arXiv subjects

Mark Dijkstra

Publications and source records attributed to Mark Dijkstra.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Directional Lya equivalent boosting I. Spherically symmetric distributions of clumps

We quantify the directional dependence of the escape fraction of Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) and non-ionising UV-continuum photons from a multiphase medium, and investigate whether there exist directional enhancements in the Ly$α$ equivalent width (EW). Our multiphase medium consists of spherically symmetric distributions of cold, dusty clumps embedded within a hot dust-free medium. We focus on three models from the analysis presented by Laursen et al. (2013). We find that for a Ly$α$ and UV-continuum point source, it is possible to find an EW boost $b(θ,ϕ) > 5 \bar{b}$ in a few per cent of sight lines, where $\bar{b}$ denotes the boost averaged over all photons. For spatially extended sources this directional dependence vanishes quickly when the size of the UV emitting region exceeds the mean distance between cold dusty clumps. Our analysis suggests that directional EW boosting can occur, and that this is mostly driven by reduced escape fractions of UV photons (which gives rise to UV-continuum `shadows'), and less due to an enhanced Ly$α$ escape fraction (or beaming), in certain directions.

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arXiv2014

Lyman Alpha Emitting Galaxies as a Probe of Reionization

The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) represents a milestone in the evolution of our Universe. Star-forming galaxies that existed during the EoR likely emitted a significant fraction (~5-40%) of their bolometric luminosity as Lyman Alpha (Lya) line emission. However, neutral intergalactic gas that existed during the EoR was opaque to Lya emission that escaped from galaxies during this epoch, which makes it difficult to observe. The neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) may thus reveal itself by suppressing the Lya flux from background galaxies. Interestingly, a `sudden' reduction in the observed Lya flux has now been observed in galaxies at z >6. This review contains a detailed summary of Lya radiative processes: I describe (i) the main Lya emission processes, including collisional-excitation & recombination (and derive the famous factor `0.68'), and (ii) basic radiative transfer concepts, including e.g. partially coherent scattering, frequency diffusion, resonant versus wing scattering, optically thick versus 'extremely' optically thick (static/outflowing/collapsing) media, and multiphase media. Following this review, I derive expressions for the Gunn-Peterson optical depth of the IGM during (inhomogeneous) reionization and post-reionization. I then describe why current observations appear to require a very rapid evolution of volume-averaged neutral fraction of hydrogen in the context of realistic inhomogeneous reionization models, and discuss uncertainties in this interpretation. Finally, I describe how existing & futures surveys and instruments can help reduce these uncertainties, and allow us to fully exploit Lya emitting galaxies as a probe of the EoR.

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arXiv2014

Can the intergalactic medium cause a rapid drop in Lyman alpha emission at z>6?

The large cross-section of the Lyman alpha (Lya) line makes it a sensitive probe of the ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM). Here we present the most complete study to date of the IGM Lya opacity, and its application to the redshift evolution of the 'Lya fraction', i.e. the fraction of color-selected galaxies with a detectable Lya emission line. We use a tiered approach, which combines large-scale semi-numeric simulations of reionization with moderate-scale hydrodynamic simulations of the ionized IGM. This allows us to simultaneously account for evolution in both: (i) the opacity from an incomplete (patchy) reionization, parameterized by the filling factor of ionized regions, Q_HII; and (ii) the opacity from self-shielded systems in the ionized IGM, parameterized by the average photo-ionization rate inside HII regions, Γ. In contrast to recent empirical models, attenuation from patchy reionization has a unimodal distribution along different sightlines, while attenuation from self-shielded systems is more bimodal. We quantify the average IGM transmission in our (Q_HII, Γ) parameter space, which can easily be used to interpret new data sets. Using current observations, we predict that the Lya fraction cannot drop by more than a factor of ~2 with IGM attenuation alone, even for HII filling factors as low as Q_HII>0.1. Larger changes in the Lya fraction could result from a co-evolution with galaxy properties. Marginalizing over Γ, we find that current observations constrain Q_HII < 0.6 at z=7 [68% confidence level (C.L.)]. However, all of our parameter space is consistent with observations at 95% C.L., highlighting the need for larger observational samples at z >= 6.

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arXiv2014

Feedback-regulated Super Massive Black Hole Seed Formation

The nature of the seeds of high-redshift supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is a key question in cosmology. Direct collapse black holes (DCBH) that form in pristine, atomic-line cooling halos, illuminated by a Lyman-Werner (LW) UV flux exceeding a critical threshold J_crit, represent an attractive possibility. We investigate when and where these conditions are met during cosmic evolution. For the LW intensity, J_LW, we account for departures from the background value in close proximity to star forming galaxies. For the pristine halo fraction, we account for both (i) supernova driven outflows, and (ii) the inherent pollution from progenitor halos. We estimate the abundance of DCBH formation sites, n_DCBH(z), and find that it increases with cosmic time from n_DCBH(z=20) ~ 1e-12 -1e-7 cMpc^-3 to n_DCBH(z=10) ~ 1e-10 - 1e-5 cMpc^-3. Our analysis shows the possible importance of galactic winds, which can suppress the predicted n_DCBH by several orders of magnitude, and cause DCBH formation to preferentially occur around the UV-brightest (M_UV ~ -22 to -20) star forming galaxies. Our analysis further highlights the dependence of these predictions on (i) the escape fraction of LW photons, (ii) J_crit, and (iii) the galactic outflow prescription.

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arXiv2014

Evolution in the Escape Fraction of Ionizing Photons and the Decline in Strong Lya Emission from z>6 Galaxies

The rapid decline in the number of strong Lyman Alpha (Lya) emitting galaxies at z > 6 provides evidence for neutral hydrogen in the IGM, but is difficult to explain with plausible models for reionization. We demonstrate that the observed reduction in Lya flux from galaxies at z > 6 can be explained by evolution in the escape fraction of ionizing photons, f_esc. We find that the median observed drop in the fraction of galaxies showing strong Lya emission, as well as the observed evolution of the Lya luminosity function both follow from a small increase in f_esc of Delta f_esc ~ 0.1 from f_esc ~ 0.6 at z ~ 6. This high escape fraction may be at odds with current constraints on the ionising photon escape fraction, which favor smaller values of f_esc < 20%. However, models that invoke a redshift evolution of f_ esc that is consistent with these constraints can suppress the z~7 Lya flux to the observed level, if they also include a small evolution in global neutral fraction of Delta x_HI ~ 0.2. Thus, an evolving escape fraction of ionising photons can be a plausible part of the explanation for evolution in the Lya emission of high redshift galaxies. More generally, our analysis also shows that the drop in the Lya fraction is quantitatively consistent with the observed evolution in the Lya luminosity functions of Lya Emitters.

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arXiv2014

Beamed Lyman Alpha Emission through Outflow-Driven Cavities

We investigate the radiative transfer of Lyman alpha photons through simplified anisotropic gas distributions, which represent physically motivated extensions of the popular 'shell-models'. Our study is motivated by the notion that (i) shell models do not always reproduce observed Lyman alpha spectral line profiles, (ii) (typical) shell models do not allow for the escape of ionizing photons, and (iii) the observation & expectation that winds are more complex, anisotropic phenomena. We examine the influence of inclination on the Lyman alpha spectra, relative fluxes and escape fractions. We find the flux to be enhanced/suppressed by factors up to a few depending on the parameter range of the models, corresponding to a boost in equivalent width of the same amplitude if we neglect dust. In general, lower mean optical depths tend to reduce the impact of anisotropies as is expected. We find a correlation between an observed peak in the -- occasionally triple-peaked -- spectrum at the systemic velocity and the existence of a low optical depth cavity along the line of sight. This can be of importance in the search for ionizing photons leaking from high- redshift galaxies since these photons will also be able to escape through the cavity.

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arXiv2013

Empirical Constraints on the Star Formation & Redshift Dependence of the Lyman Alpha `Effective' Escape Fraction

We derive empirical constraints on the volume averaged `effective' escape fraction of Lyman Alpha (Lya) photons from star forming galaxies as a function of redshift, by comparing star formation functions inferred directly from observations, to observed Lya luminosity functions. Our analysis shows that the effective escape fraction increases from f_esc^eff ~ 1-5 % at z=0, to f_esc^eff ~ 10 % at z=3-4, and to f_esc^eff=30-50 % at z=6. Our constraint at z=6 lies above predictions by models that do not include winds, and therefore hints at the importance of winds in the Lya transfer process (even) at this redshift. We can reproduce Lya luminosity functions with an f_esc^eff that does not depend on the galaxies star formation rates (SFR) over up to ~2 orders of magnitude in Lya luminosity. It is possible to reproduce the luminosity functions with an f_esc^eff that decreases with SFR - which appears favored by observations of drop-out galaxies - in models which include a large scatter (~ 1.0 dex) in f_esc^eff, and/or in which star forming galaxies only have a non-zero f_esc^eff for a fraction of their life-time or a fraction of sightlines. We provide a fitting formula that summarizes our findings.

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arXiv2012

Effects of Star Formation Stochasticity on the Ly-alpha & Lyman Continuum Emission from Dwarf Galaxies during Reionization

Observations of distant galaxies play a key role in improving our understanding of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The observed Ly-alpha emission line strength - quantified by its restframe equivalent width (EW) - provides a valuable diagnostic of stellar populations and dust in galaxies during and after the EoR. In this paper we quantify the effects of star formation stochasticity on the predicted Ly-alpha EW in dwarf galaxies, using the publicly available code SLUG ('Stochastically Light Up Galaxies'). We compute the number of hydrogen ionizing photons, as well as flux in the Far UV for a set of models with star formation rates (SFR) in the range 10-3-1 Msol/yr. From these fluxes we compute the luminosity, L-alpha, and the EW of the Ly-alpha line. We find that stochasticity alone induces a broad distribution in L-alpha and EW at a fixed SFR, and that the widths of these distributions decrease with increasing SFR. We parameterize the EW probability density function (PDF) as an SFR-dependent double power law. We find that it is possible to have EW as low as ~EW0/4 and as high as ~3 times the EW0, where EW0 denotes the expected EW in the absence of stochasticity. We argue that stochasticity may therefore be important when linking drop-out and narrow-band selected galaxies, when identifying population III galaxies, and that it may help to explain the large EW (EW > 100 - 200 A) observed for a fraction of Ly-alpha- selected galaxies. Finally, we show that stochasticity can also affect the inferred escape fraction of ionizing photons from galaxies. In particular, we argue that stochasticity may simultaneously explain the observed anomalous ratios of the Lyman continuum flux density to the (non-ionizing) UV continuum density in so-called Lyman-Bump galaxies at z = 3.1, as well as the absence of such objects among a sample of z = 1.3 drop-out galaxies.

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arXiv2012

Effect of Intergalactic Medium on the Observability of Lyman Alpha Emitters during Cosmic Reionization

We perform a systematic study of how the inhomogeneities in the Inter-Galactic Medium (IGM) affect the observability of Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) around the Epoch of Reionization. We focus on the IGM close to the galaxies as the detailed ionization distribution and velocity fields of this region could significantly influence the scattering of Ly-alpha photons off neutral H atoms as they traverse the IGM after escaping from the galaxy. We simulate the surface brightness (SB) maps and spectra of more than 100 LAEs at z=7.7 as seen by an observer at z=0. To achieve this, we extract the source properties of galaxies and their surrounding IGM from cosmological simulations of box sizes 5-30 Mpc/h and follow the coupled radiative transfer of ionizing and Ly-alpha radiation through the IGM using CRASH-alpha. We find that the simulated SB profiles are extended and their detailed structure is affected by inhomogeneities in the IGM, especially at high neutral fractions. The detectability of LAEs and the fraction of the flux observed depend heavily on the shape of the SB profile and the SB threshold (SB_th) of the observational campaign. Only ultradeep observations (e.g. SB_th ~ 10^-23 ergs/s/cm^2/arcsec^2) would be able to obtain the true underlying mass-luminosity relation and luminosity functions of LAEs. The details of our results depend on whether Ly-alpha photons are significantly shifted in the galaxy to longer wavelengths, the mean ionization fraction in the IGM and the clustering of ionizing sources. These effects can lead to an easier escape of Ly-alpha photons with less scattering in the IGM and a concentrated SB profile similar to the one of a point source. Finally, we show that the SB profiles are steeper at high ionization fraction for the same LAE sample which can potentially be observed from the stacked profile of a large number of LAEs.

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arXiv2012

Line Transfer through Clumpy, Large-Scale Outflows: Lyman Alpha Absorption and Halos around Starforming Galaxies

We present constrained radiative transfer calculations of Lyman Alpha (Lya) photons propagating through clumpy, dusty, large scale outflows, and explore whether we can quantitatively explain the Lya halos that have been observed around Lyman Break Galaxies. We construct phenomenological models of large-scale outflows which consist of cold clumps that are in pressure equilibrium with a constant-velocity hot wind. First we consider models in which the cold clumps are distributed symmetrically around the galaxy, and in which the clumps undergo a continuous acceleration in its 'circumgalactic' medium (CGM). We constrain the properties of the cold clumps (radius, velocity, HI column density, & number density) by matching the observed Lya absorption strength of the CGM in the spectra of background galaxies. We then insert a Lya source in the center of this clumpy outflow, which consists of 1e5-1e6 clumps, and compute observable properties of the scattered Lya photons. In these models, the scattered radiation forms halos that are significantly more concentrated than is observed. In order to simultaneously reproduce the observed Lya absorption line strengths and the Lya halos, we require - preferably bipolar - outflows in which the clumps decelerate after their initial acceleration. This deceleration is predicted naturally in 'momentum-driven' wind models of clumpy outflows. In models that simultaneously fit the absorption and emission line data, the predicted linear polarization is ~30-40% at a surface brightness contour of S=1e-18 erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2. Our work illustrates clearly that Lya emission line halos around starforming galaxies provide valuable constraints on the cold gas distribution & kinematics in their circumgalactic medium, and that these constraints complement those obtained from absorption line studies alone.

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arXiv2011

The Detectability of Lyman Alpha Emission from Galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization

We study the visibility of the Lyman Alpha (Lya) emission line during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). Combining galactic outflow models with large-scale semi-numeric simulations of reionization, we quantify the probability distribution function (PDF) of the fraction of Lya photons transmitted through the intergalactic medium (IGM), T_IGM. Our study focusses on galaxies populating dark matter halos with masses of M_halo=1e10 M_sun at z=8.6, which is inspired by the recent reported discovery of a galaxy at z=8.6 with strong Lya line emission. For reasonable model assumptions, we find that winds cause T_IGM>10% [50%], for the majority of galaxies, even when the Universe is ~80% [60%] neutral by volume. Thus, the observed strong Lya emission from the reported z=8.6 galaxy is consistent with a highly neutral IGM. We also investigate the implications of the recent tentative evidence for a observed decrease in the `LAE fraction' among drop-out galaxies between z=6 and z=7. If confirmed, we show that a rapid evolution in x_HI will be required to explain this observation via the effects of reionization.

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arXiv2011

An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Lyα and UV selected Galaxies: Do Theorists and Observers `Select' the Same Objects?

Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) are galaxies that have been selected on the basis of a strong Lyα emission line in their spectra. Observational campaigns have dramatically increased the sample of known LAEs, which now extends out to z=7. These discoveries have motivated numerous theoretical studies on the subject, which usually define LAEs in their models based on sharp Lyα luminosity and equivalent width (EW) cuts. While broadly representative, this procedure does not mimic the selection from observational programs in detail, which instead use cuts in various colour-spaces. We investigate what implications this disjoint may have for studies that aim to model LAEs. We construct an empirical model for the number density of star forming galaxies as a function of their UV and Lyα luminosity, utilising measured constraints on the luminosity functions (LFs) of drop-out galaxies, and their luminosity dependent probability distribution function of Lyα EW. In particular, we investigate whether the LAE LFs can be reproduced by defining LAEs using a (z-dependent) Lyα luminosity and EW threshold. While we are able to reproduce the observed distribution of Lyα EW among LAEs out to restframe EW 200 A, we find that our formalism over-predicts both the UV and Lyα LFs of LAEs by a factor of 2-3, and is inconsistent with observations at the ~95% level. This tension is partially resolved if we assume the Lyα EW-distribution of drop-out galaxies to be truncated at restframe EW>150 A. However the overprediction indicates that modeling LAEs with simple REW and luminosity cuts does not accurately mimic observed selection criteria, and can lead to uncertainties in the predicted number density of LAEs. On the other hand, the predicted z-evolution is not affected. We apply our formalism to drop-out galaxies at z>6, and predict the LFs of LAEs at z=7-9.

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arXiv2011

Constraints on the Redshift Evolution of the L_X-SFR Relation from the Cosmic X-Ray Backgrounds

Observations of local star forming galaxies have revealed a correlation between the rate at which galaxies form stars and their X-Ray luminosity. We combine this correlation with the most recent observational constraints on the integrated star formation rate density, and find that star forming galaxies account for 5-20% of the total soft and hard X-ray backgrounds, where the precise number depends on the energy band and the assumed average X-ray spectral energy distribution of the galaxies below ~20 keV. If we combine the L_X-SFR relation with recently derived star formation rate function, then we find that star forming galaxies whose X-ray flux falls well (more than a factor of 10) below the detection thresholds of the Chandra Deep Fields, can fully account for the unresolved soft X-ray background, which corresponds to ~6% of its total. Motivated by this result, we put limits on the allowed redshift evolution of the parameter c_X \equiv L_X/SFR, and/or its evolution towards lower and higher star formation rates. If we parametrize the redshift evolution of c_X ~ (1+z)^b, then we find that b \leq 1.3 (95% CL). On the other hand, the observed X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) of star forming galaxies indicate that c_X may be increasing towards higher redshifts and/or higher star formation rates at levels that are consistent with the X-ray background, but possibly at odds with the locally observed L_X-SFR relation.

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arXiv2011

Clustering of Ly-alpha emitters around luminous quasars at z = 2-3: an alternative probe of reionization on galaxy formation

Narrowband observations have detected no Ly-alpha emission within a 70 pMpc^3 volume centered on the z = 2.168 quasar PKS 0424-131. This is in contrast to surveys of Ly-alpha emitters in the field at similar redshifts and flux limits, which indicate that tens of sources should be visible within the same volume. The observed difference indicates that the quasar environment has a significant influence on the observed density of Ly-alpha emitters. To quantify this effect we have constructed a semi-analytic model to simulate the effect of a luminous quasar on nearby Ly-alpha emitters. We find the null detection around PKS 0424-131 implies that the minimum isothermal temperature of Ly-alpha emitter host halos is greater than 3.4 x 10^6 K (68% level), corresponding to a virial mass of ~1.2 x 10^12 M_solar. This indicates that the intense UV emission of the quasar may be suppressing the star formation in nearby galaxies. Our study illustrates that low redshift quasar environments may serve as a surrogate for studying the radiative suppression of galaxy formation during the epoch of reionization.

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arXiv2011

Non-Gravitational Contributions to the Clustering of Ly-alpha Selected Galaxies: Implications for Cosmological Surveys

We show that the dependence of Ly-alpha absorption on environment leads to significant non-gravitational features in the redshift space power-spectrum of Ly-alpha selected galaxies. We derive a physically motivated fitting formula that can be included in clustering analyses, and use this to discuss the predicted features in the Ly-alpha galaxy power-spectrum based on detailed models in which Ly-alpha absorption is influenced by gas infall and/or by strong galactic outflows. We show that power-spectrum measurements could be used to study the astrophysics of the galaxy-IGM connection, and to measure the properties of outflows from star-forming galaxies. Applying the modified redshift space power-spectrum to a Ly-alpha survey with parameters corresponding to the planned Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), we find that the dependence of observed Ly-alpha flux on velocity gradient and ionising background may compromise the ability of Ly-alpha selected galaxy redshift surveys to constrain cosmology using information from the full power-spectrum. This is because the effects of fluctuating ionizing background and velocity gradients effect the shape of the observed power-spectrum in ways that are similar to the shape of the primordial power-spectrum and redshift space distortions respectively. We use the Alcock-Paczynski test to show that without prior knowledge of the details of Ly-alpha absorption in the IGM, the precision of line-of-sight and transverse distance measurements for HETDEX will be ~1.3-1.7%, decreased by a factor of ~1.5-2 relative to the best case precision of ~0.8% available in a traditional galaxy redshift survey. We specify the precision with which modelling of Ly-alpha radiative transfer must be understood in order for HETDEX to achieve distance measurements that are better than 1%.

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arXiv2011

Observational Signatures of Lyman Alpha Emission from Early Galaxy Formation

The next generation of telescopes aim to directly observe the first generation of galaxies that initiated the reionization process in our Universe. The Lyman Alpha (Lya) emission line is robustly predicted to be the most prominent intrinsic spectral feature of these galaxies, making it an ideal target to search for and study high-redshift galaxies. I briefly discuss why Lya emitting galaxies (LAEs) provide a good probe of the intergalactic medium (IGM) during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). I argue that if we wish to fully exploit LAEs as a probe of the EoR, it is important to understand what drives their observed redshift evolution after reionization is completed. One important uncertainty in interpreting existing LAE observations relates to the impact of the ionized IGM on Lya photons emitted by galaxies, which is strongly connected to the effects of scattering through HI in galactic outflows. Scattering through galactic outflows can also modify the Lya spectral line shape such that > 5% of the emitted Lya radiation is transmitted directly to the observer, even through a fully neutral IGM. Finally, I discuss what is required --observationally and theoretically-- to resolve the uncertainties that affect existing interpretations of data on LAEs.

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arXiv2010

Seeing Through the Trough: Outflows and the Detectability of Lyman Alpha Emission from the First Galaxies

The next generation of telescopes aim to directly observe the first generation of galaxies that initiated the reionization process in our Universe. The Lyman Alpha (Lya) emission line is robustly predicted to be the most prominent intrinsic spectral feature of these galaxies, making it an ideal target to search for and study high redshift galaxies. Unfortunately the large Gunn-Peterson optical depth of the surrounding neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) is thought to render this line extremely difficult to detect prior to reionization. In this paper we demonstrate that the radiative transfer effects in the interstellar medium (ISM), which cause Lya flux to emerge from galaxies at frequencies where the Gunn-Peterson optical depth is reduced, can substantially enhance the prospects for detection of the Lya line at high redshift. In particular, scattering off outflows of interstellar HI gas can modify the Lya spectral line shape such that >5% of the emitted Lya radiation is transmitted directly to the observer, even through a fully neutral IGM. It may therefore be possible to directly observe `strong' Lya emission lines (EW > 50 Angstrom rest frame) from the highest redshift galaxies that reside in the smallest HII `bubbles' early in the reionization era with JWST. In addition, we show that outflows can boost the fraction of Lya radiation that is transmitted through the IGM during the latter stages of reionization, and even post-reionization. Coupled with the fact that the first generation of galaxies are thought to have very large intrinsic equivalent Lya equivalent widths, our results suggest that the search for galaxies in their redshifted Lya emission line can be competitive with the drop-out technique out to the highest redshifts that can be probed in the JWST era.

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arXiv2009

Star Formation Indicators and Line Equivalent Width in Lyman Alpha Galaxies

The equivalent width (EW) of the Lyman Alpha (Lya) line is directly related to the ratio of star formation rates determined from Lya flux and UV flux density [SFR(Lya)/SFR(UV)]. We use published data --in the literature EW and SFR(Lya)/SFR(UV) are treated as independent quantities-- to show that the predicted relation holds for the vast majority of observed Lya emitting galaxies (LAEs). We show that the relation between EW and SFR(Lya)/SFR(UV) applies irrespective of a galaxy's `true' underlying star formation rate, and that its only source of scatter is the variation in the spectral slope of the UV continuum between individual galaxies. The derived relation, when combined with the observed EW distribution, implies that the ratio SFR(UV)/SFR(Lya) is described well by a log-normal distribution with a standard deviation of ~0.3-0.35. This result is useful when modelling the statistical properties of LAEs. We further discuss why the relation between EW and SFR(Lya)/SFR(UV) may help identifying galaxies with unusual stellar populations.

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