The Lyman Alpha Forest in the Spectra of QSOs

Observations of redshifted Lyman alpha forest absorption in the spectra of quasistellar objects (QSOs) provide a highly sensitive probe of the distribution of gaseous matter in the universe. Over the past two decades optical spectroscopy with large ground-based telescopes, and more recently ultraviolet spectroscopy from space have yielded a wealth of information on what appears to be a gaseous, photoionized intergalactic medium, partly enriched by the products of stellar nucleosynthesis, residing in coherent structures over many hundreds of kiloparsecs. Recent progress with cosmological hydro-simulations based on hierarchical structure formation models has led to important insights into the physical structures giving rise to the forest. If these ideas are correct, a truely inter- and proto-galactic medium [at high redshift (z ~ 3), the main repository of baryons] collapses under the influence of dark matter gravity into flattened or filamentary structures, which are seen in absorption against background QSOs. With decreasing redshift, galaxies forming in the denser regions, may contribute an increasing part of the Lyman alpha absorption cross-section. Comparisons between large data samples from the new generation of telescopes and artificial Lyman alpha forest spectra from cosmological simulations promise to become a useful cosmological tool.Comment: latex plus three postscript figures, uses psfig,sty; Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 1998, vol. 36 (in press

Keck spectroscopy and NICMOS photometry of a redshift z=5.60 galaxy

We present Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer spectroscopy along with Near-Infrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) F110W (∼J) and F160W (∼H) images of the galaxy HDF 4-473.0 in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF), with a detection of an emission line consistent with Lyα at a redshift of z = 5.60. Attention to this object as a high-redshift galaxy was first drawn by Lanzetta, Yahil, and Fernandez-Soto and appeared in their initial list of galaxies with redshifts estimated from the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) HDF photometry. It was selected by us for spectroscopic observation, along with others in the HDF, on the basis of the NICMOS F110W and F160W and WFPC2 photometry. ForH0 = 65 km s-1 Mpc-1 and q0 = 0.125, the use of simple evolutionary models along with the F814W (∼I), F110W, and F160W magnitudes allow us to estimate the star formation rate (∼13 M⊙ yr-1). The colors suggest a reddening of E(B - V) ∼ 0.06. The measured flux in the Lyα line is approximately 1.0 × 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1, and the rest-frame equivalent width, correcting for the absorption caused by intervening H I, is ∼90 Å. The galaxy is compact and regular, but resolved, with an observed FWHM of ∼0″.44. Simple evolutionary models can accurately reproduce the colors, and these models predict the Lyα flux to within a factor of 2. Using this object as a template shifted to higher redshifts, we calculate the magnitudes through the F814W and two NICMOS passbands for galaxies at redshifts 6 < z < 10. © 1998. The American Astronomical Socicly. All rights reserved

The afterglow, redshift and extreme energetics of the γ-ray burst of 23 January 1999

Long-lived emission, known as afterglow, has now been detected from about a dozen γ-ray bursts. Distance determinations place the bursts at cosmological distances, with redshifts, z, ranging from ~1 to 3. The energy required to produce these bright γ-ray flashes is enormous: up to ~1053 erg, or 10 per cent of the rest-mass energy of a neutron star, if the emission is isotropic. Here we present optical and near-infrared observations of the afterglow of GRB990123, and we determine a redshift of z ≥ 1.6. This is to date the brightest γ-ray burst with a well-localized position and if the γ-rays were emitted isotropically, the energy release exceeds the rest- mass energy of a neutron star, so challenging current theoretical models of the sources. We argue, however, that our data may provide evidence of beamed (rather than isotropic) radiation, thereby reducing the total energy released to a level where stellar-death models are still tenable

The afterglow, redshift and extreme energetics of the gamma-ray burst of 23 January 1999

Long-lived emission, known as afterglow, has now been detected from about a dozen gamma-ray bursts. Distance determinations place the bursts at cosmological distances, with redshifts,z, ranging from similar to 1 to 3, The energy required to produce these bright gamma-ray flashes is enormous: up to similar to 10(53) erg, or to per cent of the rest-mass energy of a neutron star, if the emission is isotropic. Here we present optical and near-infrared observations of the afterglow of GRB990123, and we determine a redshift of z greater than or equal to 1.6, This is to date the brightest gamma-ray burst with a well-localized position and if the gamma-rays were emitted isotropically, the energy release exceeds the rest-mass energy of a neutron st ar, so challenging current theoretical models of the sources. We argue, however, that our data may provide evidence of beamed (rather than isotropic) radiation, thereby reducing the total energy released to a lever where stellar-death models are still tenable