The Spectral Evolution of the First Galaxies. III. Simulated James Webb Space Telescope Spectra of Reionization-epoch Galaxies with Lyman-continuum Leakage

• Using four different suites of cosmological simulations, we generate synthetic spectra for galaxies with different Lyman-continuum escape fractions (f(esc)) at redshifts z approximate to 7-9, in the rest-frame wavelength range relevant for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRSpec instrument. By investigating the effects of realistic star formation histories and metallicity distributions on the EW(H beta)-beta diagram (previously proposed as a tool for identifying galaxies with very high f(esc)), we find that neither of these effects are likely to jeopardize the identification of galaxies with extreme Lyman-continuum leakage. Based on our models, we expect that essentially all z approximate to 7-9 galaxies that exhibit rest-frame EW(Hb). 30 angstrom to have f(esc) > 0.5. Incorrect assumptions concerning the ionizing fluxes of stellar populations or the dust properties of z > 6 galaxies can in principle bias the selection, but substantial model deficiencies of this type should at the same time be evident from offsets in the observed distribution of z > 6 galaxies in the EW(H beta)-beta diagram compared to the simulated distribution. Such offsets would thereby allow JWST/NIRSpec measurements of these observables to serve as input for further model refinement.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

dark ages

reionization

first stars

galaxies: high-redshift

techniques: spectroscopic

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)