Ly$α$ Escape in JWST/NIRCam F430M-Selected H$α$ Emitters at $z\simeq5.5$
We study the Ly$α$ escape fraction ($f_{\rm esc}$) in an H$α$-selected sample of star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq5.5$, identified via JWST/NIRCam F430M excess and covered by archival VLT/MUSE data. By anchoring the intrinsic Ly$α$ production to H$α$ emission, our approach provides a direct and Ly$α$-unbiased probe of the escape of Ly$α$ photons in galaxies with SFR $\gtrsim 0.1\,M_\odot\,{\rm yr^{-1}}$ at this epoch. Ly$α$ emission is detected in 3 out of 12 galaxies covered by VLT/MUSE. Combining detections and upper limits, we place a conservative upper bound of $\langle f_{\rm esc}^{\rm Lyα} \rangle < 0.32$ on the population-averaged Ly$α$ escape fraction. We find that Ly$α$ detections are preferentially associated with nearly dust-free systems, while no clear correlation between SFR and $f_{\rm esc}$, suggesting a stochastic picture of Ly$α$ escape. Interestingly, three of the four Ly$α$-detected galaxies reside within a known overdense structure, suggesting that local environment may further facilitate Ly$α$ photons escape. Our H$α$-selected approach establishes a general and scalable framework for probing Ly$α$ escape by combining JWST medium- or narrow-band imaging with ground-based spectroscopic data, enabling systematic and less biased studies of Ly$α$ visibility in typical star-forming galaxies during the post-reionization era.