The HETDEX Pilot Survey. V. The Physical Origin Of Ly Alpha Emitters Probed By Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

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dc.contributor.utaustinauthorSong, Mimien_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorFinkelstein, Steven L.en_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorGebhardt, Karlen_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorHill, Gary J.en_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorDrory, Niven_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorJogee, Shardhaen_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorLivermore, Rachaelen_US
dc.creatorSong, Mimien_US
dc.creatorFinkelstein, Steven L.en_US
dc.creatorGebhardt, Karlen_US
dc.creatorHill, Gary J.en_US
dc.creatorDrory, Niven_US
dc.creatorAshby, Matthew L. N.en_US
dc.creatorBlanc, Guillermo A.en_US
dc.creatorBridge, Joannaen_US
dc.creatorChonis, Tayloren_US
dc.creatorCiardullo, Robinen_US
dc.creatorFabricius, Maximilianen_US
dc.creatorFazio, Giovanni G.en_US
dc.creatorGawiser, Ericen_US
dc.creatorGronwall, Carylen_US
dc.creatorHagen, Alexen_US
dc.creatorHuang, Jia-Shengen_US
dc.creatorJogee, Shardhaen_US
dc.creatorLivermore, Rachaelen_US
dc.creatorSalmon, Bretten_US
dc.creatorSchneider, Donald P.en_US
dc.creatorWillner, S. P.en_US
dc.creatorZeimann, Gregory R.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-28T19:37:41Z
dc.date.available2016-04-28T19:37:41Z
dc.date.issued2014-08en
dc.description.abstractWe present the results from a Very Large Telescope/SINFONI and Keck/NIRSPEC near-infrared spectroscopic survey of 16 Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.1-2.5 in the COSMOS and GOODS-N fields discovered from the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Pilot Survey. We detect rest-frame optical nebular lines (H alpha and/or [O III] lambda 5007) for 10 of the LAEs and measure physical properties, including the star formation rate (SFR), gas-phase metallicity, gas mass fraction, and Ly alpha velocity offset. We find that LAEs may lie below the mass-metallicity relation for continuum-selected star-forming galaxies at the same redshift. The LAEs all show velocity shifts of Ly alpha relative to the systemic redshift ranging between +85 and +296 km s(-1) with a mean of +180 km s(-1). This value is smaller than measured for continuum-selected star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. The Ly alpha velocity offsets show a moderate correlation with the measured SFR (2.5 sigma), but no significant correlations are seen with the SFR surface density, specific SFR, stellar mass, or dynamical mass (less than or similar to 1.5 sigma). Exploring the role of dust, kinematics of the interstellar medium (ISM), and geometry on the escape of Ly alpha photons, we find no signature of selective quenching of resonantly scattered Ly alpha photons. However, we also find no evidence that a clumpy ISM is enhancing the Ly alpha equivalent width. Our results suggest that the low metallicity in LAEs may be responsible for yielding an environment with a low neutral hydrogen column density and less dust, easing the escape of Ly alpha photons over that in continuum-selected star-forming galaxies.en_US
dc.description.departmentAstronomyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Texas at Austinen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipMcDonald Observatoryen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNASA through a NASA Keck PI Data Awarden_US
dc.description.sponsorshipW. M. Keck Foundationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundation AST-0926815en_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T2NN6S
dc.identifier.Filename2014_08_hetdexpilotsurveyv.pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationSong, Mimi, Steven L. Finkelstein, Karl Gebhardt, Gary J. Hill, Niv Drory, Matthew LN Ashby, Guillermo A. Blanc et al. "The HETDEX Pilot Survey. V. The Physical Origin of Ly? Emitters Probed by Near-infrared Spectroscopy." The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 791, No. 1 (Aug., 2014): 3.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1088/0004-637x/791/1/3en_US
dc.identifier.issn0004-637Xen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/34953
dc.language.isoEnglishen_US
dc.relation.ispartofen_US
dc.relation.ispartofserialAstrophysical Journalen_US
dc.rightsAdministrative deposit of works to Texas ScholarWorks: This works author(s) is or was a University faculty member, student or staff member; this article is already available through open access or the publisher allows a PDF version of the article to be freely posted online. The library makes the deposit as a matter of fair use (for scholarly, educational, and research purposes), and to preserve the work and further secure public access to the works of the University.en_US
dc.rights.restrictionOpenen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: evolutionen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: high-redshiften_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: ismen_US
dc.subjectstar-forming galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectlyman-break galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectmass-metallicity relationen_US
dc.subjectemission-line galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectsimilar-to 2en_US
dc.subjecthigh-redshift galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectcontinuum-selected galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectextragalactic legacy surveyen_US
dc.subjectframeen_US
dc.subjectultraviolet-spectraen_US
dc.subjectspace-telescope searchen_US
dc.subjectastronomy & astrophysicsen_US
dc.titleThe HETDEX Pilot Survey. V. The Physical Origin Of Ly Alpha Emitters Probed By Near-Infrared Spectroscopyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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