arXiv subjects

N. Laporte

Publications and source records attributed to N. Laporte.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Exploring Spatially-Resolved Metallicities, Dynamics and Outflows in Low-Mass Galaxies at $z \sim 7.6$

A majority of JWST/NIRSpec/IFU studies at high redshifts to date have focused on UV-bright or massive objects, while our understanding of low-mass galaxies at early cosmic times remains limited. In this work, we present NIRSpec/IFS high-resolution observations of two low-mass ($M_* < 10^9 \ M_\odot$), low-metallicity ($[12 + \log(\text{O/H})] < 8$) galaxies at $z \sim 7.66$, one of which we identify as hosting a Type-II AGN. We measure flat strong-line metallicity gradients, suggestive of ISM redistribution by outflows or past merging, but also identify tension with the direct-$T_\text{e}$ metallicity gradient in one galaxy. We measure $v_\text{rot}/\sigma < 1$ in both galaxies, consistent with observations of lower rotational support at early cosmic times. We identify broad kinematical components decoupled from galactic rotation with velocities of $\sim 250 - 500 \ \text{km} \ \text{s}^{-1}$ and argue these components trace outflows, for which we infer outflow rates of $\sim 8 - 14 \ M_\odot \ \text{yr}^{-1}$ with $v_\text{out}/v_\text{esc} \sim 1$. We compare our findings to results from the new large-volume AESOPICA simulations, which fully incorporate different models of black hole growth and AGN feedback. We find that our observational results of $v_\text{out}/v_\text{esc}$ are consistent with the simulated dwarf AGN population, hinting AGN-driven feedback may contribute to quenching both in our systems and in a wider population of low-mass galaxies in the early Universe. This novel study illustrates the necessity of deep IFU observations to decompose the complex kinematics and morphology of high-$z$ galaxies, trace outflows, and constrain the effect of feedback in the early Universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Stochastic star formation activity of galaxies within the first billion years probed by JWST

In this work, we aim at characterizing the burstiness level of high-redshift galaxy SFHs and its evolution. We implement a stochastic SFH in CIGALE using PSD, to estimate the burstiness level of star formation in galaxies at 6 6 galaxies, while smoother assumptions introduce biases when applied to galaxies with bursty star-formation activity. The assumed stochasticity level of the SFH also affects the constraints on galaxies' physical properties, including the main sequence. Successively assuming different levels of burstiness, we determined the best-suited SFH for each 6 10. Our results add further evidence that a combination with other mechanisms is likely responsible for the high-z UVLF. The stochastic SFH module is public as part of CIGALE version 2025.1.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Dust emission from the bulk of galaxies at the Epoch of Reionization

[Abridged] Our view of dust in primordial galaxies is limited towards a few tens of z~7 galaxies, pre-selected from UV-optical observations, and are thus not necessarily representative of the bulk of the sources at these redshifts. In this work, we aim at constraining the dust properties of galaxies at 6 9) at 6 -19mag), lower mass sources (log Mstar<9), and at higher redshift (z>7). Fitting these 6 8, compared to the fit without FIR. We extend the LIR vs MUV relation down to MUV=-19mag and show a tentative breakdown of the relation at fainter UV magnitudes. The positions of the JADES z~6.5 sample on the IRX versus beta and IRX versus Mstar diagrams are consistent with those of the ALPINE (z~5.5) and REBELS (z~6.5) samples, suggesting that the dust composition and content of our mass-selected sample are similar to these UV-selected galaxies. Extending our analysis of the infrared properties to z>7 galaxies, we find a non-evolution of beta with redshift in the MUV range probed by our sample (-17.24+/-0.62) and highlight the fact that samples from the literature are not representative of the bulk of galaxy populations at z>6. We confirm a linear relation between AV and 1/sSFR with a flatter slope than previously reported due to the use of ALMA constraints. Our results suggest that rapid and significant dust production has already happened by z~7.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Primordial Rotating Disk Composed of $\geq$15 Dense Star-Forming Clumps at Cosmic Dawn

Early galaxy formation, initiated by the dark matter and gas assembly, evolves through frequent mergers and feedback processes into dynamically hot, chaotic structures. In contrast, dynamically cold, smooth rotating disks have been observed in massive evolved galaxies merely 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang, suggesting rapid morphological and dynamical evolution in the early Universe. Probing this evolution mechanism necessitates studies of young galaxies, yet efforts have been hindered by observational limitations in both sensitivity and spatial resolution. Here we report high-resolution observations of a strongly lensed and quintuply imaged, low-luminosity, young galaxy at $z=6.072$ (dubbed the Cosmic Grapes), 930 million years after the Big Bang. Magnified by gravitational lensing, the galaxy is resolved into at least 15 individual star-forming clumps with effective radii of $r_{\rm e}\simeq$ 10--60 parsec (pc), which dominate $\simeq$ 70\% of the galaxy's total flux. The cool gas emission unveils a smooth, underlying rotating disk characterized by a high rotational-to-random motion ratio and a gravitationally unstable state (Toomre $Q \simeq$ 0.2--0.3), with high surface gas densities comparable to local dusty starbursts with $\simeq10^{3-5}$ $M_{\odot}$/pc$^{2}$. These gas properties suggest that the numerous star-forming clumps are formed through disk instabilities with weak feedback effects. The clumpiness of the Cosmic Grapes significantly exceeds that of galaxies at later epochs and the predictions from current simulations for early galaxies. Our findings shed new light on internal galaxy substructures and their relation to the underlying dynamics and feedback mechanisms at play during their early formation phases, potentially explaining the high abundance of bright galaxies observed in the early Universe and the dark matter core-cusp problem.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Outshining in the Spatially Resolved Analysis of a Strongly-Lensed Galaxy at z=6.072 with JWST NIRCam

We present JWST/NIRCam observations of a strongly-lensed, multiply-imaged galaxy at $z=6.072$, with magnification factors >~20 across the galaxy. We perform a spatially-resolved analysis of the physical properties at scales of ~200 pc, inferred from SED modelling of 5 NIRCam imaging bands on a pixel-by-pixel basis. We find young stars surrounded by extended older stellar populations. By comparing H$\alpha$+[NII] and [OIII]+H$\beta$ maps inferred from the image analysis with our additional NIRSpec IFU data, we find that the spatial distribution and strength of the line maps are in agreement with the IFU measurements. We explore different parametric SFH forms with Bagpipes on the spatially-integrated photometry, finding that a double power-law star formation history retrieves the closest value to the spatially-resolved stellar mass estimate, and other SFH forms suffer from the dominant outshining emission from the youngest stars, thus underestimating the stellar mass - up to ~0.5 dex-. On the other hand, the DPL cannot match the IFU measured emission lines. Additionally, the ionizing photon production efficiency may be overestimated in a spatially-integrated approach by ~0.15 dex, when compared to a spatially-resolved analysis. The agreement with the IFU measurements points towards the pixel-by-pixel approach as a way to mitigate the general degeneracy between the flux excess from emission lines and underlying continuum, especially when lacking photometric medium-band coverage and/or IFU observations. This study stresses the importance of studying galaxies as the complex systems that they are, resolving their stellar populations when possible, or using more flexible SFH parameterisations. This can aid our understanding of the early stages of galaxy evolution by addressing the challenge of inferring robust stellar masses and ionizing photon production efficiencies of high redshift galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Galaxy main sequence and properties of low-mass Lyman-alpha Emitters towards reionisation viewed by VLT/MUSE and JWST/NIRCam

Faint, star-forming galaxies likely play a dominant role in cosmic reionisation. Strides have been made in recent years to characterise these populations at high redshifts ($z>3$). Now for the first time, with JWST photometry beyond 1$\,\mu m$ in the rest frame, we can derive accurate stellar masses and position these galaxies on the galaxy main sequence. We seek to assess the place of 96 individual Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) selected behind the A2744 lensing cluster with MUSE spectroscopy on the galaxy main sequence. We also compare derived stellar masses to Lyman-alpha luminosities and equivalent widths to better quantify the relationship between the Lyman-alpha emission and the host galaxy. These 96 LAEs lie in the redshift range $2.9<z<6.7$, and their range of masses extends down to $10^6\,\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ (over half with $\mathrm{M_{\star}}<10^8\,\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$). We use the JWST/NIRCam and HST photometric catalogs from the UNCOVER project, giving us excellent wavelength coverage from $450\,\mathrm{nm}$ to $4.5\,\mu m$. We find a main sequence relation for these low mass LAEs of the form: $\mathrm{log\,SFR}=(0.88\pm0.07 - 0.030\pm0.027\times t)\,\mathrm{log\,M_{\star}} - ( 6.31\pm0.41 - 0.08\pm0.37\times t)$. This is in approximate agreement with best-fits of previous collated studies, however, with a steeper slope and a higher normalisation. This indicates that low-mass LAEs towards the epoch of reionisation lie above typical literature main sequence relations derived at lower redshift and higher masses. Additionally, comparing our results to UV-selected samples, we see that while low-mass LAEs lie above these typical main sequence relations, they are likely not singular in this respect at these masses and redshifts. While low-mass galaxies have been shown to play a significant role in cosmic reionisation, our results point to no special position for LAEs in this regard.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

New constraints on the molecular gas content of a $z\sim8$ galaxy from JVLA CO(J=2-1) observations

As the primary fuel for star formation, molecular gas plays a key role in galaxy evolution. A number of techniques have been used for deriving the mass of molecular reservoirs in the early Universe (e.g., [CII]158$μ$m, [CI], dust continuum), but the standard approach of CO-based estimates has been limited to a small number of galaxies due to the intrinsic faintness of the line. We present Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) observations of the $z\sim8.31$ galaxy MACS0416_Y1, targeting CO(2-1) and rest-frame radio continuum emission, which result in upper limits on both quantities. Adding our continuum limit to the published far-infrared (FIR) spectral energy distribution (SED), we find a small non-thermal contribution to the FIR emission, a low dust mass ($\rm\log_{10}(M_D/M_{\odot})\sim5$), and an abnormally high dust temperature ($\rm T_D\gtrsim90K$) that may indicate a recent starburst. Assuming a low metallicity ($Z/Z_{\odot}\sim0.25$), we find evidence for $M_{\rm H_2,CO}\lesssim10^{10}$M$_{\odot}$, in agreement with previous [CII] investigations ($M_{\rm H_2,[CII]}\sim10^{9.6}$M$_{\odot}$). Upcoming JWST observations of this source will result in a precise determination of $Z$, enabling better constraints and an unprecedented view of the gaseous reservoir in this primordial starburst galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Unbiased surveys of dust-enshrouded galaxies using ALMA

The ALMA lensing cluster survey (ALCS) is a 96-hr large program dedicated to uncovering and characterizing intrinsically faint continuum sources and line emitters with the assistance of gravitational lensing. All 33 cluster fields were selected from HST/Spitzer treasury programs including CLASH, Hubble Frontier Fields, and RELICS, which also have Herschel and Chandra coverages. The total sky area surveyed reaches $\sim$133 arcmin$^2$ down to a depth of $\sim$60 $μ$Jy beam$^{-1}$ (1$σ$) at 1.2 mm, yielding 141 secure blind detections of continuum sources and additional 39 sources aided by priors. We present scientific motivation, survey design, the status of spectroscopy follow-up observations, and number counts down to $\sim$7 $μ$Jy. Synergies with JWST are also discussed.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Resolving Ambiguities in the Inferred Star Formation Histories of Intense [O III] Emitters in the Reionisation Era

Early JWST spectroscopic campaigns have confirmed the presence of strong [O III] line-emitting galaxies in the redshift interval $7<z<9$. Although deduced earlier from Spitzer photometry as indicative of young stellar populations, some studies suggested the relevant photometric excesses attributed to [O III] emission could, in part, be due to Balmer breaks arising from older stars. We demonstrate that this is likely the case by exploiting medium-band near-infrared JWST photometry in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. We locate a sample of 6 galaxies with redshifts 8.2$<z<$8.6 for which the relevant medium-band filters enables us to separate the contributions of [O III] emission and a Balmer break, thereby breaking earlier degeneracies of interpretation. The technique is particularly valuable since it provides photometric redshifts whose precision, $Δ\,z\simeq\,\pm0.08$, approaches that of spectroscopic campaigns now underway with JWST. Although some sources are young, a third of our sample have prominent Balmer breaks consistent with stellar ages of $\geq$150 Myr. Our results indicate that even intense [O III] emitters experienced episodes of earlier star formation to $z\sim$10 and beyond, as is now being independently deduced from direct detection of the progenitors of similar systems.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

A lensed protocluster candidate at $z=7.66$ identified in JWST observations of the galaxy cluster SMACS0723-7327

According to the current paradigm of galaxy formation, the first galaxies have been likely formed within large dark matter haloes. The fragmentation of these massive haloes led to the formation of galaxy protoclusters, which are usually composed of one to a few bright objects, surrounded by numerous fainter (and less massive) galaxies. These early structures could have played a major role in reionising the neutral hydrogen within the first billion years of the Universe; especially, if their number density is significant.Taking advantage of the unprecedented sensitivity reached by the \textit{James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)}, galaxy protoclusters can now be identified and studied in increasing numbers beyond $z\geq\ $6. Characterising their contribution to the UV photon budget could supply new insights into the reionisation process. We analyse the first JWST dataset behind SMACS0723-7327 to search for protoclusters at $z\geq6$, combining the available spectroscopic and photometric data. We then compare our findings with semi-analytical models and simulations. In addition to two bright galaxies ($\leq$26.5 AB in F277W), separated by $\sim$11\arcsec and spectroscopically confirmed at $z_{spec}=7.66$, we identify 6 additional galaxies with similar colors in a $θ\sim20$\arcsec radius around these (corresponding to R$\sim60-90$ kpc in the source plane). Using several methods, we estimate the mass of the dark matter halo of this protocluster, $\sim$3.3$\times$10$^{11}$M$_{\odot}$ accounting for magnification, consistent with various predictions. The physical properties of all protocluster members are also in excellent agreement with what has been previously found at lower redshifts: star-formation main sequence and protocluster size. This detection adds to just a few protoclusters currently known in the first billion years of the universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

EMIR, the near-infrared camera and multi-object spectrograph for the GTC

We present EMIR, a powerful near-infrared (NIR) camera and multi-object spectrograph (MOS) installed at the Nasmyth focus of the 10.4 m GTC. EMIR was commissioned in mid-2016 and is offered as a common-user instrument. It provides spectral coverage of 0.9 to 2.5 $μm$ over a field of view (FOV) of 6.67x6.67 squared arcmin in imaging mode, and 6.67x4 squared arcmin in spectroscopy. EMIR delivers up to 53 spectra of different objects thanks to a robotic configurable cold slit mask system that is located inside the cryogenic chamber, allowing rapid reconfiguration of the observing mask. The imaging mode is attained by moving all bars outside the FOV and then leaving an empty space in the GTC focal surface. The dispersing suite holds three large pseudo-grisms, formed by the combination of high-efficiency FuSi ion-etched ruled transmission grating sandwiched between two identical ZnSe prisms, plus one standard replicated grism. These dispersing units offer the spectral recording of an atmospheric window $J,H,K$ in a single shot with resolving powers of 5000, 4250, 4000, respectively for a nominal slit width of 0.6\arcsec, plus the combined bands $YJ$ or $HK$, also in a single shot, with resolution of $\sim$ 1000. The original Hawaii2 FPA detector, which is prone to instabilities that add noise to the signal, is being replaced by a new Hawaii2RG detector array, and is currently being tested at the IAC. This paper presents the most salient features of the instrument, with emphasis on its observing capabilities and the functionality of the configurable slit unit. Sample early science data is also shown.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

XMM-Newton study of six massive, X-ray luminous galaxy clusters systems in the redshift range z = 0.25 to 0.5

Massive galaxy clusters are interesting astrophysical and cosmological study objects, but are relatively rare. In the redshift range z = 0.25 to 0.5 which is, for example, a favourable region for gravitational lensing studies, about 100 such systems are known. Most of them have been studied in X-rays. In this paper we study the six remaining massive clusters in this redshift interval in the highly complete CLASSIX survey which have so far not been observed with sufficiently deep exposures in X-rays. With data from our new XMM-Newton observations we characterise their structures, derive X-ray properties such as the X-ray luminosity and intra-cluster medium temperature and estimate their gas and total masses. We find that one cluster, RXCJ1230.7+3439, is dynamically young with three distinct substructures in the cluster outskirts and RXCJ1310.9+2157/RXCJ1310.4+2151 is a double cluster system. Mass determination is difficult in the systems with substructure. We therefore discuss several methods of mass estimation including scaling relations. In summary we find that five of the six study targets are indeed massive clusters as expected, while the last cluster RXCJ2116.2-0309 is a close projection of a distant and a nearby cluster which has led to a previous overestimation of its mass. In the XMM-Newton observation fields we also find three low redshift clusters close to the targets which are also analysed and described here. In the field of RXCJ2116.2-0309 we discover serendipitously a highly variable X-ray source which has decreased its flux within a year by more than a factor of eight. This source is most probably an AGN.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

The Prevalence of Galaxy Overdensities Around UV-Luminous Lyman $\mathbfα$ 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 $z\gtrsim6$ galaxies in the intergalactic medium. Nevertheless, Ly$α$ has been detected up to very high redshifts ($z\sim9$) 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 $z_\mathrm{spec}=7.73$, 7.48, and 8.68, respectively. We combine the multi-wavelength HST imaging with Spitzer data to reliably select $z\sim7-9$ 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 $\sim 3-9\times$). 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. JWST follow-up observations of the neighbouring galaxies identified here will be needed to confirm their physical association and to map out the ionized regions produced by these sources.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Probing Cosmic Dawn : Ages and Star Formation Histories of Candidate $z\geq$9 Galaxies

We discuss the spectral energy distributions and physical properties of six galaxies whose photometric redshifts suggest they lie beyond a redshift $z\simeq$9. Each was selected on account of a prominent excess seen in the Spitzer/IRAC 4.5$μ$m 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 $z\simeq10$. 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 [OIII] 88 $μ$m 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\simeq$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\simeq$10. We use our best-fit 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.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey: a strongly lensed multiply imaged dusty system at $z\geq$6

We report the discovery of an intrinsically faint, quintuply-imaged, dusty galaxy MACS0600-z6 at a redshift $z=$6.07 viewed through the cluster MACSJ0600.1-2008 ($z$=0.46). A $\simeq4σ$ dust detection is seen at 1.2mm as part of the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS), an on-going ALMA Large program, and the redshift is secured via [C II] 158 $μ$m emission described in a companion paper. In addition, spectroscopic follow-up with GMOS/Gemini-North shows a break in the galaxy's spectrum, consistent with the Lyman break at that redshift. We use a detailed mass model of the cluster and infer a magnification $μ\gtrsim$30 for the most magnified image of this galaxy, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to probe the physical properties of a sub-luminous galaxy at the end of cosmic reionisation. Based on the spectral energy distribution, we infer lensing-corrected stellar and dust masses of $\rm{2.9^{+11.5}_{-2.3}\times10^9}$ and $\rm{4.8^{+4.5}_{-3.4}\times10^6}$ $\rm{M_{\odot}}$ respectively, a star formation rate of $\rm{9.7^{+22.0}_{-6.6} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}}$, an intrinsic size of $\rm{0.54^{+0.26}_{-0.14}}$ kpc, and a luminosity-weighted age of 200$\pm$100 Myr. Strikingly, the dust production rate in this relatively young galaxy appears to be larger than that observed for equivalent, lower redshift sources. We discuss if this implies that early supernovae are more efficient dust producers and the consequences for using dust mass as a probe of earlier star formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

MUSE observations towards the lensing cluster A2744: Intersection between the LBG and LAE populations at z $\sim$ 3-7

We present a study of the intersection between the populations of star forming galaxies (SFGs) selected as either Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) or Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in the redshift range 2.9 - 6.7, within the same volume of universe sampled by the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) behind the Hubble Frontier Fields lensing cluster A2744. We define three samples of star-forming galaxies: LBG galaxies with an LAE counterpart (92 galaxies), LBG galaxies without LAE counterpart (408 galaxies) and LAE galaxies without an LBG counterpart (46 galaxies). All these galaxies are intrinsically faint due to the lensing nature of the sample (Muv $\ge$ -20.5). The fraction of LAEs among all selected SFGs increases with redshift up to z $\sim$ 6 and decreases for higher redshifts. The evolution of LAE/LBG populations with UV magnitude and Lya luminosity shows that the LAE selection is able to identify intrinsically UV faint galaxies with Muv $\ge$ -15 that are typically missed in the deepest lensing photometric surveys. The LBG population seems to fairly represent the total population of SFGs down to Muv$\sim$-15. Galaxies with Muv$<-17$ tend to have SFRLya$<$SFRuv, whereas the opposite trend is observed within our sample for faint galaxies with Muv$>-17$, including galaxies only detected by their Lya emission, with a large scatter. These trends, previously observed in other samples of SFGs at high-$z$, are seen here for very faint Muv$\sim -15$ galaxies, much fainter than in previous studies. There is no clear evidence, based on the present results, for an intrinsic difference on the properties of the two populations selected as LBG and/or LAE. The observed trends could be explained by a combination of several facts, like the existence of different star-formation regimes, the dust content, the relative distribution and morphology of dust and stars, or the stellar populations

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Faint end of the $z \sim 3-7$ luminosity function of Lyman-alpha emitters behind lensing clusters observed with MUSE

We present the results obtained with VLT/MUSE on the faint-end of the Lyman-alpha luminosity function (LF) based on deep observations of four lensing clusters. The precise aim of the present study is to further constrain the abundance of Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) by taking advantage of the magnification provided by lensing clusters. We blindly selected a sample of 156 LAEs, with redshifts between $2.9 \le z \le 6.7$ and magnification-corrected luminosities in the range $ 39 \lesssim \log L_{Ly_α}$ [erg s$^{-1}$] $\lesssim 43$. The price to pay to benefit from magnification is a reduction of the effective volume of the survey, together with a more complex analysis procedure. To properly take into account the individual differences in detection conditions (including lensing configurations, spatial and spectral morphologies) when computing the LF, a new method based on the 1/Vmax approach was implemented. The LAE LF has been obtained in four different redshift bins with constraints down to $\log L_{Ly_α} = 40.5$. From our data only, no significant evolution of LF mean slope can be found. When performing a Schechter analysis including data from the literature to complete the present sample a steep faint-end slope was measured varying from $α= -1.69^{+0.08}_{-0.08}$ to $α= -1.87^{+0.12}_{-0.12}$ between the lowest and the highest redshift bins. The contribution of the LAE population to the star formation rate density at $z \sim 6$ is $\lesssim 50$% depending on the luminosity limit considered, which is of the same order as the Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) contribution. The evolution of the LAE contribution with redshift depends on the assumed escape fraction of Lyman-alpha photons, and appears to slightly increase with increasing redshift when this fraction is conservatively set to one. (abridged)

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

The Absence of [CII] 158$μ$m Emission in Spectroscopically-Confirmed Galaxies at $z>8$

The scatter in the relationship between the strength of [CII] 158$μ$m emission and the star formation rate at high-redshift has been the source of much recent interest. Although the relationship is well-established locally, several intensely star-forming galaxies have been found whose [CII] 158$μ$m emission is either weak, absent or spatially offset from the young stars. Here we present new ALMA data for the two most distant, gravitationally-lensed and spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies, A2744\_YD4 at $z=$8.38 and MACS1149\_JD1 at $z=$9.11, both of which reveal intense [OIII] 88$μ$m emission. In both cases we provide stringent upper limits on the presence of [CII] 158$μ$m with respect to [OIII] 88$μ$m. We review possible explanations for this apparent redshift-dependent [CII] deficit in the context of our recent hydrodynamical simulations. Our results highlight the importance of using several emission line diagnostics with ALMA to investigate the nature of the interstellar medium in early galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗