1. |
- Drake, A. B., et al.
(author)
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The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey VI. The faint-end of the Lyα luminosity function at 2.91
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 608
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the deepest study to date of the Ly alpha luminosity function in a blank field using blind integral field spectroscopy from MUSE. We constructed a sample of 604 Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) across the redshift range 2.91 < z < 6.64 using automatic detection software in the Hubble Ultra Deep Lield. The deep data cubes allowed us to calculate accurate total Ly alpha fluxes capturing low surface-brightness extended Ly alpha emission now known to be a generic property of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. We simulated realistic extended LAEs to fully characterise the selection function of our samples, and performed flux-recovery experiments to test and correct for bias in our determination of total Ly alpha fluxes. We find that an accurate completeness correction accounting for extended emission reveals a very steep faint-end slope of the luminosity function, alpha, down to luminosities of log(10) L erg s(-1) < 41.5, applying both the 1/V-max and maximum likelihood estimators. Splitting the sample into three broad redshift bins, we see the faint-end slope increasing from -2.03(-0.07)(+1.42) at z approximate to 3.44 to -2.86(-infinity)(+0.76) Z approximate to 76 at z approximate to 5.48, however no strong evolution is seen between the 68% confidence regions in L*-alpha parameter space. Using the Ly alpha line flux as a proxy for star formation activity, and integrating the observed luminosity functions, we find that LAEs' contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density rises with redshift until it is comparable to that from continuum-selected samples by z approximate to 6. This implies that LAEs may contribute more to the star-formation activity of the early Universe than previously thought, as any additional intergalactic medium (IGM) correction would act to further boost the Ly alpha luminosities. Linally, assuming fiducial values for the escape of Ly alpha and LyC radiation, and the dumpiness of the IGM, we integrated the maximum likelihood luminosity function at 5.00 < z < 6.64 and find we require only a small extrapolation beyond the data (<1 dex in luminosity) for LAEs alone to maintain an ionised IGM at z approximate to 6.
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2. |
- Hashimoto, T., et al.
(author)
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The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey X. Ly alpha equivalent widths at 2.9 < z < 6.6
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 608
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present rest-frame Ly alpha equivalent widths (EW0) of 417 Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) detected with Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at 2.9 < z < 6.6 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Based on the deep MUSE spectroscopy and ancillary Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry data, we carefully measured EW0 values taking into account extended Ly alpha emission and UV continuum slopes (beta). Our LAEs reach unprecedented depths, both in Ly alpha luminosities and UV absolute magnitudes, from log (L-Ly alpha/erg s(-1)) similar to 41.0 to 43.0 and from M-UV similar to -16 to -21 (0.01-1.0 L-z=3(*)). The EW0 values span the range of similar to 5 to 240 angstrom or larger, and their distribution can be well fitted by an exponential law N = N-0 exp(-EW0/w(0)). Owing to the high dynamic range in M-UV, we find that the scale factor, w(0), depends on M-UV in the sense that including fainter M-UV objects increases w(0), i.e., the Ando effect. The results indicate that selection functions affect the EW0 scale factor. Taking these effects into account, we find that our w(0) values are consistent with those in the literature within 1 sigma uncertainties at 2.9 < z < 6.6 at a given threshold of M-UV and LLy alpha. Interestingly, we find 12 objects with EW0> 200 angstrom above 1 sigma uncertainties. Two of these 12 LAEs show signatures of merger or AGN activity: the weak Civ lambda 1549 emission line. For the remaining 10 very large EW0 LAEs, we find that the EW0 values can be reproduced by young stellar ages (< 100 Myr) and low metallicities (less than or similar to 0.02 Z(circle dot)). Otherwise, at least part of the Ly alpha emission in these LAEs needs to arise from anisotropic radiative transfer effects, fluorescence by hidden AGN or quasi-stellar object activity, or gravitational cooling.
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