The prevalence and properties of cold gas inflows and outflows around galaxies in the local Universe

We perform a stacking analysis of the neutral Na D λλ5889, 5895 Å ISM doublet using the SDSS DR7 spectroscopic data set to probe the prevalence and characteristics of cold (T ≲ 104 K) galactic-scale gas flows in local (0.025 ≤ z ≤ 0.1) inactive and AGN-host galaxies across the SFR–M* plane. We find low-velocity outflows to be prevalent in regions of high SFRs and stellar masses (10 ≲ log M*/M⊙ ≲ 11.5), however we do not find any detections in the low-mass (log M*/M⊙ ≲ 10) regime. We also find tentative detections of inflowing gas in high-mass galaxies across the star-forming population. We derive mass outflow rates in the range of 0.14–1.74 M⊙ yr−1 and upper limits on inflow rates <1 M⊙ yr−1, allowing us to place constraints on the mass-loading factor (η = M˙out/SFR) for use in simulations of the local Universe. We discuss the fate of the outflows by comparing the force provided by the starburst to the critical force needed to push the outflow outward, and find the vast majority of the outflows unlikely to escape the host system. Finally, as outflow detection rates and central velocities do not vary strongly with the presence of a (weak) active supermassive black hole, we determine that star formation appears to be the primary driver of outflows at z ∼ 0

Probing cosmic dawn: Ages and star formation histories of candidate z ≥ 9 galaxies

We discuss the spectral energy distributions and physical properties of six galaxies whose photometric redshifts suggest they lie beyond a redshift z ≃ 9. Each was selected on account of a prominent excess seen in the Spitzer/IRAC 4.5 μm band which, for a redshift above z = 9.0, likely indicates the presence of a rest-frame Balmer break and a stellar component that formed earlier than a redshift z ≃ 10. In addition to constraining the earlier star formation activity on the basis of fits using stellar population models with BAGPIPES, we have undertaken the necessary, but challenging, follow-up spectroscopy for each candidate using various combinations of Keck/MOSFIRE, VLT/X-shooter, Gemini/FLAMINGOS2, and ALMA. Based on either Lyman-α or [O III] 88 μm emission, we determine a convincing redshift of z = 8.78 for GN-z-10-3 and a likely redshift of z = 9.28 for the lensed galaxy MACS0416-JD. For GN-z9-1, we conclude the case remains promising for a source beyond z ≃ 9. Together with earlier spectroscopic data for MACS1149-JD1, our analysis of this enlarged sample provides further support for a cosmic star formation history extending beyond redshifts z ≃ 10. We use our best-fitting stellar population models to reconstruct the past rest-frame UV luminosities of our sources and discuss the implications for tracing earlier progenitors of such systems with the James Webb Space Telescope

Centrally concentrated molecular gas driving galactic-scale ionized gas outflows in star-forming galaxies

We perform a joint analysis of high spatial resolution molecular gas and star-formation rate (SFR) maps in main-sequence star-forming galaxies experiencing galactic-scale outflows of ionized gas. Our aim is to understand the mechanism that determines which galaxies are able to launch these intense winds. We observed CO(1→0) at 1-arcsec resolution with ALMA in 16 edge-on galaxies, which also have 2-arcsec spatial-resolution optical integral field observations from the SAMI Galaxy Survey. Half the galaxies in the sample were previously identified as harbouring intense and large-scale outflows of ionized gas (‘outflow types’) and the rest serve as control galaxies. The data set is complemented by integrated CO(1→0) observations from the IRAM 30-m telescope to probe the total molecular gas reservoirs. We find that the galaxies powering outflows do not possess significantly different global gas fractions or star-formation efficiencies when compared with a control sample. However, the ALMA maps reveal that the molecular gas in the outflow-type galaxies is distributed more centrally than in the control galaxies. For our outflow-type objects, molecular gas and star-formation are largely confined within their inner effective radius (reff), whereas in the control sample, the distribution is more diffuse, extending far beyond reff. We infer that outflows in normal star-forming galaxies may be caused by dynamical mechanisms that drive molecular gas into their central regions, which can result in locally enhanced gas surface density and star-formation

Observations of Lyα\alpha Emitters at High Redshift

In this series of lectures, I review our observational understanding of high-$z$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) and relevant scientific topics. Since the discovery of LAEs in the late 1990s, more than ten (one) thousand(s) of LAEs have been identified photometrically (spectroscopically) at $z\sim 0$ to $z\sim 10$. These large samples of LAEs are useful to address two major astrophysical issues, galaxy formation and cosmic reionization. Statistical studies have revealed the general picture of LAEs' physical properties: young stellar populations, remarkable luminosity function evolutions, compact morphologies, highly ionized inter-stellar media (ISM) with low metal/dust contents, low masses of dark-matter halos. Typical LAEs represent low-mass high-$z$ galaxies, high-$z$ analogs of dwarf galaxies, some of which are thought to be candidates of population III galaxies. These observational studies have also pinpointed rare bright Ly$\alpha$ sources extended over $\sim 10-100$ kpc, dubbed Ly$\alpha$ blobs, whose physical origins are under debate. LAEs are used as probes of cosmic reionization history through the Ly$\alpha$ damping wing absorption given by the neutral hydrogen of the inter-galactic medium (IGM), which complement the cosmic microwave background radiation and 21cm observations. The low-mass and highly-ionized population of LAEs can be major sources of cosmic reionization. The budget of ionizing photons for cosmic reionization has been constrained, although there remain large observational uncertainties in the parameters. Beyond galaxy formation and cosmic reionization, several new usages of LAEs for science frontiers have been suggested such as the distribution of {\sc Hi} gas in the circum-galactic medium and filaments of large-scale structures. On-going programs and future telescope projects, such as JWST, ELTs, and SKA, will push the horizons of the science frontiers.Comment: Lecture notes for `Lyman-alpha as an Astrophysical and Cosmological Tool', Saas-Fee Advanced Course 46. Verhamme, A., North, P., Cantalupo, S., & Atek, H. (eds.) --- 147 pages, 103 figures. Abstract abridged. Link to the lecture program including the video recording and ppt files : https://obswww.unige.ch/Courses/saas-fee-2016/program.cg

Interpreting the Spitzer/IRAC colours of 7 ≤ z ≤ 9 galaxies: Distinguishing between line emission and starlight using ALMA

ABSTRACT Prior to the launch of JWST, Spitzer/IRAC photometry offers the only means of studying the rest-frame optical properties of z &amp;gt;7 galaxies. Many such high-redshift galaxies display a red [3.6]−[4.5] micron colour, often referred to as the ‘IRAC excess’, which has conventionally been interpreted as arising from intense [O iii]+H β emission within the [4.5] micron bandpass. An appealing aspect of this interpretation is similarly intense line emission seen in star-forming galaxies at lower redshift as well as the redshift-dependent behaviour of the IRAC colours beyond z ∼ 7 modelled as the various nebular lines move through the two bandpasses. In this paper, we demonstrate that, given the photometric uncertainties, established stellar populations with Balmer (4000 Å rest frame) breaks, such as those inferred at z &amp;gt; 9 where line emission does not contaminate the IRAC bands, can equally well explain the redshift-dependent behaviour of the IRAC colours in 7 ≲ z ≲ 9 galaxies. We discuss possible ways of distinguishing between the two hypotheses using ALMA measures of [O iii] λ88 micron and dust continuum fluxes. Prior to further studies with JWST, we show that the distinction is important in determining the assembly history of galaxies in the first 500 Myr.</jats:p

The prevalence of galaxy overdensities around UV-luminous Lyman α emitters in the Epoch of Reionization

ABSTRACT Before the end of the Epoch of Reionization, the Hydrogen in the Universe was predominantly neutral. This leads to a strong attenuation of Ly α lines of z ≳ 6 galaxies in the intergalactic medium. Nevertheless, Ly α has been detected up to very high redshifts (z ∼ 9) for several especially UV luminous galaxies. Here, we test to what extent the galaxy’s local environment might impact the Ly α transmission of such sources. We present an analysis of dedicated Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging in the CANDELS/EGS field to search for fainter neighbours around three of the most UV luminous and most distant spectroscopically confirmed Ly α emitters: EGS-zs8-1, EGS-zs8-2, and EGSY-z8p7 at zspec = 7.73, 7.48, and 8.68, respectively. We combine the multiwavelength HST imaging with Spitzer data to reliably select z ∼ 7–9 galaxies around the central, UV-luminous sources. In all cases, we find a clear enhancement of neighbouring galaxies compared to the expected number in a blank field (by a factor ∼3–9×). Our analysis thus reveals ubiquitous overdensities around luminous Ly α emitting sources in the heart of the cosmic reionization epoch. We show that our results are in excellent agreement with expectations from the Dragons simulation, confirming the theoretical prediction that the first ionized bubbles preferentially formed in overdense regions. While three UV luminous galaxies already have spectroscopic redshifts, the majority of the remaining fainter, surrounding sources are yet to be confirmed via spectroscopy. JWST follow-up observations of the neighbouring galaxies identified here will thus be needed to confirm their physical association and to map out the ionized regions produced by these sources.</jats:p

The prevalence of galaxy overdensities around UV-luminous Lyman α emitters in the Epoch of Reionization

Before the end of the Epoch of Reionization, the Hydrogen in the Universe was predominantly neutral. This leads to a strong attenuation of Ly α lines of z ≳ 6 galaxies in the intergalactic medium. Nevertheless, Ly α has been detected up to very high redshifts (z ∼9) for several especially UV luminous galaxies. Here, we test to what extent the galaxy's local environment might impact the Ly α transmission of such sources. We present an analysis of dedicated Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging in the CANDELS/EGS field to search for fainter neighbours around three of the most UV luminous and most distant spectroscopically confirmed Ly α emitters: EGS-zs8-1, EGS-zs8-2, and EGSY-z8p7 at zspec = 7.73, 7.48, and 8.68, respectively. We combine the multiwavelength HST imaging with Spitzer data to reliably select z ∼7-9 galaxies around the central, UV-luminous sources. In all cases, we find a clear enhancement of neighbouring galaxies compared to the expected number in a blank field (by a factor ∼3-9×). Our analysis thus reveals ubiquitous overdensities around luminous Ly α emitting sources in the heart of the cosmic reionization epoch. We show that our results are in excellent agreement with expectations from the Dragons simulation, confirming the theoretical prediction that the first ionized bubbles preferentially formed in overdense regions. While three UV luminous galaxies already have spectroscopic redshifts, the majority of the remaining fainter, surrounding sources are yet to be confirmed via spectroscopy. JWST follow-up observations of the neighbouring galaxies identified here will thus be needed to confirm their physical association and to map out the ionized regions produced by these sources