22 research outputs found
Testing metallicity indicators at z~1.4 with the gravitationally lensed galaxy CASSOWARY 20
We present X-shooter observations of CASSOWARY 20 (CSWA 20), a star-forming
(SFR ~6 Msol/yr) galaxy at z=1.433, magnified by a factor of 11.5 by the
gravitational lensing produced by a massive foreground galaxy at z=0.741. We
analysed the integrated physical properties of the HII regions of CSWA 20 using
temperature- and density-sensitive emission lines. We find the abundance of
oxygen to be ~1/7 of solar, while carbon is ~50 times less abundant than in the
Sun. The unusually low C/O ratio may be an indication of a particularly rapid
timescale of chemical enrichment. The wide wavelength coverage of X-shooter
gives us access to five different methods for determining the metallicity of
CSWA 20, three based on emission lines from HII regions and two on absorption
features formed in the atmospheres of massive stars. All five estimates are in
agreement, within the factor of ~2 uncertainty of each method. The interstellar
medium of CSWA 20 only partially covers the star-forming region as viewed from
our direction; in particular, absorption lines from neutrals and first ions are
exceptionally weak. We find evidence for large-scale outflows of the
interstellar medium (ISM) with speeds of up 750 km/s, similar to the values
measured in other high-z galaxies sustaining much higher rates of star
formation.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Optical properties and spatial distribution of MgII absorbers from SDSS image stacking
We present a statistical analysis of the photometric properties and spatial
distribution of more than 2,800 MgII absorbers with 0.37<z<1 and rest
equivalent width W_0(\lambda2796)>0.8\AA detected in SDSS quasar spectra. Using
an improved image stacking technique, we measure the cross-correlation between
MgII gas and light (in the g, r, i and z-bands) from 10 to 200 kpc and infer
the light-weighted impact parameter distribution of MgII absorbers. Such a
quantity is well described by a power-law with an index that strongly depends
on W_0, ranging from ~-1 for W_0~ 1.5\AA. At redshift
0.37<z<0.55, we find the average luminosity enclosed within 100 kpc around MgII
absorbers to be M_g=-20.65+-0.11 mag, which is ~0.5 L_g*. The global
luminosity-weighted colors are typical of present-day intermediate type
galaxies. However, while the light of weaker absorbers originates mostly from
red passive galaxies, stronger systems display the colors of blue star-forming
galaxies. Based on these observations, we argue that the origin of strong MgII
absorber systems might be better explained by models of metal-enriched gas
outflows from star-forming/bursting galaxies. Our analysis does not show any
redshift dependence for both impact parameter and rest-frame colors up to z=1.
However, we do observe a brightening of the absorbers related light at high
redshift (~50% from z~0.4 to 1). We argue that MgII absorbers are a phenomenon
typical of a given evolutionary phase that more massive galaxies experience
earlier than less massive ones, in a downsizing fashion. (abridged)Comment: ApJ in press, 28 pages, 16 figures, using emulateapj. Only typo
corrections wrt the original submission (v1
The Lyman Continuum Escape Fraction of The Cosmic Horseshoe: A Test of Indirect Estimates
High redshift star-forming galaxies are likely responsible for the
reionization of the Universe, yet direct detection of their escaping ionizing
(Lyman continuum) photons has proven to be extremely challenging. In this
study, we search for escaping Lyman continuum of the Cosmic Horseshoe, a
gravitationally lensed, star-forming galaxy at z=2.38 with a large
magnification of . Transmission at wavelengths of low ionization
interstellar absorption lines in the rest-frame ultraviolet suggest a patchy,
partially transparent interstellar medium. This makes it an ideal candidate for
direct detection of the Lyman continuum. We obtained a 10-orbit Hubble near-UV
image using the WFC3/UVIS F275W filter that probes wavelengths just below the
Lyman limit at the redshift of the Horseshoe in an attempt to detect escaping
Lyman continuum radiation. After fully accounting for the uncertainties in the
opacity of the intergalactic medium as well as accounting for the charge
transfer inefficiency in the WFC3 CCDs, we find a upper-limit for
the relative escape fraction of . This value is a factor of
five lower than the value (0.4) predicted by the 40\% transmission in the
low-ion absorption lines. We discuss the possible causes for this discrepancy
and consider the implications for future attempts at both direct Lyman
continuum detection as well as indirect estimates of the escape fraction.Comment: 10 pages, 8 Figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa
The Pittsburgh Sloan Digital Sky Survey MgII Quasar Absorption-Line Survey Catalog
We present a catalog of intervening MgII quasar absorption-line systems in
the redshift interval 0.36 <= z <= 2.28. The catalog was built from Sloan
Digital Sky Survey Data Release Four (SDSS DR4) quasar spectra. Currently, the
catalog contains > 17,000 measured MgII doublets. We also present data on the
~44,600 quasar spectra which were searched to construct the catalog, including
redshift and magnitude information, continuum-normalized spectra, and
corresponding arrays of redshift-dependent minimum rest equivalent widths
detectable at our confidence threshold. The catalog is available on the web. A
careful second search of 500 random spectra indicated that, for every 100
spectra searched, approximately one significant MgII system was accidentally
rejected. Current plans to expand the catalog beyond DR4 quasars are discussed.
Many MgII absorbers are known to be associated with galaxies. Therefore, the
combination of large size and well understood statistics makes this catalog
ideal for precision studies of the low-ionization and neutral gas regions
associated with galaxies at low to moderate redshift. An analysis of the
statistics of MgII absorbers using this catalog will be presented in a
subsequent paper.Comment: AJ, in pres
A Groundbased Imaging Study of Galaxies Causing DLA, subDLA, and LLS Absorption in Quasar Spectra
We present results from a search for galaxies that give rise to damped Lyman
alpha (DLA), subDLA, and Lyman limit system (LLS) absorption at redshifts 0.1
~< z ~< 1 in the spectra of background quasars. The sample was formed from a
larger sample of strong MgII absorbers (W_0^(2796) >= 0.3 A) whose HI column
densities were determined by measuring the Ly-alpha line in HST UV spectra.
Photometric redshifts, galaxy colors, and proximity to the quasar sightline, in
decreasing order of importance, were used to identify galaxies responsible for
the absorption. Our sample includes 80 absorption systems for which the
absorbing galaxies have been identified, of which 54 are presented here for the
first time. The main results of this study are: (i) the surface density of
galaxies falls off exponentially with increasing impact parameter, b, from the
quasar sightline relative to a constant background of galaxies, with an
e-folding length of ~46 kpc. Galaxies with b >~ 100 kpc calculated at the
absorption redshift are statistically consistent with being unrelated to the
absorption system. (ii) log N(HI) is inversely correlated with b at the 3.0
sigma level of significance. DLA galaxies are found systematically closer to
the quasar sightline, by a factor of two, than are galaxies which give rise to
subDLAs or LLSs. The median impact parameter is 17.4 kpc for the DLA galaxy
sample, 33.3 kpc for the subDLA sample, and 36.4 kpc for the LLS sample. (iii)
Absorber galaxy luminosity relative to L*, L/L*, is not significantly
correlated with W_0^(2796), log N(HI), or b. (iv) DLA, subDLA, and LLS galaxies
comprise a mix of spectral types, but are inferred to be predominantly late
type galaxies based on their spectral energy distributions. The implications of
these results are discussed. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
A Study of Interstellar Gas and Stars in the Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy `The Cosmic Eye' from Rest-Frame Ultraviolet Spectroscopy
We report the results of a study of the rest-frame UV spectrum of the Cosmic
Eye, a luminous Lyman break galaxy at z=3.07331 gravitationally lensed by a
factor of 25. The spectrum, recorded with the ESI spectrograph on the Keck II
telescope, is rich in absorption features from the gas and massive stars in
this galaxy. The interstellar absorption lines are resolved into two components
of approximately equal strength and each spanning several hundred km/s in
velocity. One component has a net blueshift of -70 km/s relative to the stars
and H II regions and presumably arises in a galaxy-scale outflow similar to
those seen in most star-forming galaxies at z = 2-3. The other is more unusual
in showing a mean redshift of +350 km/s relative to the systemic redshift;
possible interpretations include a merging clump, or material ejected by a
previous star formation episode and now falling back onto the galaxy, or more
simply a chance alignment with a foreground galaxy. In the metal absorption
lines, both components only partially cover the OB stars against which they are
being viewed. We tentatively associate the redshifted component with the strong
damped Lyman alpha line, indicative of a column density N(H I) = (3.0 +/- 0.8)
x 10(21) atoms/cm2, and propose that it provides the dust `foreground screen'
responsible for the low ratio of far-infrared to UV luminosities of the Cosmic
Eye. Compared to other well-studied examples of strongly lensed galaxies, we
find that the young stellar population of the Cosmic Eye is essentially
indistinguishable from those of the Cosmic Horseshoe and MS 1512-cB58, while
the interstellar spectra of all three galaxies are markedly different,
attesting to the real complexity of the interplay between starbursts and
ambient interstellar matter in young galaxies (abridged).Comment: 14 pages, 6 Figures, Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society after minor revision