, 3729, [Ne iii ] λ 3869, H β, [O iii ] λ λ 4959, 5007, H α +[N ii ] λ λ 6548, 6583, [S ii ] λ λ 6716, 6731), deep (2–7 Ms) X-ray observations (from Chandra), and mid-infrared imaging (from Spitzer) to study the origin of this emission and to place constraints on the nature of the ionizing engine. The majority of the [Ne v ]-detected galaxies have properties consistent with ionization from AGNs. However, for our [Ne v ]-selected sample, the X-ray luminosities are consistent with local (z ≲ 0.1) X-ray-selected Seyferts, but the [Ne v ] luminosities are more consistent with those from z ∼ 1 X-ray-selected QSOs. The excess [Ne v ] emission requires either reduced hard X-rays or a ∼0.1 keV excess. We discuss possible origins of the apparent [Ne v ] excess, which could be related to the "soft (X-ray) excess" observed in some QSOs and Seyferts and/or be a consequence of a complex/anisotropic geometry for the narrow-line region, combined with absorption from a warm, relativistic wind ejected from the accretion disk. We also consider implications for future studies of extreme high-ionization systems in the epoch of reionization (z ≳ 6) with the James Webb Space Telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the stellar mass–black hole mass (  * –  BH ) relation with type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) down to  BH = 10 7 M ⊙ , corresponding to a ≃ −21 absolute magnitude in rest-frame ultraviolet, at z = 2–2.5. Exploiting the deep and large-area spectroscopic survey of the Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), we identify 66 type 1 AGNs with  BH ranging from 107–1010 M ⊙ that are measured with single-epoch virial method using C iv emission lines detected in the HETDEX spectra.  * of the host galaxies are estimated from optical to near-infrared photometric data taken with Spitzer, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and ground-based 4–8 m class telescopes by CIGALE spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We further assess the validity of SED fitting in two cases by host-nuclear decomposition performed through surface brightness profile fitting on spatially resolved host galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope/NIRCam CEERS data. We obtain the  * –  BH relation covering the unexplored low-mass ranges of  BH ∼ 10 7 – 10 8 M ⊙ , and conduct forward modeling to fully account for the selection biases and observational uncertainties. The intrinsic  * –  BH relation at z ∼ 2 has a moderate positive offset of 0.52 ± 0.14 dex from the local relation, suggestive of more efficient black hole growth at higher redshift even in the low-mass regime of  BH ∼ 10 7 – 10 8 M ⊙ . Our  * –  BH relation is inconsistent with the  BH suppression at the low-  * regime predicted by recent hydrodynamic simulations at a 98% confidence level, suggesting that feedback in the low-mass systems may be weaker than those produced in hydrodynamic simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a catalog of about 25,000 images of massive (M ⋆ ≥ 109 M ⊙) galaxies at redshifts 3 ≤ z ≤ 6 from the TNG50 cosmological simulation, tailored for observations at multiple wavelengths carried out with JWST. The synthetic images were created with the SKIRT radiative transfer code, including the effects of dust attenuation and scattering. The noiseless images were processed with the mirage simulator to mimic the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) observational strategy (e.g., noise, dithering pattern, etc.) of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey. In this paper, we analyse the predictions of the TNG50 simulation for the size evolution of galaxies at 3 ≤ z ≤ 6 and the expectations for CEERS to probe that evolution. In particular, we investigate how sizes depend on the wavelength, redshift, mass, and angular resolution of the images. We find that the effective radius accurately describes the three-dimensional half-mass–radius of the TNG50 galaxies. Sizes observed at 2 μ m are consistent with those measured at 3.56 μ m at all redshifts and masses. At all masses, the population of higher- z galaxies is more compact than their lower- z counterparts. However, the intrinsic sizes are smaller than the mock observed sizes for the most massive galaxies, especially at z ≲ 4. This discrepancy between the mass and light distributions may point to a transition in the galaxy morphology at z = 4–5, where massive compact systems start to develop more extended stellar structures. 2222 Data publicly released at https://www.tng-project.org/costantin22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an active galactic nucleus (AGN) with an extremely high equivalent width (EW), EWLy α +N V,rest ≳921 Ă..., in the rest frame, at z ∼ 2.24 in the Hobbyâ€"Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Survey (HETDEX), as a representative case of the high-EW AGN population. The continuum level is a nondetection in the HETDEX spectrum; thus the measured EW is a lower limit. The source is detected with significant emission lines (>7 σ) at Ly α + N v λ 1241, C iv λ 1549, and a moderate emission line (∼4 σ) at He ii λ 1640 within the wavelength coverage of HETDEX (3500â€"5500 Ă...). The r -band magnitude is 24.57 from the Hyper Suprime-Cam-HETDEX joint survey with a detection limit of r = 25.12 at 5 σ. The Ly α emission line spans a clearly resolved region of ∼10″ (85 kpc) in diameter. The Ly α line profile is strongly double peaked. The spectral decomposed blue gas and red gas Ly α emission are separated by ∼1.″2 (10.1 kpc) with a line-of-sight velocity offset of ∼1100 km sâˆ'1. This source is probably an obscured AGN with powerful winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity functions (LFs) typically treat star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) separately. However, modern ground-based surveys now probe volumes large enough to discover AGNs at depths sensitive enough for fainter galaxies, bridging these two populations. Using these observations as constraints, we present a methodology to empirically jointly model the evolution of the rest-UV LFs at z = 3â€"9. Our critical assumptions are that both populations have LFs well described by double power laws modified to allow for a flattening at the faint-end, and that all LF parameters evolve smoothly with redshift. This methodology provides a good fit to the observations and makes predictions to volume densities not yet observed, finding that the volume density of bright (M UV = âˆ'28) AGNs rises by ∼105 from z = 9 to z = 3, while bright (M UV = âˆ'21) star-forming galaxies rise by only ∼102 across the same epoch. The observed bright-end flattening of the z = 9 LF is unlikely to be due to AGN activity, and rather is due to a shallowing of the bright-end slope, implying a reduction of feedback in bright galaxies at early times. The intrinsic ionizing emissivity is dominated by star-forming galaxies at z > 3, even after applying a notional escape fraction. We find decent agreement between our AGN LFs and predictions based on different black hole seeding models, though all models underpredict the observed abundance of bright AGNs. We show that the wide-area surveys of the upcoming Euclid and Roman observatories should be capable of discovering AGNs to z ∼ 8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a stellar population analysis of 72 Ly α -emitting galaxies (LAEs) in GOODS-N at 1.9 < z < 3.5 spectroscopically identified by the Hobbyâˆ'Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). We provide a method for connecting emission-line detections from the blind spectroscopic survey to imaging counterparts, a crucial tool needed as HETDEX builds a massive database of ∼1 million Ly α detections. Using photometric data spanning as many as 11 filters covering 0.4 < λ (ÎĽ m) < 4.5 from the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope, we study the objects’ global properties and explore which properties impact the strength of Ly α emission. We measure a median stellar mass of 0.8 âˆ' 0.5 + 2.9 Ă— 10 9 M ⊙ and conclude that the physical properties of HETDEX spectroscopically selected LAEs are comparable to LAEs selected by previous deep narrowband studies. We find that stellar mass and star formation rate correlate strongly with the Ly α equivalent width. We then use a known sample of z > 7 LAEs to perform a protostudy of predicting Ly α emission from galaxies in the epoch of reionization, finding agreement at the 1 σ level between prediction and observation for the majority of strong emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reionization is an inhomogeneous process, thought to begin in small ionized bubbles of the intergalactic medium (IGM) around overdense regions of galaxies. Recent Ly α studies during the epoch of reionization show evidence that ionized bubbles formed earlier around brighter galaxies, suggesting higher IGM transmission of Ly α from these galaxies. We investigate this problem using IR slitless spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide-Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G102 grism observations of 148 galaxies selected via photometric redshifts at 6.0 < z < 8.2. These galaxies have spectra extracted from the CANDELS Ly α Emission at Reionization (CLEAR) survey. We combine the CLEAR data for 275 galaxies with the Keck Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph and MOSFIRE data set from the Texas Spectroscopic Search for Ly α Emission at the End of Reionization Survey. We constrain the Ly α equivalent width (EW) distribution at 6.0 < z < 8.2, which is described by an exponential form, dN / d EW ∝ exp (âˆ' EW) / W 0 , with the characteristic e -folding scale width (W 0). We confirm a significant drop in the Ly α strength (i.e., W 0) at z > 6. Furthermore, we compare the redshift evolution of W 0 between galaxies at different UV luminosities. UV-bright (M UV < âˆ'21 [i.e., L UV > L *]) galaxies show weaker evolution with a decrease of 0.4 (± 0.2) dex in W 0 at z > 6, while UV-faint (M UV > âˆ'21 [ L UV < L *]) galaxies exhibit a significant drop of 0.7â€"0.8 (±0.2) dex in W 0 from z < 6 to z > 6. If the change in W 0 is proportional to the change in the IGM transmission for Ly α photons, then this is evidence that the transmission is “boosted” around UV-brighter galaxies, suggesting that reionization proceeds faster in regions around such galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results from a spectroscopic survey using the MOSFIRE near-infrared spectrograph on the 10 m Keck telescope to search for Ly α emission from candidate galaxies at z ∼ 9â€"10 in four of the CANDELS fields (GOODS-N, EGS, UDS, and COSMOS). We observed 11 target galaxies, detecting Ly α from one object in ∼8.1 hr of integration, at z = 8.665 ± 0.001 with an integrated signal-to-noise ratio > 7. This galaxy is in the CANDELS Extended Groth Strip (EGS) field and lies physically close (3.5 physical Mpc [pMpc]) to another confirmed galaxy in this field with Ly α detected at z = 8.683. The detection of Ly α suggests the existence of large (∼1 pMpc) ionized bubbles fairly early in the reionization process. We explore the ionizing output needed to create bubbles of this size at this epoch and find that such a bubble requires more than the ionizing power provided by the full expected population of galaxies (by integrating the UV luminosity function down to M UV = âˆ'13). The Ly α we detect would be able to escape the predominantly neutral intergalactic medium at this epoch if our detected galaxy is inhabiting an overdensity, which would be consistent with the photometric overdensity previously identified in this region by Finkelstein et al. This implies that the CANDELS EGS field is hosting an overdensity at z = 8.7 that is powering one or more ionized bubbles, a hypothesis that will be imminently testable with forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope observations in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Paschen- β (Pa β ; 1282 nm) observations from the Hubble Space Telescope G141 grism to study the star formation and dust-attenuation properties of a sample of 29 low-redshift (z < 0.287) galaxies in the CANDELS Ly α Emission at Reionization survey. We first compare the nebular attenuation from Pa β /H α with the stellar attenuation inferred from the spectral energy distribution, finding that the galaxies in our sample are consistent with an average ratio of the continuum attenuation to the nebular gas of 0.44, but with a large amount of excess scatter beyond the observational uncertainties. Much of this scatter is linked to a large variation between the nebular dust attenuation as measured by (space-based) Pa β to (ground-based) H α to that from (ground-based) H α /H β. This implies there are important differences between attenuation measured from grism-based/wide-aperture Pa β fluxes and the ground-based/slit-measured Balmer decrement. We next compare star formation rates (SFRs) from Pa β to those from dust-corrected UV. We perform a survival analysis to infer a census of Pa β emission implied by both detections and nondetections. We find evidence that galaxies with lower stellar mass have more scatter in their ratio of Pa β to attenuation-corrected UV SFRs. When considering our Pa β detection limits, this observation supports the idea that lower-mass galaxies experience “burstier” star formation histories. Together, these results show that Pa β is a valuable tracer of a galaxy’s SFR, probing different timescales of star formation and potentially revealing star formation that is otherwise missed by UV and optical tracers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed stellar population analysis of 11 bright (H < 26.6) galaxies at z = 9â€"11 (three spectroscopically confirmed) to constrain the chemical enrichment and growth of stellar mass of early galaxies. We use the flexible Bayesian spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code Prospector with a range of star formation histories (SFHs), a flexible dust attenuation law, and a self-consistent model of emission lines. This approach allows us to assess how different priors affect our results and how well we can break degeneracies between dust attenuation, stellar ages, metallicity, and emission lines using data that probe only the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) to optical wavelengths. We measure a median observed UV spectral slope β = âˆ' 1.87 âˆ' 0.43 + 0.35 for relatively massive star-forming galaxies ( 9 < log (M ⋆ / M ⊙) < 10), consistent with no change from z = 4 to z = 9â€"10 at these stellar masses, implying rapid enrichment. Our SED-fitting results are consistent with a star-forming main sequence with sublinear slope (0.7 ± 0.2) and specific star formation rates of 3â€"10 Gyrâˆ'1. However, the stellar ages and SFHs are less well constrained. Using different SFH priors, we cannot distinguish between median mass-weighted ages of ∼ 50â€"150 Myr, which corresponds to 50% formation redshifts of z 50 ∼ 10â€"12 at z ∼ 9 and is of the order of the dynamical timescales of these systems. Importantly, models with different SFH priors are able to fit the data equally well. We conclude that the current observational data cannot tightly constrain the mass-buildup timescales of these z = 9â€"11 galaxies, with our results consistent with SFHs implying both a shallow and steep increase in the cosmic SFR density with time at z > 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 G102 and G141 grism spectroscopy to measure rest-frame optical emission-line ratios of 533 galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 in the CANDELS Lyα Emission at Reionization survey. We compare [O iii ]/Hβ versus [S ii ]/(Hα + [N ii ]) as an "unVO87" diagram for 461 galaxies and [O iii ]/Hβ versus [Ne iii ]/[O ii ] as an "OHNO" diagram for 91 galaxies. The unVO87 diagram does not effectively separate active galactic nuclei (AGN) and [Ne v ] sources from star-forming galaxies, indicating that the unVO87 properties of star-forming galaxies evolve with redshift and overlap with AGN emission-line signatures at z > 1. The OHNO diagram does effectively separate X-ray AGN and [Ne v ]-emitting galaxies from the rest of the population. We find that the [O iii ]/Hβ line ratios are significantly anticorrelated with stellar mass and significantly correlated with , while [S ii ]/(Hα + [N ii ]) is significantly anticorrelated with. Comparison with MAPPINGS V photoionization models indicates that these trends are consistent with lower metallicity and higher ionization in low-mass and high-star formation rate (SFR) galaxies. We do not find evidence for redshift evolution of the emission-line ratios outside of the correlations with mass and SFR. Our results suggest that the OHNO diagram of [O iii ]/Hβ versus [Ne iii ]/[O ii ] will be a useful indicator of AGN content and gas conditions in very high-redshift galaxies to be observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2 mm Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA) Survey was designed to detect high-redshift (z ≳ 4), massive, dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). Here we present two likely high-redshift sources, identified in the survey, whose physical characteristics are consistent with a class of optical/near-infrared (OIR)-invisible DSFGs found elsewhere in the literature. We first perform a rigorous analysis of all available photometric data to fit spectral energy distributions and estimate redshifts before deriving physical properties based on our findings. Our results suggest the two galaxies, called MORA-5 and MORA-9, represent two extremes of the “OIR-dark” class of DSFGs. MORA-5 ( z phot = 4.3 âˆ' 1.3 + 1.5 ) is a significantly more active starburst with a star formation rate (SFR) of 830 âˆ' 190 + 340 M ⊙ yrâˆ'1 compared to MORA-9 ( z phot = 4.3 âˆ' 1.0 + 1.3 ), whose SFR is a modest 200 âˆ' 60 + 250 M ⊙ yrâˆ'1. Based on the stellar masses (M ⋆ ≈ 1010âˆ'11 M ⊙), space density (n ∼ (5 ± 2) Ă— 10âˆ'6 Mpcâˆ'3, which incorporates two other spectroscopically confirmed OIR-dark DSFGs in the MORA sample at z = 4.6 and z = 5.9), and gas depletion timescales (<1 Gyr) of these sources, we find evidence supporting the theory that OIR-dark DSFGs are the progenitors of recently discovered 3 < z < 4 massive quiescent galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we measure the Lyα escape fraction of 935 [O iii ]-emitting galaxies between 1.9 < z < 2.35 by comparing stacked spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3's near-IR grism to corresponding stacks from the Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment's Internal Data Release 2. By measuring the stacks' Hβ to Lyα ratios, we determine the Lyα escape fraction as a function of stellar mass, star-formation rate, internal reddening, size, and [O iii ]/Hβ ratio. We show that the escape fraction of Lyα correlates with a number of parameters, such as galaxy size, star-formation rate, and nebular excitation. However, we also demonstrate that most of these relations are indirect, and that the primary variables controlling the escape of Lyα are likely to be stellar mass and internal extinction. Overall, the escape of Lyα declines from ≳16% in galaxies with to ≲1% for systems with , with the sample's mean escape fraction being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is an unbiased, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey, designed to measure the expansion history of the universe through low-resolution (R ∼ 750) spectra of Lyα emitters. In its search for these galaxies, HETDEX will also observe a few times 105 stars. In this paper, we present the first stellar value-added catalog within the internal second data release of the HETDEX Survey (HDR2). The new catalog contains 120,571 low-resolution spectra for 98,736 unique stars between 10 < G < 22 spread across the HETDEX footprint at relatively high (b ∼ 60°) Galactic latitudes. With these spectra, we measure radial velocities (RVs) for ∼42,000 unique FGK-type stars in the catalog and show that the HETDEX spectra are sufficient to constrain these RVs with a 1σ precision of 28.0 km s−1 and bias of 3.5 km s−1 with respect to the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope surveys and 1σ precision of 27.5 km s−1 and bias of 14.0 km s−1 compared to the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration survey. Since these RVs are for faint (G ≥ 16) stars, they will be complementary to Gaia. Using t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (tSNE), we also demonstrate that the HETDEX spectra can be used to determine a star's Teff, and log g and its [Fe/H]. With the tSNE projection of the FGK-type stars with HETDEX spectra we also identify 416 new candidate metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −1 dex) stars for future study. These encouraging results illustrate the utility of future low-resolution stellar spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyα emission from galaxies can be utilized to characterize the ionization state in the intergalactic medium (IGM). We report our search for Lyα emission at z > 7 using a comprehensive Keck/MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopic data set, as part of the Texas Spectroscopic Search for Lyα Emission at the End of Reionization Survey. We analyze data from 10 nights of MOSFIRE observations which together target 72 high-z candidate galaxies in the GOODS-N field, all with deep exposure times of 4.5–19 hr. Utilizing an improved automated emission-line search, we report 10 Lyα emission lines detected (>4σ) at z > 7, significantly increasing the spectroscopically confirmed sample. Our sample includes large equivalent-width (EW) Lyα emitters (>50 Å), and additional tentative Lyα emission lines detected at 3σ–4σ from five additional galaxies. We constrain the Lyα EW distribution at z ∼ 7.6, finding a significant drop from z ≲ 6, suggesting an increasing fraction of neutral hydrogen (H i) in the IGM in this epoch. We estimate the Lyα transmission through the IGM (=EWz ∼ 7.6/EW) and infer an IGM H i fraction (XHI) of at z ∼ 7.6, which is lower in modest tension (>1σ) with recent measurements at z ∼ 7.6. The spatial distribution of the detected Lyα emitters implies the presence of a potential highly ionized region at z ∼ 7.55, which hosts four Lyα emitters within a ∼40 cMpc spatial separation. The prominence of this ionized region in our data set could explain our lower inferred value of XHI, though our analysis is also sensitive to the chosen reference Lyα EW distribution values and reionization models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a first strong-lensing model for the galaxy cluster RM J121218.5+273255.1 (z = 0.35; hereafter RMJ1212; also known as A1489). This cluster is among the top 0.1% richest clusters in the redMaPPer catalog; it is significantly detected in X-ray and through the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect in ROSAT and Planck data, respectively, and its optical luminosity distribution implies a very large lens, following mass-to-light scaling relations. Based on these properties it was chosen for the Webb Medium Deep Fields (WMDF) James Webb Space Telescope/Guaranteed Time Observations program. In preparation for this program, RMJ1212 was recently imaged with Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North and in seven optical and near-infrared bands with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We use these data to map the inner mass distribution of the cluster, uncovering various sets of multiple images. We also search for high-redshift candidates in the data, as well as for transient sources. We find over a dozen high-redshift (z ≳ 6) candidates based on both photometric redshift and the dropout technique. No prominent (≳5σ) transients were found in the data between the two HST visits. Our lensing analysis reveals a relatively large lens with an effective Einstein radius of θE ≃ 32 ± 3″ (zs = 2), in broad agreement with the scaling-relation expectations. RMJ1212 demonstrates that powerful lensing clusters can be selected in a robust and automated way following the light-traces-mass assumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present cosmological (30−400 Mpc) distributions of neutral hydrogen (H i) in the intergalactic medium (IGM) traced by Lyα emitters (LAEs) and QSOs at z = 2.1–2.5, selected with the data of the ongoing Hobby–Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) and the eBOSS survey. Motivated by a previous study of Mukae et al., we investigate spatial correlations of LAEs and QSOs with H i tomography maps reconstructed from H i Lyα forest absorption in the spectra of background galaxies and QSOs obtained by the CLAMATO survey and this study, respectively. In the cosmological volume far from QSOs, we find that LAEs reside in regions of strong H i absorption, i.e., H i rich, which is consistent with results of previous galaxy−background QSO pair studies. Moreover, there is an anisotropy in the H i distribution plot of transverse and line-of-sight distances; on average the H i absorption peak is blueshifted by ∼200 km s−1 from the LAE Lyα redshift, reproducing the known average velocity offset between the Lyα emission redshift and the galaxy systemic redshift. We have identified a ∼40 Mpc scale volume of H i underdensity that is a candidate for a giant H ii bubble, where six QSOs and an LAE overdensity exist at. The coincidence of the QSO and LAE overdensities with the H i underdensity indicates that the ionizing photon radiation of the QSOs has created a highly ionized volume of multiple proximity zones in a matter overdensity. Our results suggest an evolutionary picture where H i gas in an overdensity of galaxies becomes highly photoionized when QSOs emerge in the galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the correlations between mass, morphology, quenched fraction, and formation history in galaxies is difficult to define, primarily due to the uncertainties in galaxy star formation histories (SFHs). SFHs are better constrained for higher redshift galaxies, observed closer to their formation and quenching epochs. Here we use "nonparametric" SFHs and a nested sampling method to derive constraints on the formation and quenching timescales of quiescent galaxies at. We model deep HST grism spectroscopy and photometry from the CLEAR (CANDELS Lyα Emission at Reionization) survey. The galaxy formation redshifts, z50 (defined as the point where they had formed 50% of their stellar mass) range from (shortly prior to the observed epoch) up to. We find that early formation redshifts are correlated with high stellar-mass surface densities, , where Σ1 is the stellar mass within 1 pkpc (proper kpc). Quiescent galaxies with the highest stellar-mass surface density, , show a minimum formation redshift: all such objects in our sample have. Quiescent galaxies with lower surface density, , show a range of formation epochs (), implying these galaxies experienced a range of formation and assembly histories. We argue that the surface density threshold uniquely identifies galaxies that formed in the first few Gyr after the big bang, and we discuss the implications this has for galaxy formation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the CANDELS photometric catalogs for the Hubble Space Telescope/ACS and WFC3, we identified massive evolved galaxies at 3 < z < 4.5 employing three different selection methods. We find the comoving number density of these objects to be ∼2 × 10−5 and 8 × 10−6 Mpc−3 after correction for completeness for two redshift bins centered at z = 3.4, 4.7. We quantify a measure of how much confidence we should have for each candidate galaxy from different selections and what the conservative error estimates propagated into our selection are. Then we compare the evolution of the corresponding number densities and their stellar mass density with numerical simulations, semianalytical models, and previous observational estimates, which shows slight tension at higher redshifts as the models tend to underestimate the number and mass densities. By estimating the average halo masses of the candidates (Mh ≈ 4.2, 1.9, and 1.3 × 1012M⊙ for redshift bins centered at z = 3.4, 4.1, and 4.7), we find them to be consistent with halos that were efficient in turning baryons to stars, relatively immune to the feedback effects, and on the verge of transition into hot-mode accretion. This can suggest the relative cosmological starvation of the cold gas followed by an overconsumption phase in which the galaxy rapidly consumes the available cold gas as one of the possible drivers for the quenching of the massive evolved population at high redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use broadband photometry extending from the rest-frame UV to the near-IR to fit the individual spectral energy distributions of 63 bright (L(Lyα) > 1043 erg s–1) Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the redshift range 1.9 < z < 3.6. We find that these LAEs are quite heterogeneous, with stellar masses that span over three orders of magnitude, from 7.5 < log M/M☼ < 10.5. Moreover, although most LAEs have small amounts of extinction, some high-mass objects have stellar reddenings as large as E(B – V) ∼ 0.4. Interestingly, in dusty objects the optical depths for Lyα and the UV continuum are always similar, indicating that Lyα photons are not undergoing many scatters before escaping their galaxy. In contrast, the ratio of optical depths in low-reddening systems can vary widely, illustrating the diverse nature of the systems. Finally, we show that in the star-formation-rate-log-mass diagram, our LAEs fall above the “main-sequence” defined by z ∼ 3 continuum selected star-forming galaxies. In this respect, they are similar to submillimeter-selected galaxies, although most LAEs have much lower mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) GOODS-S multi-wavelength catalog to identify counterparts for 20 Lyα emitting (LAE) galaxies at z = 2.1. We build several types of stacked spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these objects. We combine photometry to form average and median flux-stacked SEDs, and postage-stamp images to form average and median image-stacked SEDs. We also introduce scaled flux stacks that eliminate the influence of variation in overall brightness. We use the SED fitting code SpeedyMC to constrain the physical properties of individual objects and stacks. Our LAEs at z = 2.1 have stellar masses ranging from 2 × 107M☼ to 8 × 109M☼ (median = 3 × 108M☼), ages ranging from 4 Myr to 500 Myr (median = 100 Myr), and E(B – V) between 0.02 and 0.24 (median = 0.12). Although still low, this represents significantly more dust reddening than has been reported for LAEs at higher redshifts. We do not observe strong correlations between Lyα equivalent width (EW) and age or E(B – V). The Lyα radiative transfer (q) factors of our sample are predominantly close to one and do not correlate strongly with EW or E(B – V). The absence of strong correlations with EW or q implies that Lyα radiative transfer is highly anisotropic and/or prevents Lyα photons from scattering in dusty regions. The SED parameters of the flux stacks match the average and median values of the individual objects, with the flux-scaled median SED performing best with uncertainties reduced by a factor of two. Median image-stacked SEDs provide a poor representation of the median individual object, and none of the stacking methods capture the large dispersion of LAE properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first dynamical mass measurements for Lyα galaxies at high redshift, based on velocity dispersion measurements from rest-frame optical emission lines and size measurements from Hubble Space Telescope imaging, for nine galaxies drawn from four surveys. We use these measurements to study Lyα galaxies in the context of galaxy scaling relations. The resulting dynamical masses range from 109 to 1010M☼. We also fit stellar population models to our sample and use them to place the Lyα sample on a stellar mass versus line width relation. The Lyα galaxies generally follow the same scaling relation as star-forming galaxies at lower redshift, although, lower stellar mass fits are also acceptable in ∼1/3 of the Lyα galaxies. Using the dynamical masses as an upper limit on gas mass, we show that Lyα galaxies have unusually active star formation for their gas mass surface density. This behavior is consistent with what is observed in starburst galaxies, despite the typically smaller masses and sizes of the Lyα galaxy population. Finally, we examine the mass densities of these galaxies and show that their future evolution likely requires dissipational (“wet”) merging. In short, we find that Lyα galaxies are low-mass cousins of larger starbursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) photometric redshift methods investigation. In this investigation, the results from 11 participants, each using a different combination of photometric redshift code, template spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and priors, are used to examine the properties of photometric redshifts applied to deep fields with broadband multi-wavelength coverage. The photometry used includes U-band through mid-infrared filters and was derived using the TFIT method. Comparing the results, we find that there is no particular code or set of template SEDs that results in significantly better photometric redshifts compared to others. However, we find that codes producing the lowest scatter and outlier fraction utilize a training sample to optimize photometric redshifts by adding zero-point offsets, template adjusting, or adding extra smoothing errors. These results therefore stress the importance of the training procedure. We find a strong dependence of the photometric redshift accuracy on the signal-to-noise ratio of the photometry. On the other hand, we find a weak dependence of the photometric redshift scatter with redshift and galaxy color. We find that most photometric redshift codes quote redshift errors (e.g., 68% confidence intervals) that are too small compared to that expected from the spectroscopic control sample. We find that all codes show a statistically significant bias in the photometric redshifts. However, the bias is in all cases smaller than the scatter; the latter therefore dominates the errors. Finally, we find that combining results from multiple codes significantly decreases the photometric redshift scatter and outlier fraction. We discuss different ways of combining data to produce accurate photometric redshifts and error estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new results on the spectrally resolved Lyα emission of three Lyα-emitting field galaxies at z ∼ 2.4 with high Lyα equivalent width (>100 Å) and Lyα luminosity (∼1043 erg s–1). At 120 km s–1 (FWHM) spectral resolution, the prominent double-peaked Lyα profile straddles the systemic velocity, where the velocity zero point is determined from spectroscopy of the galaxies' rest-frame optical nebular emission lines. The average velocity offset from systemic of the stronger redshifted emission component for our sample is 176 km s–1 while the average total separation between the redshifted and main blueshifted emission components is 380 km s–1. These measurements are a factor of ∼2 smaller than for UV-continuum-selected galaxies that show Lyα in emission with lower Lyα equivalent widths. We compare our Lyα spectra to the predicted line profiles of a spherical “expanding shell” Lyα radiative transfer grid that models large-scale galaxy outflows. Specifically, blueward of the systemic velocity where two galaxies show a weak, highly blueshifted (by ∼1000 km s–1) tertiary emission peak, the model line profiles are a relatively poor representation of the observed spectra. Since the neutral gas column density has a dominant influence over the shape of the Lyα line profile, we caution against equating the observed Lyα velocity offset with a physical outflow velocity, especially at lower spectral resolution where the unresolved Lyα velocity offset is a convoluted function of several degenerate parameters. Referring to rest-frame ultraviolet and optical Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we find that galaxy-galaxy interactions may play an important role in inducing a starburst that results in copious Lyα emission as well as perturbing the gas distribution and velocity field, both of which have strong influence over the Lyα emission line profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the environmental dependence of color, stellar mass, and morphology by comparing galaxies in a forming cluster to those in the field at z = 1.6 with Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared imaging in the CANDELS/UDS field. We quantify the morphology of the galaxies using the effective radius, reff , and Sérsic index, n. In both the cluster and field, approximately half of the bulge-dominated galaxies (n > 2) reside on the red sequence of the color-magnitude diagram, and most disk-dominated galaxies (n < 2) have colors expected for star-forming galaxies. There is weak evidence that cluster galaxies have redder rest-frame U-B colors and higher stellar masses compared to the field. Star-forming galaxies in both the cluster and field show no significant differences in their morphologies. In contrast, there is evidence that quiescent galaxies in the cluster have larger median effective radii and smaller Sérsic indices compared to the field with a significance of 2σ. These differences are most pronounced for galaxies at clustercentric distances 1Mpc< Rproj < 1.5Mpc, which have low Sérsic indices and possibly larger effective radii, more consistent with star-forming galaxies at this epoch and in contrast to other quiescent galaxies. We argue that star-forming galaxies are processed under the influence of the cluster environment at distances greater than the cluster-halo virial radius. Our results are consistent with models where gas accretion onto these galaxies is suppressed from processes associated with the cluster environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the luminosities and equivalent widths of the 284 z < 0.56 [O ii]-emitting galaxies found in the 169 arcmin2 pilot survey for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). By combining emission-line fluxes obtained from the Mitchell spectrograph on the McDonald 2.7 m telescope with deep broadband photometry from archival data, we derive each galaxy’s dereddened [O ii] λ3727 luminosity and calculate its total star formation rate. We show that over the last ∼5Gyr of cosmic time, there has been substantial evolution in the [O ii] emission-line luminosity function, with L ∗ decreasing by ∼0.6 ± 0.2 dex in the observed function, and by ∼0.9 ± 0.2 dex in the dereddened relation. Accompanying this decline is a significant shift in the distribution of [Oii] equivalent widths, with the fraction of high equivalent-width emitters declining dramatically with time. Overall, the data imply that the relative intensity of star formation within galaxies has decreased over the past ∼5Gyr, and that the star formation rate density of the universe has declined by a factor of ∼2.5 between z ∼ 0.5 and z ∼ 0. These observations represent the first [O ii]-based star formation rate density measurements in this redshift range, and foreshadow the advancements which will be generated by the main HETDEX survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have co-added the X-ray flux of all known Lyα emitters (LAEs) in the 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) region, achieving the tightest upper limits yet on the X-ray to Lyα ratio. We use the X-ray data to place sensitive upper limits on the average unobscured star formation rate (SFRX) in these galaxies. A very small traction of α galaxies in the field are individually detected in the X-rays, implying a low fraction of active galactic nucleus activity. After excluding the few X-ray-detected LAEs, we stack the undetected LAEs located in the 4 Ms CDF-S data and 250 ks Extended CDF-S (ECDF-S) data, and compute a 1σ upper limit on SFRX < 1.6, 14, 28, 28, 140, 440, 880M⊙ yr-1 for LAEs located at z ~ 0.3 and z = 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.5, 5.7, and 6.5, respectively. The upper limit of SFRX in LAEs can be then compared to SFRLyα derived from α line and thus can constrain on the α escape fraction Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. The Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed from X-ray at z ~ 0.3 is substantially larger than that from UV or Hα. Three X-ray-detected LAE galaxies at z ~ 0.3 show Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed ~3%-22%, and the average Lyα escape fraction from stacking the X-ray-undetected LAEs show Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed > 28% at 3σ significance level at the same redshift. We derive a lower limit on Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed > 14% (84% confidence level, 1σ lower limit) for LAEs at redshift z ~ 2.1 and z ~ 3.1-3.2. At z > 4, the current LAE samples are not of sufficient size to constrain SFRX well. By averaging all the LAEs at z > 2, the X-ray non-detection constrains Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed > 17% (84% confidence level, 1σ lower limit), and reject Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed < 5.7% at the 99.87% confidence level from 2.1 < z < 6.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) slitless grism spectroscopy of 28 emission-line galaxies at z ~ 2, in the GOODS-S region of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey. The high sensitivity of these grism observations, with > 1σ detections of emission lines to f > 2.5 x 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 means that the galaxies in the sample are typically ~7 times less massive (median M* = 109.5 M⊙) than previously studied z ~ 2 emission-line galaxies. Despite their lower mass, the galaxies have [OIII]/Hβ ratios which are very similar to previously studied z ~ 2 galaxies and much higher than the typical emission-line ratios of local galaxies. The WFC3 grism allows for unique studies of spatial gradients in emission lines, and we stack the two-dimensional spectra of the galaxies for this purpose. In the stacked data the [O III] emission line is more spatially concentrated than the Hβ emission line with 98.1% confidence. We additionally stack the X-ray data (all sources are individually undetected), and find that the average L[OIII]/L0.5-10keV ratio is intermediate between typical z ~ 0 obscured active galaxies and star-forming galaxies. Together the compactness of the stacked [OIII] spatial profile and the stacked X-ray data suggest that at least some of these low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies harbor weak active galactic nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the analysis of Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver far-infrared (FIR) observations of the z = 2.515 tensed galaxy SMM J163554.2+661225. Combining new 250, 350, and 500 µm observations with existing data, we make an improved fit to the FIR spectral energy distribution of this galaxy. We find a total infrared (IR) luminosity of L(8-1000 µm) =6.9 ± 0.6 x 1011 L⊙, a factor of three more precise over previous LIR estimates for this galaxy, and one of the most accurate measurements for any galaxy at these redshifts. This FIR luminosity implies an unlensed star formation rate (SFR) for this galaxy of 119 ± 10 M⊙ yr-1, which is a factor of 1.9 ± 0.35 lower than the SFR derived from the nebular Paα emission line (a 2.5σ discrepancy). Both SFR indicators assume an identical Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) with slope Γ = 2.35 over a mass range of 0.1-100 M⊙; thus this discrepancy suggests that more ionizing photons may be necessary to account for the higher Paα-derived SFR. We examine a number of scenarios and find that the observations can be explained with a varying star formation history (SFH) due to an increasing SFR, paired with a slight flattening of the IMF. If the SFR is constant in time, then larger changes need to be made to the IMF by either increasing the upper mass cutoff to ~200 M⊙, or a flattening of the IMF slope to 1.9 ± 0.15, or a combination of the two. These scenarios result in up to double the number of Stars with masses above 20 M⊙, which produce the requisite increase in ionizing photons over a Salpeter IMF with a constant SFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the escape of Lyα photons from Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) and the overall galaxy population using a sample of 99 LAEs at 1.9 < z < 3.8 detected through integral-field spectroscopy of blank fields by The Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Pilot Survey. For 89 LAEs with broadband counterparts we measure ultraviolet (UV) luminosities and UV slopes, and estimate E(B - V) under the assumption of a constant intrinsic UV slope for LAEs. These quantities are used to estimate dust-corrected star formation rates (SFRs). Comparison between the observed Lyα luminosity and that predicted by the dust-corrected SFR yields the Lyα escape fraction. We also measure the Lyα luminosity function and luminosity density (ρLyα) at 2 < Z < 4. Using this and other measurements from the literature at 0.3 < z < 7.7 we trace the redshift evolution of ρLyα. We compare it to the expectations from the star formation history of the universe and characterize the evolution of the Lyα escape fraction of galaxies. LAEs at 2 < z < 4 selected down to a luminosity limit of L(Lyα) > (3-6) x 1042 erg s-1 (0.25-0.5 L*), have a mean (E(B - V)) = 0.13 ± 0.01, implying an attenuation of ~70% in the UV. They show a median UV uncorrected SFR = 11 M⊙ yr-1, dust-corrected SFR = 34 M⊙ yr-1, and Lyα equivalent widths (EWs) which are consistent with normal stellar populations. We measure a median Lyα escape fraction of 29%, with a large scatter and values ranging from a few percent to 100%. The Lyα escape fraction in LAEs correlates with E(B - V) in a way that is expected if Lyα photons suffer from similar amounts of dust extinction as UV continuum photons. This result implies that a strong enhancement of the Lyα EW with dust, due to a clumpy multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM), is not a common process in LAEs at these redshifts. It also suggests that while in other galaxies Lyα can be preferentially quenched by dust due to its scattering nature, this is not the case in LAEs. We find no evolution in the average dust content and Lyα escape fraction of LAEs from z ~ 4 to 2. We see hints of a drop in the number density of LAEs from z ~ 4 to 2 in the redshift distribution and the Lyα luminosity function, although larger samples are required to confirm this. The mean Lyα escape fraction of the overall galaxy population decreases significantly from z ~ 6 to z ~ 2, in agreement with recent results. Our results point toward a scenario in which star-forming galaxies build up significant amounts of dust in their ISM between z ~ 6 and 2, reducing their Lyα escape fraction, with LAE selection preferentially detecting galaxies which have the highest escape fractions given their dust content. The fact that a large escape of Lyα photons is reached by z ~ 6 implies that better constraints on this quantity at higher redshifts might detect re-ionization in a way that is uncoupled from the effects of dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the highest redshift detections of resolved Lyα emission, using Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys F658N narrowband-imaging data taken in parallel with theWide Field Camera 3 Early Release Science program in the GOODS Chandra Deep Field-South. We detect Lyα emission from three spectroscopically confirmed z = 4.4 Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs), more than doubling the sample of LAEs with resolved Lyα emission. Comparing the light distribution between the rest-frame ultraviolet continuum and narrowband images, we investigate the escape of Lyα photons at high redshift.While our data do not support a positional offset between the Lyα and rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) continuum emission, the half-light radius in one out of the three galaxies is significantly (>1σ) larger in Lyα than in the rest-frame UV continuum. Stacking the three LAEs in both the narrowband and UV continuum images, we find that the Lyα light appears larger than the rest-frame UV at 4.2σ significance. This Lyα flux detected with HST is a factor of 4-10 less than observed in similar filters from the ground. These results together imply that the Lyα emission is not strictly confined to its indigenous star-forming regions. Rather, for at least one object the Lyα emission is more extended, with the missing HST flux possibly existing in a diffuse outer halo. This suggests that the radiative transfer of Lyα photons in high-redshift LAEs is complicated, with the interstellar-medium geometry and/or outflows playing a significant role in galaxies at these redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of an optical spectroscopic study of 12 GALEX-discovered star-forming Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z ~ 0.3. We measure the emission-line fluxes from these galaxies by fitting their observed spectra to stellar population models in order to correct for underlying stellar absorption. We revisit earlier stellar population model fitting results, finding that excluding now-known active galactic nuclei lowers the typical stellar population age and stellar mass of this sample to ~300 Myr and ~4 x 109 M..., respectively. We calculate their dust extinction using the Balmer decrement, and find a typical visual attenuation ofAv ~ 0.3 mag, similar to that seen in some high- redshift LAEs. Comparing the ratios of Lyα/Hα and the Lyα equivalent widths to the measured dust extinction, we find that the interstellar media (ISMs) in these objects appear to be neither enhancing nor seriously attenuating the Lyα equivalent widths, as would be the case in a quasi-clumpy ISM. Lastly, we perform a detailed analysis of the gas-phase metallicities of these galaxies, and we find that most galaxies in our sample have Z ≲ 0.4 Z.... We find that at a fixed stellar mass, these low-redshift LAE analogs are offset by ~0.3-0.6 dex lower metallicity from the general galaxy population at similar redshifts based on the local mass-metallicity relationship. This implies that galaxies with Lyα in emission may be systematically more metal-poor than star-forming galaxies at the same stellar mass and redshift, similar to preliminary results at z ~ 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quenched galaxies at z > 2 are nearly all very compact relative to z ∼ 0, suggesting a physical connection between high stellar density and efficient, rapid cessation of star-formation. We present rest-frame UV spectra of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 3 selected to be candidate progenitors of the quenched galaxies at z ∼ 2 based on their compact rest-frame-optical sizes and high ΣSFR. We compare their UV properties to those of more extended LBGs of similar mass and star-formation rate (non-candidates). We find that candidate progenitors have faster bulk interstellar medium (ISM) gas velocities and higher equivalent widths of interstellar absorption lines, implying larger velocity spread among absorbing clouds. Candidates deviate from the relationship between equivalent widths of Lyα and interstellar absorption lines in that their Lyα emission remains strong despite high interstellar absorption, possibly indicating that the neutral H I fraction is patchy, such that Lyα photons can escape. We detect stronger C IV P-Cygni features (emission and absorption) and He II emission in candidates, indicative of larger populations of metal-rich Wolf-Rayet stars compared to non-candidates. The faster bulk motions, broader spread of gas velocity, and Lyα properties of candidates are consistent with their ISM being subject to more energetic feedback than non-candidates. Together with their larger metallicity (implying more evolved star-formation activity) this leads us to propose, if speculatively, that they are likely to quench sooner than non-candidates, supporting the validity of selection criteria used to identify them as progenitors of z ∼ 2 passive galaxies. We propose that massive, compact galaxies undergo more rapid growth of their stellar mass content, perhaps because the gas accretion mechanisms are different, and quench sooner than normally sized LBGs at these (early) epochs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distant star-forming galaxies show a correlation between their star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses, and this has deep implications for galaxy formation. Here, we present a study on the evolution of the slope and scatter of the SFR-stellar mass relation for galaxies at 3.5 ⩽ z ⩽ 6.5 using multi-wavelength photometry in GOODS-S from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and Spitzer Extended Deep Survey. We describe an updated, Bayesian spectral-energy distribution fitting method that incorporates effects of nebular line emission, star formation histories that are constant or rising with time, and different dust-attenuation prescriptions (starburst and Small Magellanic Cloud). From z = 6.5 to z = 3.5 star-forming galaxies in CANDELS follow a nearly unevolving correlation between stellar mass and SFR that follows SFR ∼ with a =0.54 ± 0.16 at z ∼ 6 and 0.70 ± 0.21 at z ∼ 4. This evolution requires a star formation history that increases with decreasing redshift (on average, the SFRs of individual galaxies rise with time). The observed scatter in the SFR-stellar mass relation is tight, σ(log SFR/M☼ yr–1) < 0.3-0.4 dex, for galaxies with log M⋆/M☼ > 9 dex. Assuming that the SFR is tied to the net gas inflow rate (SFR ∼ ), then the scatter in the gas inflow rate is also smaller than 0.3–0.4 dex for star-forming galaxies in these stellar mass and redshift ranges, at least when averaged over the timescale of star formation. We further show that the implied star formation history of objects selected on the basis of their co-moving number densities is consistent with the evolution in the SFR-stellar mass relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Keck-I MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopy for a sample of 13 compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at redshift 2 ⩽ z ⩽ 2.5 with star formation rates of SFR ∼ 100 M☼ yr–1 and masses of log(M/M☼) ∼10.8. Their high integrated gas velocity dispersions of σint km s–1, as measured from emission lines of Hα and [O III], and the resultant M⋆-σint relation and M⋆-Mdyn all match well to those of compact quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, as measured from stellar absorption lines. Since log(M⋆/Mdyn) =–0.06 ± 0.2 dex, these compact SFGs appear to be dynamically relaxed and evolved, i.e., depleted in gas and dark matter (<13%), and present larger σint than their non-compact SFG counterparts at the same epoch. Without infusion of external gas, depletion timescales are short, less than ∼300 Myr. This discovery adds another link to our new dynamical chain of evidence that compact SFGs at z ≳ 2 are already losing gas to become the immediate progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies by z ∼ 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results from a Very Large Telescope/SINFONI and Keck/NIRSPEC near-infrared spectroscopic survey of 16 Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.1-2.5 in the COSMOS and GOODS-N fields discovered from the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Pilot Survey. We detect rest-frame optical nebular lines (Hα and/or [O III] λ5007) for 10 of the LAEs and measure physical properties, including the star formation rate (SFR), gas-phase metallicity, gas mass fraction, and Lyα velocity offset. We find that LAEs may lie below the mass-metallicity relation for continuum-selected star-forming galaxies at the same redshift. The LAEs all show velocity shifts of Lyα relative to the systemic redshift ranging between +85 and +296 km s–1 with a mean of +180 km s–1. This value is smaller than measured for continuum-selected star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. The Lyα velocity offsets show a moderate correlation with the measured SFR (2.5σ), but no significant correlations are seen with the SFR surface density, specific SFR, stellar mass, or dynamical mass (≲1.5σ). Exploring the role of dust, kinematics of the interstellar medium (ISM), and geometry on the escape of Lyα photons, we find no signature of selective quenching of resonantly scattered Lyα photons. However, we also find no evidence that a clumpy ISM is enhancing the Lyα equivalent width. Our results suggest that the low metallicity in LAEs may be responsible for yielding an environment with a low neutral hydrogen column density and less dust, easing the escape of Lyα photons over that in continuum-selected star-forming galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One key goal of the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey is to track galaxy evolution back to z ≈ 8. Its two-tiered “wide and deep” strategy bridges significant gaps in existing near-infrared surveys. Here we report on z ≈ 8 galaxy candidates selected as F105W-band dropouts in one of its deep fields, which covers 50.1 arcmin2 to 4 ks depth in each of three near-infrared bands in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey southern field. Two of our candidates have J < 26.2 mag, and are >1 mag brighter than any previously known F105W-dropouts. We derive constraints on the bright end of the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function of galaxies at z ≈ 8, and show that the number density of such very bright objects is higher than expected from the previous Schechter luminosity function estimates at this redshift. Another two candidates are securely detected in Spitzer Infrared Array Camera images, which are the first such individual detections at z ≈ 8. Their derived stellar masses are on the order of a few × 109M☼, from which we obtain the first measurement of the high-mass end of the galaxy stellar mass function at z ≈ 8. The high number density of very luminous and very massive galaxies at z ≈ 8, if real, could imply a large stellar-to-halo mass ratio and an efficient conversion of baryons to stars at such an early time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present measurements of the specific ultraviolet luminosity density from a sample of 483 galaxies at 6 ≲ z ≲ 8. These galaxies were selected from new deep near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope imaging from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, Hubble UltraDeep Field 2009, and Wide Field Camera 3 Early Release Science programs. We investigate the contribution to reionization from galaxies that we observe directly, thus sidestepping the uncertainties inherent in complementary studies that have invoked assumptions regarding the intrinsic shape or the faint-end cutoff of the galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function. Due to our larger survey volume, wider wavelength coverage, and updated assumptions about the clumping of gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM), we find that the observable population of galaxies can sustain a fully reionized IGM at z = 6, if the average ionizing photon escape fraction (fesc) is ∼30%. Our result contrasts with a number of previous studies that have measured UV luminosity densities at these redshifts that vary by a factor of five, with many concluding that galaxies could not complete reionization by z = 6 unless a large population of galaxies fainter than the detection limit were invoked, or extremely high values of fesc were present. The specific UV luminosity density from our observed galaxy samples at z = 7 and 8 is not sufficient to maintain a fully reionized IGM unless fesc > 50%. We examine the contribution from galaxies in different luminosity ranges and find that the sub-L* galaxies we detect are stronger contributors to the ionizing photon budget than the L > L* population, unless fesc is luminosity dependent. Combining our observations with constraints on the emission rate of ionizing photons from Lyα forest observations at z = 6, we find that we can constrain fesc < 34% (2σ) if the observed galaxies are the only contributors to reionization, or <13% (2σ) if the luminosity function extends to a limiting magnitude of MUV = –13. These escape fractions are sufficient to sustain an ionized IGM by z = 6. Current constraints on the high-redshift galaxy population imply that the volume ionized fraction of the IGM, while consistent with unity at z ⩽ 6, appears to drop at redshifts not much higher than 7, consistent with a number of complementary reionization probes. If faint galaxies dominated the ionizing photon budget at z = 6-7, future extremely deep observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will probe deep enough to directly observe them, providing an indirect constraint on the global ionizing photon escape fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]