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P. Oesch

Publications and source records attributed to P. Oesch.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2021

ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey: an ALMA galaxy signposting a MUSE galaxy group at z=4.3 behind 'El Gordo'

We report the discovery of a Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) galaxy group at z=4.32 lensed by the massive galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915 (aka El Gordo) at z=0.87, associated with a 1.2 mm source which is at a 2.07+/-0.88 kpc projected distance from one of the group galaxies. Three images of the whole system appear in the image plane. The 1.2 mm source has been detected within the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS). As this ALMA source is undetected at wavelengths lambda < 2 microns, its redshift cannot be independently determined, however, the three lensing components indicate that it belongs to the same galaxy group at z=4.32. The four members of the MUSE galaxy group have low to intermediate stellar masses (~ 10^7-10^{10} Msun) and star formation rates (SFRs) of 0.4-24 Msun/yr, resulting in high specific SFRs (sSFRs) for two of them, which suggest that these galaxies are growing fast (with stellar-mass doubling times of only ~ 2x10^7 years). This high incidence of starburst galaxies is likely a consequence of interactions within the galaxy group, which is compact and has high velocity dispersion. Based on the magnification-corrected sub-/millimetre continuum flux density and estimated stellar mass, we infer that the ALMA source is classified as an ordinary ultra-luminous infrared galaxy (with associated dust-obscured SFR~200-300 Msun/yr) and lies on the star-formation main sequence. This reported case of an ALMA/MUSE group association suggests that some presumably isolated ALMA sources are in fact signposts of richer star-forming environments at high redshifts.

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arXiv2020

A low [CII]/[NII] ratio in the center of a massive galaxy at z=3.7: witnessing the transition to quiescence at high-redshift?

Understanding the process of quenching is one of the major open questions in galaxy evolution, and crucial insights may be obtained by studying quenched galaxies at high redshifts, at epochs when the Universe and the galaxies were younger and simpler to model. However, establishing the degree of quiescence in high redshift galaxies is a challenging task. One notable example is Hyde, a recently discovered galaxy at z=3.709. As compact (r~0.5 kpc) and massive (M*~1e11 Msun) as its quenched neighbor Jekyll, it is also extremely obscured yet only moderately luminous in the sub-millimeter. Panchromatic modeling suggested it could be the first galaxy found in transition to quenching at z>3, however the data were also consistent with a broad range of star-formation activity, including moderate SFR in the lower scatter of the galaxy main-sequence (MS). Here, we describe ALMA observations of the [CII] 157um and [NII] 205um far-infrared emission lines. The [CII] emission within the half-light radius is dominated by ionized gas, while the outskirts are dominated by PDRs or neutral gas. This suggests that the ionization in the center is not primarily powered by on-going star formation, and could come instead from remnant stellar populations formed in an older burst, or from a moderate AGN. Accounting for this information in the multi-wavelength modeling provides a tighter constraint on the star formation rate of SFR=$50^{+24}_{-18}$ Msun/yr. This rules out fully quenched solutions, and favors SFRs more than factor of two lower than expected for a galaxy on the MS, confirming the nature of Hyde as a transition galaxy. Theses results suggest that quenching happens from inside-out, and starts before the galaxy expels or consumes all its gas reservoirs. Similar observations of a larger sample would determine whether this is an isolated case or the norm for quenching at high-redshift. [abriged]

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arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] Survey: The nature, luminosity function and star formation history of dusty galaxies up to z~6

We present the detailed characterisation of a sample of 56 sources serendipitously detected in ALMA band 7, as part of the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate CII at Early Times (ALPINE) in COSMOS and ECDFS. These sources have been used to derive the total infrared luminosity function (LF) and to estimate the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) up to z=6. We have looked for counterparts in all the available multi-wavelength and photometric redshift catalogues, and in deeper near- and mid-IR source lists and maps, to identify optically dark sources with no matches in the public catalogues. Our ALMA blind survey allows us to push further the study of the nature and evolution of dusty galaxies at high-z, identifying luminous and massive sources to redshifts and faint luminosities never probed before by any far-infrared surveys. The ALPINE data are the first ones to sample the faint-end of the infrared LF, showing little evolution from z=2.5 to z=6, and a flat slope up to the highest redshifts. The SFRD obtained by integrating the luminosity function remains almost constant between z=2 and 6, and significantly higher than the optical/UV derivations, showing an important contribution of dusty galaxies and obscured star formation up to high-z. About 14 per cent of the ALPINE serendipitous continuum sources are optically+near-IR dark (six show a counterpart only in the mid-IR and no HST or near-IR identification, while two are detected as [CII] emitters at z=5). The six HST and near-IR dark galaxies with mid-IR counterpart contribute for about 17 per cent of the total SFRD at z=5 and dominate the high-mass end of the stellar mass function at z>3.

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arXiv2020

MOONRISE: The Main MOONS GTO Extragalactic Survey

The MOONS instrument possesses an exceptional combination of large multiplexing, high sensitivity, broad simultaneous spectral coverage (from optical to near-infrared bands), large patrol area and high fibre density. These properties provide the unprecedented potential of enabling, for the very first time, SDSS-like surveys around Cosmic Noon (z~1-2.5), when the star formation rate in the Universe peaked. The high-quality spectra delivered by MOONS will sample the same nebular and stellar diagnostics observed in extensive surveys of local galaxies, providing an accurate and consistent description of the evolution of various physical properties of galaxies, and hence a solid test of different scenarios of galaxy formation and transformation. Most importantly, by spectroscopically identifying hundreds of thousands of galaxies at high redshift, the MOONS surveys will be capable of determining the environments in which primeval galaxies lived and will reveal how such environments affected galaxy evolution. In this article, we specifically focus on the main Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) MOONS extragalactic survey, MOONRISE, by providing an overview of its scientific goals and observing strategy.

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arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] Survey: CGM pollution and gas mixing by tidal stripping in a merging system at z~4.57

We present ALMA observations of a merging system at z ~ 4.57, observed as a part of the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE) survey. Combining ALMA [CII] 158 micron and far-infrared continuum data with multi-wavelength ancillary data we find that the system is composed of two massive (Mstar >~ 10^10 Msun) star-forming galaxies experiencing a major merger (stellar mass ratio r_mass ~ 0.9) at close spatial (~13 kpc; projected) and velocity (delta_v < 300 km/s) separations, and two additional faint narrow [CII]-emitting satellites. The overall system belongs to a larger-scale protocluster environment and is coincident to one of its overdensity peaks. ALMA reveals also the presence of [CII] emission arising from a circumgalactic gas structure, extending up to a diameter-scale of ~30 kpc. Our morpho-spectral decomposition analysis shows that about 50% of the total flux resides between the individual galaxy components, in a metal-enriched gaseous envelope characterized by a disturbed morphology and complex kinematics. Similarly to observations of shock-excited [CII] emitted from tidal tails in local groups, our results can be interpreted as a possible signature of interstellar gas stripped by strong gravitational interactions, with a possible contribution from material ejected by galactic outflows and emission triggered by star formation in small faint satellites. Our findings suggest that mergers could be an efficient mechanism of gas mixing in the circumgalactic medium around high-z galaxies, and thus play a key role in the galaxy baryon cycle at early epochs.

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arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] Survey: Obscured Star Formation Rate Density and Main Sequence of star-forming galaxies at z>4

Star formation rate (SFR) measurements at z>4 have relied mostly on rest-frame far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations. The corrections for dust attenuation based on IRX-$β$ relation are highly uncertain and are still debated in the literature. Hence, rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) observations are necessary to constrain the dust-obscured component of the SFR. In this paper, we exploit the rest-frame FIR continuum observations collected by the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE) to directly constrain the obscured SFR in galaxies at 4.4<z<5.9. We use stacks of continuum images to measure average infrared (IR) luminosities taking into account both detected and undetected sources. Based on these measurements, we measure the position of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies and the specific SFR (sSFR) at $z\sim4.5$ and $z\sim5.5$. We find that the main sequence and sSFR do not evolve significantly between $z\sim4.5$ and $z\sim5.5$, as opposed to lower redshifts. We develop a method to derive the obscured SFR density (SFRD) using the stellar masses or FUV-magnitudes as a proxy of FIR fluxes measured on the stacks and combining them with the galaxy stellar mass functions and FUV luminosity functions from the literature. We obtain consistent results independent of the chosen proxy. We find that the obscured fraction of SFRD is decreasing with increasing redshift but even at $z\sim5.5$ it constitutes around 61\% of the total SFRD.

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arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: Small Lya-[CII] velocity offsets in main-sequence galaxies at 4.4 < z < 6

The Lya line in the UV and the [CII] line in the FIR are widely used tools to identify galaxies and to obtain insights into ISM properties in the early Universe. By combining data obtained with ALMA in band 7 at ~ 320 GHz as part of the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early Times (ALPINE) with spectroscopic data from DEIMOS at Keck, VIMOS and FORS2 at the VLT, we assembled a unique sample of 53 main-sequence star-forming galaxies at 4.4 < z < 6 in which we detect both the Lya line and the [CII]. We used [CII], observed with ALMA, as a tracer of the systemic velocity of the galaxies, and we find that 90% of the selected objects have Lya-[CII] velocity offsets in the range 0 < Dv_Lya-[CII] < 400 km/s, in line with the few measurements available so far in the early Universe, and significantly smaller than those observed at lower z. We observe ISM-[CII] offsets in the range -500 < Dv_ISM-[CII] < 0 km/s, in line with values at all redshifts. We find significant anticorrelations between Dv_Lya-[CII] and the Lya rest-frame equivalent width EW0(Lya) (or equivalently, the Lya escape fraction f_esc(Lya)). According to available models for the radiative transfer of Lya photons, the escape of Lya photons would be favored in galaxies with high outflow velocities, in agreement with our observations. The uniform shell model would also predict that the Lya escape in galaxies with slow outflows (0 < v_out < 300 km/s) is mainly determined by the neutral hydrogen column density (NHI), while the alternative model by Steidel+10 would favor a combination of NHI and covering fraction as driver of the Lya escape. We suggest that the observed increase in Lya escape that is observed between z~2 and z~6 is not due to a higher incidence of fast outflows at high redshift, but rather to a decrease in average NHI along the line of sight, or alternatively, a decrease in HI covering fraction. [abridged]

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arXiv2019

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: Star-formation-driven outflows and circumgalactic enrichment in the early Universe

We study the efficiency of galactic feedback in the early Universe by stacking the [C II] 158 um emission in a large sample of normal star-forming galaxies at 4 < z < 6 from the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [C II] at Early times (ALPINE) survey. Searching for typical signatures of outflows in the high-velocity tails of the stacked [C II] profile, we observe (i) deviations from a single-component Gaussian model in the combined residuals and (ii) broad emission in the stacked [C II] spectrum, with velocities of |v|<~ 500 km/s. The significance of these features increases when stacking the subset of galaxies with star formation rates (SFRs) higher than the median (SFRmed = 25 Msun/yr), thus confirming their star-formation-driven nature. The estimated mass outflow rates are comparable to the SFRs, yielding mass-loading factors of the order of unity (similarly to local star-forming galaxies), suggesting that star-formation-driven feedback may play a lesser role in quenching galaxies at z > 4. From the stacking analysis of the datacubes, we find that the combined [C II] core emission (|v|< 200 km/s) of the higher-SFR galaxies is extended on physical sizes of ~ 30 kpc (diameter scale), well beyond the analogous [C II] core emission of lower-SFR galaxies and the stacked far-infrared continuum. The detection of such extended metal-enriched gas, likely tracing circumgalactic gas enriched by past outflows, corroborates previous similar studies, confirming that baryon cycle and gas exchanges with the circumgalactic medium are at work in normal star-forming galaxies already at early epochs.

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arXiv2019

Automated Mining of the ALMA Archive in the COSMOS Field (A3COSMOS): I. Robust ALMA Continuum Photometry Catalogs and Stellar Mass and Star Formation Properties for ~700 Galaxies at z=0.5-6

The rich information on (sub)millimeter dust continuum emission from distant galaxies in the public Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) archive is contained in thousands of inhomogeneous observations from individual PI-led programs. To increase the usability of these data for studies deepening our understanding of galaxy evolution, we have developed automated mining pipelines for the ALMA archive in the COSMOS field (A3COSMOS) that efficiently exploit the available information for large numbers of galaxies across cosmic time and keep the data products in sync with the increasing public ALMA archive: (a) a dedicated ALMA continuum imaging pipeline, (b) two complementary photometry pipelines for both blind source extraction and prior source fitting, (c) a counterpart association pipeline utilizing the multiwavelength data available (including quality assessment based on machine-learning techniques), (d) an assessment of potential (sub)millimeter line contribution to the measured ALMA continuum, and (e) extensive simulations to provide statistical corrections to biases and uncertainties in the ALMA continuum measurements. Application of these tools yields photometry catalogs with ~1000 (sub)millimeter detections (spurious fraction ~8%-12%) from over 1500 individual ALMA continuum images. Combined with ancillary photometric and redshift catalogs and the above quality assessments, we provide robust information on redshift, stellar mass, and star formation rate for ~700 galaxies at redshifts 0.5-6 in the COSMOS field (with undetermined selection function). The ALMA photometric measurements and galaxy properties are released publicly within our blind extraction, prior fitting, and galaxy property catalogs, plus the images. These products will be updated on a regular basis in the future.

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arXiv2019

Revealing the Stellar Mass and Dust Distributions of Submillimeter Galaxies at Redshift 2

We combine high-resolution ALMA and HST/CANDELS observations of 20 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) predominantly from the AS2UDS survey at z~2 with bright rest-frame optical counterparts (Ks < 22.9) to investigate the resolved structural properties of their dust and stellar components. We derive two-dimensional stellar-mass distributions that are inferred from spatial mass-to-light ratio (M/L) corrections based on rest-frame optical colors. Due to the high central column densities of dust in our SMGs, our mass distributions likely represent a lower limit to the true central mass density. The centroid positions between the inferred stellar-mass and the dust distributions agree within 1.1 kpc, indicating an overall good spatial agreement between the two components. The majority of our sources exhibit compact dust configurations relative to the stellar component (with a median ratio of effective radii Re,dust/Re,Mstar = 0.6). This ratio does not change with specific star-formation rate (sSFR) over the factor of 30 spanned by our targets, sampling the locus of "normal" main sequence galaxies up to the starburst regime, log(sSFR/sSFRMS) > 0.5. Our results imply that massive SMGs are experiencing centrally enhanced star formation unlike typical spiral galaxies in the local Universe. The sizes and stellar densities of our SMGs are in agreement with those of the passive population at z=1.5, consistent with these systems being the descendants of z~2 SMGs.

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arXiv2019

Mini-survey of the northern sky to Dec <+30

We propose an extension of the LSST survey to cover the northern sky to DEC < +30 (accessible at airmass <1.8). This survey will increase the LSST sky coverage by ~9,600 square degrees from 18,900 to 28,500 square degrees (a 50% increase) but use only 0.6-2.5% of the time depending on the synergies with other surveys. This increased area addresses a wide range of science cases that enhance all of the primary LSST science goals by significant amounts. The science enabled includes: increasing the area of the sky accessible for follow-up of multi-messenger transients including gravitational waves, mapping the milky way halo and halo dwarfs including discovery of RR Lyrae stars in the outer galactic halo, discovery of z>7 quasars in combination Euclid, enabling a second generation DESI and other spectroscopic surveys, and enhancing all areas of science by improving synergies with Euclid, WFIRST, and unique northern survey facilities. This white paper is the result of the Tri-Agency Working Group (TAG) appointed to develop synergies between missions and presents a unified plan for northern coverage. The range of time estimates reflects synergies with other surveys. If the modified DESC WFD survey, the ecliptic plane mini survey, and the north galactic spur mini survey are executed this plan would only need 0.6% of the LSST time, however if none of these are included the overall request is 2.5% of the 10 year survey life. In other words, the majority of these observations are already suggested as part of these other surveys and the intent of this white paper is to propose a unified baseline plan to carry out a broad range of objectives to facilitate a combination of multiple science objectives. A companion white paper gives Euclid specific science goals, and we support the white papers for southern extensions of the LSST survey.

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arXiv2019

Enhancing LSST Science with Euclid Synergy

This white paper is the result of the Tri-Agency Working Group (TAG) appointed to develop synergies between missions and is intended to clarify what LSST observations are needed in order to maximally enhance the combined science output of LSST and Euclid. To facilitate LSST planning we provide a range of possible LSST surveys with clear metrics based on the improvement in the Dark Energy figure of merit (FOM). To provide a quantifiable metric we present five survey options using only between 0.3 and 3.8% of the LSST 10 year survey. We also provide information so that the LSST DDF cadence can possibly be matched to those of \emph{Euclid} in common deep fields, SXDS, COSMOS, CDFS, and a proposed new LSST deep field (near the Akari Deep Field South). Co-coordination of observations from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and Euclid will lead to a significant number of synergies. The combination of optical multi-band imaging from LSST with high resolution optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy from \emph{Euclid} will not only improve constraints on Dark Energy, but provide a wealth of science on the Milky Way, local group, local large scale structure, and even on first galaxies during the epoch of reionization. A detailed paper has been published on the Dark Energy science case (Rhodes et al.) by a joint LSST/Euclid working group as well as a white paper describing LSST/Euclid/WFIRST synergies (Jain et al.), and we will briefly describe other science cases here. A companion white paper argues the general science case for an extension of the LSST footprint to the north at airmass < 1.8, and we support the white papers for southern extensions of the LSST survey.

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arXiv2018

The SINS/zC-SINF survey of z~2 galaxy kinematics: SINFONI adaptive optics-assisted data and kiloparsec-scale emission line properties

We present the "SINS/zC-SINF AO survey" of 35 star-forming galaxies, the largest sample with deep adaptive optics-assisted (AO) near-infrared integral field spectroscopy at z~2. The observations, taken with SINFONI at the Very Large Telescope, resolve the Ha and [NII] line emission and kinematics on scales of ~1.5 kpc. In stellar mass, star formation rate, rest-optical colors and size, the AO sample is representative of its parent seeing-limited sample and probes the massive (M* ~ 2x10^9 - 3x10^11 Msun), actively star-forming (SFR ~ 10-600 Msun/yr) part of the z~2 galaxy population over a wide range in colors ((U-V)_rest ~ 0.15-1.5 mag) and half-light radii (R_e,H ~ 1-8.5 kpc). The sample overlaps largely with the "main sequence" of star-forming galaxies in the same redshift range to a similar K_AB = 23 magnitude limit; it has ~0.3 dex higher median specific SFR, ~0.1 mag bluer median (U-V)_rest color, and ~10% larger median rest-optical size. We describe the observations, data reduction, and extraction of basic flux and kinematic properties. With typically 3-4 times higher resolution and 4-5 times longer integrations (up to 23hr) than the seeing-limited datasets of the same objects, the AO data reveal much more detail in morphology and kinematics. The now complete AO observations confirm the majority of kinematically-classified disks and the typically elevated disk velocity dispersions previously reported based on subsets of the data. We derive typically flat or slightly negative radial [NII]/Ha gradients, with no significant trend with global galaxy properties, kinematic nature, or the presence of an AGN. Azimuthal variations in [NII]/Ha are seen in several sources and are associated with ionized gas outflows, and possible more metal-poor star-forming clumps or small companions. [Abridged]

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arXiv2016

The Lyman-Continuum Photon Production Efficiency xi_{ion} of z~4-5 Galaxies from IRAC-based Halpha Measurements: Implications for the Escape Fraction and Cosmic Reionization

Galaxies represent one of the preferred candidate sources to drive the reionization of the universe. Even as gains are made in mapping the galaxy UV luminosity density to z>6, significant uncertainties remain regarding the conversion to the implied ionizing emissivity. The relevant unknowns are the Lyman-continuum (LyC) photon production efficiency xi_{ion} and the escape fraction f_{esc}. As we show here, the first of these unknowns is directly measureable in z=4-5 galaxies, based on the impact the Halpha line has on the observed IRAC fluxes. By computing a LyC photon production rate from the implied Halpha luminosities for a broad selection of z=4-5 galaxies and comparing this against the dust-corrected UV-continuum luminosities, we provide the first-ever direct estimates of the LyC photon production efficiency xi_{ion} for the z>~4 galaxy population. We find log_{10} xi_{ion}/[Hz/ergs] to have a mean value of 25.27_{-0.03}^{+0.03} and 25.34_{-0.02}^{+0.02} for sub-L* z=4-5 galaxies adopting Calzetti and SMC dust laws, respectively. Reassuringly, both values are consistent with standardly assumed xi_{ion}'s in reionization models, with a slight preference for higher xi_{ion}'s (by ~0.1 dex) adopting the SMC dust law. A modest ~0.03-dex increase in these estimates would result if the escape fraction for ionizing photons is non-zero and galaxies dominate the ionizing emissivity at z~4.4. High values of xi_{ion} (~25.5-25.8 dex) are derived for the bluest galaxies (beta<-2.3) in our samples, independent of dust law and consistent with results for a z=7.045 galaxy. Such elevated values of xi_{ion} would have important consequences, indicating that f_{esc} cannot be in excess of 13% unless the galaxy UV luminosity function does not extend down to -13 mag or the clumping factor is greater than 3. A low escape fraction would fit well with the low rate of LyC leakage observed at z~3.

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arXiv2015

Bright galaxies at Hubble's redshift detection frontier: Preliminary results and design from the redshift z~9-10 BoRG pure-parallel HST survey

We present the first results and design from the redshift z~9-10 Brightest of the Reionizing Galaxies {\it Hubble Space Telescope} survey BoRG[z9-10], aimed at searching for intrinsically luminous unlensed galaxies during the first 700 Myr after the Big Bang. BoRG[z9-10] is the continuation of a multi-year pure-parallel near-IR and optical imaging campaign with the Wide Field Camera 3. The ongoing survey uses five filters, optimized for detecting the most distant objects and offering continuous wavelength coverage from λ=0.35μm to λ=1.7μm. We analyze the initial ~130 arcmin$^2$ of area over 28 independent lines of sight (~25% of the total planned) to search for z>7 galaxies using a combination of Lyman break and photometric redshift selections. From an effective comoving volume of (5-25) $times 10^5$ Mpc$^3$ for magnitudes brighter than $m_{AB}=26.5-24.0$ in the $H_{160}$-band respectively, we find five galaxy candidates at z~8.3-10 detected at high confidence (S/N>8), including a source at z~8.4 with mAB=24.5 (S/N~22), which, if confirmed, would be the brightest galaxy identified at such early times (z>8). In addition, BoRG[z9-10] data yield four galaxies with $7.3 \lesssim z \lesssim 8$. These new Lyman break galaxies with m$\lesssim26.5$ are ideal targets for follow-up observations from ground and space based observatories to help investigate the complex interplay between dark matter growth, galaxy assembly, and reionization.

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arXiv2015

Mean Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW Inferred for Star-Forming Galaxies at z=5.1-5.4 Using High-Quality Spitzer/IRAC Photometry

Recent Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) photometric observations have revealed that rest-frame optical emission lines contribute signficantly to the broadband fluxes of high-redshift galaxies. Specifically, in the narrow redshift range z~5.1-5.4 the [3.6]-[4.5] color is expected to be very red, due to contamination of the 4.5-micron band by the dominant Halpha line, while the 3.6-micron filter is free of nebular emission lines. We take advantage of new reductions of deep Spitzer/IRAC imaging over the GOODS-North+South fields (Labbe+2015) to obtain a clean measurement of the mean Halpha equivalent width from the [3.6]-[4.5] color in the redshift range z=5.1-5.4. The selected sources either have measured spectroscopic redshifts (13 sources) or lie very confidently in the redshift range z=5.1-5.4 based on the photometric redshift likelihood intervals (11 sources). Our z_{phot}=5.1-5.4 sample and z_{spec}=5.10-5.40 spectroscopic sample have a mean [3.6]-[4.5] color of 0.31+/-0.05 mag and 0.35+/-0.07 mag, implying a rest-frame equivalent width EW(Halpha+[NII]+[SII]) of 665+/-53 Angstroms and 707+/-74 Angstroms, respectively, for sources in these samples. These values are consistent albeit slightly higher than derived by Stark+2013 at z~4, suggesting an evolution to higher values of the Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW at z>2. Using the 3.6micron band, which is free of emission line contamination, we perform robust SED fitting and find a median specific star formation rate of sSFR = 17_{-5}^{+2} Gyr^{-1}, 7_{-2}^{+1}x higher than at z~2. We find no strong correlation (<2sigma) between the Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW and the stellar mass of sources. Before the advent of JWST, improvements in these results will come through an expansion of current spectroscopic samples and deeper Spitzer/IRAC measurements.

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arXiv2015

A spectroscopically confirmed z=1.327 galaxy-scale deflector magnifying a z~8 Lyman-Break galaxy in the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies survey

We present a detailed analysis of an individual case of gravitational lensing of a $z\sim8$ Lyman-Break galaxy (LBG) in a blank field, identified in Hubble Space Telescope imaging obtained as part of the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies survey. To investigate the close proximity of the bright ($m_{AB}=25.8$) $Y_{098}$-dropout to a small group of foreground galaxies, we obtained deep spectroscopy of the dropout and two foreground galaxies using VLT/X-Shooter. We detect H-$α$, H-$β$, [OIII] and [OII] emission in the brightest two foreground galaxies (unresolved at the natural seeing of $0.8$ arcsec), placing the pair at $z=1.327$. We can rule out emission lines contributing all of the observed broadband flux in $H_{160}$ band at $70σ$, allowing us to exclude the $z\sim8$ candidate as a low redshift interloper with broadband photometry dominated by strong emission lines. The foreground galaxy pair lies at the peak of the luminosity, redshift and separation distributions for deflectors of strongly lensed $z\sim8$ objects, and we make a marginal detection of a demagnified secondary image in the deepest ($J_{125}$) filter. We show that the configuration can be accurately modelled by a singular isothermal ellipsoidal deflector and a Sérsic source magnified by a factor of $μ=4.3\pm0.2$. The reconstructed source in the best-fitting model is consistent with luminosities and morphologies of $z\sim8$ LBGs in the literature. The lens model yields a group mass of $9.62\pm0.31\times10^{11} M_{\odot}$ and a stellar mass-to-light ratio for the brightest deflector galaxy of $M_{\star}/L_{B}=2.3^{+0.8}_{-0.6} M_{\odot}/L_{\odot}$ within its effective radius. The foreground galaxies' redshifts would make this one of the few strong lensing deflectors discovered at $z>1$.

astro-ph.CO↗