arXiv subjects

Takuya Hashimoto

Publications and source records attributed to Takuya Hashimoto.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey. XV. The mean rest-UV spectra of Ly-alpha emitters at z>3

We investigate the ultraviolet (UV) spectral properties of faint Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) in the redshift range 2.9 3. We compute various averaged spectra of LAEs sub-sampled on the basis of their observational (e.g., Ly$α$ strength, UV magnitude and spectral slope) and physical (e.g., stellar mass and star-formation rate) properties. We search for UV spectral features other than Ly$α$, such as higher-ionization nebular emission lines and absorption features. We successfully observe the OIII]1666 and CIII]909 collisionally excited emission lines and the HeII1640 recombination feature, as well as the resonant CIV1550 doublet either in emission or P-Cygni. We compare the observed spectral properties of the different mean spectra and find the emission lines to vary with the observational and physical properties of the LAEs. In particular, the mean spectra of LAEs with larger Ly$α$ equivalent widths, fainter UV magnitudes, bluer UV spectral slopes and lower stellar masses show the strongest nebular emission. The line ratios of these lines are similar to those measured in the spectra of local metal-poor galaxies, while their equivalent widths are weaker compared to the handful of extreme values detected in individual spectra of z>2 galaxies. This suggests that weak UV features are likely ubiquitous in high z, low-mass and faint LAEs. We publicly release the stacked spectra as they can serve as empirical templates for the design of future observations, such as those with the James Webb Space Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope.

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arXiv2020

Extremely Metal-Poor Representatives Explored by the Subaru Survey (EMPRESS). I. A Successful Machine Learning Selection of Metal-Poor Galaxies and the Discovery of a Galaxy with M*<10^6 M_sun and 0.016 Z_sun

We have initiated a new survey for local extremely metal-poor galaxies (EMPGs) with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) large-area (~500 deg^2) optical images reaching a 5 sigma limit of ~26 magnitude, about 100 times deeper than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). To select Z/Z_sun<0.1 EMPGs from ~40 million sources detected in the Subaru images, we first develop a machine-learning (ML) classifier based on a deep neural network algorithm with a training data set consisting of optical photometry of galaxy, star, and QSO models. We test our ML classifier with SDSS objects having spectroscopic metallicity measurements, and confirm that our ML classifier accomplishes 86%-completeness and 46%-purity EMPG classifications with photometric data. Applying our ML classifier to the photometric data of the Subaru sources as well as faint SDSS objects with no spectroscopic data, we obtain 27 and 86 EMPG candidates from the Subaru and SDSS photometric data, respectively. We conduct optical follow-up spectroscopy for 10 out of our EMPG candidates with Magellan/LDSS-3+MagE, Keck/DEIMOS, and Subaru/FOCAS, and find that the 10 EMPG candidates are star-forming galaxies at z=0.007-0.03 with large H_beta equivalent widths of 104-265 A, stellar masses of log(M*/M_sun)=5.0-7.1, and high specific star-formation rates of ~300 Gyr^{-1}, which are similar to those of early galaxies at z>6 reported recently. We spectroscopically confirm that 3 out of 10 candidates are truly EMPGs with Z/Z_sun<0.1, one of which is HSC J1631+4426, the most metal-poor galaxy with Z/Z_sun=0.016 reported ever.

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arXiv2020

Large Population of ALMA Galaxies at z>6 with Very High [OIII]88um to [CII]158um Flux Ratios: Evidence of Extremely High Ionization Parameter or PDR Deficit?

We present our new ALMA observations targeting [OIII]88um, [CII]158um, [NII]122um, and dust continuum emission for three Lyman break galaxies at z=6.0293-6.2037 identified in the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam survey. We clearly detect [OIII] and [CII] lines from all of the galaxies at 4.3-11.8sigma levels, and identify multi-band dust continuum emission in two of the three galaxies, allowing us to estimate infrared luminosities and dust temperatures simultaneously. In conjunction with previous ALMA observations for six galaxies at z>6, we confirm that all the nine z=6-9 galaxies have high [OIII]/[CII] ratios of L[OIII]/L[CII]~3-20, ~10 times higher than z~0 galaxies. We also find a positive correlation between the [OIII]/[CII] ratio and the Lya equivalent width (EW) at the ~90% confidence level. We carefully investigate physical origins of the high [OIII]/[CII] ratios at z=6-9 using Cloudy, and find that high density of the interstellar medium, low C/O abundance ratio, and the cosmic microwave background attenuation are responsible to only a part of the z=6-9 galaxies. Instead, the observed high [OIII]/[CII] ratios are explained by 10-100 times higher ionization parameters or low photodissociation region (PDR) covering fractions of 0-10%, both of which are consistent with our [NII] observations. The latter scenario can be reproduced with a density bounded nebula with PDR deficit, which would enhance the Lya, Lyman continuum, and C+ ionizing photons escape from galaxies, consistent with the [OIII]/[CII]-Lya EW correlation we find.

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arXiv2020

Radiative equilibrium estimates of dust temperature and mass in high-redshift galaxies

Estimating the temperature and mass of dust in high-$z$ galaxies is essential for discussions of the origin of dust in the early Universe. However, this suffers from limited sampling of the infrared spectral-energy distribution. Here we present an algorithm for deriving the temperature and mass of dust in a galaxy, assuming dust to be in radiative equilibrium. We formulate the algorithm for three geometries: a thin spherical shell, a homogeneous sphere, and a clumpy sphere. We also discuss effects of the mass absorption coefficients of dust at ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, $κ_{\rm UV}$ and $κ_{\rm IR}$, respectively. As an example, we apply the algorithm to a normal, dusty star-forming galaxy at $z=7.5$, A1689zD1, for which three data points in the dust continuum are available. Using $κ_{\rm UV}=5.0\times10^4$ cm$^2$ g$^{-1}$ and $κ_{\rm IR}=30(λ/100μm)^{-β}$ cm$^2$ g$^{-1}$ with $β=2.0$, we obtain dust temperatures of 38--70~K and masses of $10^{6.5-7.3}$ M$_\odot$ for the three geometries considered. We obtain similar temperatures and masses from just a single data point in the dust continuum, suggesting the usefulness of the algorithm for high-$z$ galaxies with limited infrared observations. In the clumpy-sphere case, the temperature becomes equal to that of the usual modified black-body fit, because an additional parameter describing the clumpiness works as an adjuster. The best-fit clumpiness parameter is $ξ_{\rm cl}=0.1$, corresponding to $\sim10$\% of the volume filling factor of the clumps in this high-$z$ galaxy if the clump size is $\sim10$ pc, similar to that of giant molecular clouds in the local Universe.

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arXiv2020

The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey XIV. The evolution of the Lya emitter fraction from z=3 to z=6

The Lya emitter (LAE) fraction, X_LAE, is a potentially powerful probe of the evolution of the intergalactic neutral hydrogen gas fraction. However, uncertainties in the measurement of X_LAE are still debated. Thanks to deep data obtained with MUSE, we can measure the evolution of X_LAE homogeneously over a wide redshift range of z~3-6 for UV-faint galaxies (down to M_1500~-17.75). This is significantly fainter than in former studies, and allows us to probe the bulk of the population of high-z star-forming galaxies. We construct a UV-complete photo-redshift sample following UV luminosity functions and measure the Lya emission with MUSE using the second data release from the MUSE HUDF Survey. We derive the redshift evolution of X_LAE for M_1500 in [-21.75;-17.75] for the first time with a equivalent width range EW(Lya)>=65 A and find low values of X_ LAE<~30% at z<~6. For M_1500 in [-20.25;-18.75] and EW(Lya)<~25 A, our X_LAE values are consistent with those in the literature within 1sigma at z<~5, but our median values are systematically lower than reported values over the whole redshift range. In addition, we do not find a significant dependence of X_LAE on M_1500 for EW(Lya)>~50 A at z~3-4, in contrast with previous work. The differences in X_LAE mainly arise from selection biases for Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) in the literature: UV-faint LBGs are more easily selected if they have strong Lya emission, hence X_LAE is biased towards higher values. Our results suggest either a lower increase of X_LAE towards z~6 than previously suggested, or even a turnover of X_LAE at z~5.5, which may be the signature of a late or patchy reionization process. We compared our results with predictions from a cosmological galaxy evolution model. We find that a model with a bursty star formation (SF) can reproduce our observed X_LAE much better than models where SF is a smooth function of time.

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arXiv2020

Elevated ionizing photon production efficiency in faint high-equivalent-width Lyman-alpha emitters

While low-luminosity galaxies dominate number counts at all redshifts, their contribution to cosmic Reionization is poorly understood due to a lack of knowledge of their physical properties. We isolate a sample of 35 z~4-5 continuum-faint Lyman-alpha emitters from deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and directly measure their Halpha emission using stacked Spitzer/IRAC Ch. 1 photometry. Based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we determine that the average UV continuum magnitude is fainter than -16 (~0.01 L_star), implying a median Lyman-alpha equivalent width of 249 Angstroms. By combining the Halpha measurement with the UV magnitude we determine the ionizing photon production efficiency, xi_ion, a first for such faint galaxies. The measurement of log (xi_ion [Hz/erg]) = 26.28 (+0.28; -0.40) is in excess of literature measurements of both continuum- and emission line-selected samples, implying a more efficient production of ionizing photons in these lower-luminosity, Lyman-alpha-selected systems. We conclude that this elevated efficiency can be explained by stellar populations with metallicities between 4e-4 and 0.008, with light-weighted ages less than 3 Myr.

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arXiv2020

ALMA uncovers the [CII] emission and warm dust continuum in a z = 8.31 Lyman break galaxy

We report on the detection of the [CII] 157.7 $μ$m emission from the Lyman break galaxy (LBG) MACS0416_Y1 at z = 8.3113, by using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The luminosity ratio of [OIII] 88 $μ$m (from previous campaigns) to [CII] is 9.31 $\pm$ 2.6, indicative of hard interstellar radiation fields and/or a low covering fraction of photo-dissociation regions. The emission of [CII] is cospatial to the 850 $μ$m dust emission (90 $μ$m rest-frame, from previous campaigns), however the peak [CII] emission does not agree with the peak [OIII] emission, suggesting that the lines originate from different conditions in the interstellar medium. We fail to detect continuum emission at 1.5 mm (160 $μ$m rest-frame) down to 18 $μ$Jy (3$σ$). This nondetection places a strong limit on the dust spectrum, considering the 137 $\pm$ 26 $μ$Jy continuum emission at 850 $μ$m. This suggests an unusually warm dust component (T $>$ 80 K, 90% confidence limit), and/or a steep dust-emissivity index ($β_{\rm dust}$ $>$ 2), compared to galaxy-wide dust emission found at lower redshifts (typically T $\sim$ 30 - 50 K, $β_{\rm dust}$ $\sim$ 1 - 2). If such temperatures are common, this would reduce the required dust mass and relax the dust production problem at the highest redshifts. We therefore warn against the use of only single-wavelength information to derive physical properties, recommend a more thorough examination of dust temperatures in the early Universe, and stress the need for instrumentation that probes the peak of warm dust in the Epoch of Reionization.

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arXiv2020

The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey XIII. Spatially resolved spectral properties of Lyman alpha haloes around star-forming galaxies at z > 3

We present spatially resolved maps of six individually-detected Lyman alpha haloes (LAHs) as well as a first statistical analysis of the Lyman alpha (Lya) spectral signature in the circum-galactic medium of high-redshift star-forming galaxies using MUSE. Our resolved spectroscopic analysis of the LAHs reveals significant intrahalo variations of the Lya line profile. Using a three-dimensional two-component model for the Lya emission, we measure the full width at half maximum (FWHM), the peak velocity shift and the asymmetry of the Lya line in the core and in the halo of 19 galaxies. We find that the Lya line shape is statistically different in the halo compared to the core for ~40% of our galaxies. Similarly to object-by-object based studies and a recent resolved study using lensing, we find a correlation between the peak velocity shift and the width of the Lya line both at the interstellar and circum-galactic scales. While there is a lack of correlation between the spectral properties and the spatial scale lengths of our LAHs, we find a correlation between the width of the line in the LAH and the halo flux fraction. Interestingly, UV bright galaxies show broader, more redshifted and less asymmetric Lya lines in their haloes. The most significant correlation found is for the FWHM of the line and the UV continuum slope of the galaxy, suggesting that the redder galaxies have broader Lya lines. The generally broad and red line shapes found in the halo component suggests that the Lya haloes are powered either by scattering processes through an outflowing medium, fluorescent emission from outflowing cold clumps of gas, or a mix of both. Considering the large diversity of the Lya line profiles observed in our sample and the lack of strong correlation, the interpretation of our results is still broadly open and underlines the need for realistic spatially resolved models of the LAHs.

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arXiv2019

Balmer Break Galaxy Candidates at $z \sim 6$: a Potential View on the Star-Formation Activity at $z \gtrsim 14$

We search for galaxies with a strong Balmer break (Balmer Break Galaxies; BBGs) at $z \sim 6$ over a 0.41 deg$^2$ effective area in the COSMOS field. Based on rich imaging data, including data obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), three candidates are identified by their extremely red $K - [3.6]$ colors as well as by non-detection in X-ray, optical, far-infrared (FIR), and radio bands. The non-detection in the deep ALMA observations suggests that they are not dusty galaxies but BBGs at $z \sim 6$, although contamination from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) at $z \sim 0$ cannot be completely ruled out for the moment. Our spectral energy distribution (SED) analyses reveal that the BBG candidates at $z \sim 6$ have stellar masses of $\approx 5 \times 10^{10} M_{\odot}$ dominated by old stellar populations with ages of $\gtrsim 700$ Myr. Assuming that all the three candidates are real BBGs at $z \sim 6$, we estimate the stellar mass density (SMD) to be $2.4^{+2.3}_{-1.3} \times 10^{4} M_{\odot}$ Mpc$^{-3}$. This is consistent with an extrapolation from the lower redshift measurements. The onset of star formation in the three BBG candidates is expected to be several hundred million years before the observed epoch of $z \sim 6$. We estimate the star-formation rate density (SFRD) contributed by progenitors of the BBGs to be 2.4 -- 12 $\times 10^{-5} M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1} $Mpc$^{-3}$ at $z > 14$ (99.7\% confidence range). Our result suggests a smooth evolution of the SFRD beyond $z = 8$.

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arXiv2019

Detections of [OIII] 88 $μ$m in Two Quasars in the Reionization Epoch

With the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), we report detections of the far-infrared (FIR) [OIII] 88 $μ$m line and the underlying dust continuum in the two quasars in the reionization epoch, J205406.48-000514.8 (hereafter J2054-0005) at $z=6.0391\pm0.0002$ and J231038.88+185519.7 (hereafter J2310+1855) at $z=6.0035\pm0.0007$. The [OIII] luminosity of J2054-0005 and J2310+1855 are $L_{\rm [OIII]} = (6.8\pm0.6) \times 10^{9}$ and $(2.4\pm0.6) \times 10^{9}$ $L_{\rm \odot}$, corresponding to $\approx$ 0.05\%\ and 0.01\%\ of the total infrared luminosity, $L_{\rm TIR}$, respectively. Combining these [OIII] luminosities with [CII] 158 $μ$m luminosities in the literature, we find that J2054-0005 and J2310+1855 have the [OIII]-to-[CII] luminosity ratio of $2.1\pm0.4$ and $0.3\pm0.1$, respectively, the latter of which is the lowest among objects so far reported at $z>6$. Combining [OIII] observations at $z\approx6-9$ from our study and the literature, we identify the [OIII] line deficit: objects with larger $L_{\rm TIR}$ have lower $L_{\rm [OIII]}$-to-$L_{\rm TIR}$ ratios. Furthermore, we also find that the anti-correlation is shifted toward higher $L_{\rm TIR}$ value when compared to the local [OIII] line deficit.

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arXiv2019

SILVERRUSH. VIII. Spectroscopic Identifications of Early Large Scale Structures with Protoclusters Over 200 Mpc at z~6-7: Strong Associations of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies

We have obtained three-dimensional maps of the universe in $\sim200\times200\times80$ comoving Mpc$^3$ (cMpc$^3$) volumes each at $z=5.7$ and $6.6$ based on a spectroscopic sample of 179 galaxies that achieves $\gtrsim80$\% completeness down to the Ly$α$ luminosity of $\log(L_{\rm Lyα}/[\mathrm{erg\ s^{-1}}])=43.0$, based on our Keck and Gemini observations and the literature. The maps reveal filamentary large-scale structures and two remarkable overdensities made out of at least 44 and 12 galaxies at $z=5.692$ (z57OD) and $z=6.585$ (z66OD), respectively, making z66OD the most distant overdensity spectroscopically confirmed to date with $>10$ spectroscopically confirmed galaxies. We compare spatial distributions of submillimeter galaxies at $z\simeq 4-6$ with our $z=5.7$ galaxies forming the large-scale structures, and detect a $99.97\%$ signal of cross correlation, indicative of a clear coincidence of dusty star-forming galaxy and dust unobscured galaxy formation at this early epoch. The galaxies in z57OD and z66OD are actively forming stars with star formation rates (SFRs) $\gtrsim5$ times higher than the main sequence, and particularly the SFR density in z57OD is 10 times higher than the cosmic average at the redshift (a.k.a. the Madau-Lilly plot). Comparisons with numerical simulations suggest that z57OD and z66OD are protoclusters that are progenitors of the present-day clusters with halo masses of $\sim10^{14}\ \mathrm{M_\odot}$.

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arXiv2019

The dominant origin of diffuse Ly$α$ halos around LAEs explored by SED fitting and clustering analysis

The physical origin of diffuse Ly$α$ halos (LAHs) around star-forming galaxies is still a matter of debate. We present the dependence of LAH luminosity ($L({\rm Ly}α)_H$) on the stellar mass ($M_\star$), $SFR$, color excess ($E(B-V)_\star$), and dark matter halo mass ($M_{\rm h}$) of the parent galaxy for $\sim 900$ Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) at $z\sim2$ divided into ten subsamples. We calculate $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ using the stacked observational relation between $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ and central Ly$α$ luminosity by Momose et al. (2016), which we find agrees with the average trend of VLT/MUSE-detected individual LAEs. We find that our LAEs have relatively high $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ despite low $M_\star$ and $M_{\rm h}$, and that $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ remains almost unchanged with $M_\star$ and perhaps with $M_{\rm h}$. These results are incompatible with the cold stream (cooling radiation) scenario and the satellite-galaxy star-formation scenario, because the former predicts fainter $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ and both predict steeper $L({\rm Ly}α)_H$ vs. $M_\star$ slopes. We argue that LAHs are mainly caused by Ly$α$ photons escaping from the main body and then scattered in the circum-galactic medium. This argument is supported by LAH observations of H$α$ emitters (HAEs). When LAHs are taken into account, the Ly$α$ escape fractions of our LAEs are about ten times higher than those of HAEs with similar $M_\star$ or $E(B-V)_\star$, which may partly arise from lower HI gas masses implied from lower $M_{\rm h}$ at fixed $M_\star$, or from another Ly$α$ source in the central part.

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arXiv2019

"Big Three Dragons": a z = 7.15 Lyman BreakGalaxy Detected in [OIII] 88 $μ$m, [CII] 158 $μ$m, and Dust Continuum with ALMA

We present new ALMA observations and physical properties of a Lyman Break Galaxy at z=7.15. Our target, B14-65666, has a bright ultra-violet (UV) absolute magnitude, $M_{\rm UV}\approx-22.4$, and has been spectroscopically identified in Ly$α$ with a small rest-frame equivalent width of $\approx4$ Å. Previous HST image has shown that the target is comprised of two spatially separated clumps in the rest-frame UV. With ALMA, we have newly detected spatially resolved [OIII] 88 $μ$m, [CII] 158 $μ$m, and their underlying dust continuum emission. In the whole system of B14-65666, the [OIII] and [CII] lines have consistent redshifts of $7.1520\pm0.0003$, and the [OIII] luminosity, $(34.4\pm4.1)\times10^{8}L_{\rm \odot}$, is about three times higher than the [CII] luminosity, $(11.0\pm1.4)\times10^{8}L_{\rm \odot}$. With our two continuum flux densities, the dust temperature is constrained to be $T_{\rm d}\approx50-60$ K under the assumption of the dust emissivity index of $β_{\rm d}=2.0-1.5$, leading to a large total infrared luminosity of $L_{\rm TIR}\approx1\times10^{12}L_{\rm \odot}$. Owing to our high spatial resolution data, we show that the [OIII] and [CII] emission can be spatially decomposed into two clumps associated with the two rest-frame UV clumps whose spectra are kinematically separated by $\approx200$ km s$^{-1}$. We also find these two clumps have comparable UV, infrared, [OIII], and [CII] luminosities. Based on these results, we argue that B14-65666 is a starburst galaxy induced by a major-merger. The merger interpretation is also supported by the large specific star-formation rate (defined as the star-formation rate per unit stellar mass), sSFR$=260^{+119}_{-57}$ Gyr$^{-1}$, inferred from our SED fitting. Probably, a strong UV radiation field caused by intense star formation contributes to its high dust temperature and the [OIII]-to-[CII] luminosity ratio.

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arXiv2019

Detection of the Far-infrared [O III] and Dust Emission in a Galaxy at Redshift 8.312: Early Metal Enrichment in the Heart of the Reionization Era

We present the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) detection of the [O III] 88 $μ$m line and rest-frame 90 $μ$m dust continuum emission in a Y-dropout Lyman break galaxy (LBG), MACS0416_Y1, lying behind the Frontier Field cluster MACS J0416.1-2403. This [O III] detection confirms the LBG with a spectroscopic redshift of $z = 8.3118 \pm 0.0003$, making this object one of the furthest galaxies ever identified spectroscopically. The observed 850 $μ$m flux density of $137 \pm 26$ $μ$Jy corresponds to a de-lensed total infrared (IR) luminosity of $L_{\rm IR} = (1.7 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{11} L_{\odot}$ if assuming a dust temperature of $T_{\rm dust} = 50$ K and an emissivity index of $β= 1.5$, yielding a large dust mass of $4 \times 10^6 M_{\odot}$. The ultraviolet-to-far IR spectral energy distribution modeling where the [O III] emissivity model is incorporated suggests the presence of a young ($τ_{\rm age} \approx 4$ Myr), star-forming (SFR $\approx 60 M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$), moderately metal-polluted ($Z \approx 0.2 Z_{\odot}$) stellar component with a mass of $M_{\rm star} = 3 \times 10^8 M_{\odot}$. An analytic dust mass evolution model with a single episode of star-formation does not reproduce the metallicity and dust mass in $τ_{\rm age} \approx 4$ Myr, suggesting a pre-existing evolved stellar component with $M_{\rm star} \sim 3 \times 10^9 M_{\odot}$ and $τ_{\rm age} \sim 0.3$ Gyr as the origin of the dust mass.

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arXiv2018

The distribution and physical properties of high-redshift [OIII] emitters in a cosmological hydrodynamics simulation

Recent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) detected far-infrared emission lines such as the [OIII] 88 μm line from galaxies at $z \sim 7 - 9$. Far-infrared lines can be used to probe the structure and kinematics of such high-redshift galaxies as well as to accurately determine their spectroscopic redshifts. We use a cosmological simulation of galaxy formation to study the physical properties of [OIII] 88 μm emitters. In a comoving volume of 50 $h^{-1}$ Mpc on a side, we locate 34 galaxies with stellar masses greater than $10^8\ {\rm M_\odot}$ at $z = 9$, and more than 270 such galaxies at $z = 7$. We calculate the [OIII] 88 μm luminosities ($L_{\rm OIII}$) by combining a physical model of HII regions with emission line calculations using the photoionization code CLOUDY. We show that the resulting $L_{\rm OIII}$, for a given star formation rate, is slightly higher than predicted from the empirical relation for local galaxies, and is consistent with recent observations of galaxies at redshifts 7 - 9. Bright [OIII] emitters with $L_{\rm OIII} > 10^8 {\rm L_\odot}$ have stellar masses greater than $10^9\ {\rm M_\odot}$, star formation rates higher than $3\ {\rm M_\odot\ yr}^{-1}$, and the typical metallicity is $\sim 0.1\ {\rm Z_\odot}$. The galaxies are hosted by dark matter halos with masses greater than $10^{10.5}\ {\rm M_\odot}$. Massive galaxies show characteristic structure where the [OIII] emitting gas largely overlaps with young stars, but the emission peak is separated from the main stellar population, suggesting the stochastic and localized nature of star formation in the first galaxies. We propose to use the [OIII] 5007 Å line, to be detected by James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to study the properties of galaxies whose [OIII] 88 μm line emission has been already detected with ALMA.

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arXiv2018

MUSE Spectroscopic Identifications of Ultra-Faint Emission Line Galaxies with M$_{\mathrm{UV}}\sim$ -15

Using an ultra-deep blind survey with the MUSE integral field spectrograph on the ESO Very Large Telescope, we obtain spectroscopic redshifts to a depth never explored before: galaxies with observed magnitudes m > 30 - 32. Specifically, we detect objects via Lyman-alpha emission at 2.9 < z < 6.7 without individual continuum counterparts in areas covered by the deepest optical/near-infrared imaging taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. In total, we find 102 such objects in 9 square arcminutes at these redshifts. Detailed stacking analyses confirm the Lyman-alpha emission as well as the 1216 Angstrom-breaks and faint UV continua (M_UV ~ -15). This makes them the faintest spectroscopically-confirmed objects at these redshifts, similar to the sources believed to reionize the universe. A simple model for the expected fraction of detected/undetected Lyman-alpha emitters as a function of luminosity is consistent with these objects being the high-equivalent width tail of the normal Lyman-alpha-emitter population at these redshifts.

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arXiv2018

The onset of star formation 250 million years after the Big Bang

A fundamental quest of modern astronomy is to locate the earliest galaxies and study how they influenced the intergalactic medium a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. The abundance of star-forming galaxies is known to decline from redshifts of about 6 to 10, but a key question is the extent of star formation at even earlier times, corresponding to the period when the first galaxies might have emerged. Here we present spectroscopic observations of MACS1149-JD1, a gravitationally lensed galaxy observed when the Universe was less than four per cent of its present age. We detect an emission line of doubly ionized oxygen at a redshift of $9.1096\pm0.0006$, with an uncertainty of one standard deviation. This precisely determined redshift indicates that the red rest-frame optical colour arises from a dominant stellar component that formed about 250 million years after the Big Bang, corresponding to a redshift of about 15. Our results indicate the it may be possible to detect such early episodes of star formation in similar galaxies with future telescopes.

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arXiv2017

The Stellar Mass, Star Formation Rate and Dark Matter Halo Properties of LAEs at $z\sim2$

We present average stellar population properties and dark matter halo masses of $z \sim 2$ \lya emitters (LAEs) from SED fitting and clustering analysis, respectively, using $\simeq$ $1250$ objects ($NB387\le25.5$) in four separate fields of $\simeq 1$ deg$^2$ in total. With an average stellar mass of $10.2\, \pm\, 1.8\times 10^8\ {\mathrm M_\odot}$ and star formation rate of $3.4\, \pm\, 0.4\ {\mathrm M_\odot}\ {\rm yr^{-1}}$, the LAEs lie on an extrapolation of the star-formation main sequence (MS) to low stellar mass. Their effective dark matter halo mass is estimated to be $4.0_{-2.9}^{+5.1} \times 10^{10}\ {\mathrm M_\odot}$ with an effective bias of $1.22^{+0.16}_{-0.18}$ which is lower than that of $z \sim 2$ LAEs ($1.8\, \pm\, 0.3$), obtained by a previous study based on a three times smaller survey area, with a probability of $96\%$. However, the difference in the bias values can be explained if cosmic variance is taken into account. If such a low halo mass implies a low HI gas mass, this result appears to be consistent with the observations of a high \lya escape fraction. With the low halo masses and ongoing star formation, our LAEs have a relatively high stellar-to-halo mass ratio (SHMR) and a high efficiency of converting baryons into stars. The extended Press-Schechter formalism predicts that at $z=0$ our LAEs are typically embedded in halos with masses similar to that of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC); they will also have similar SHMRs to the LMC, if their SFRs are largely suppressed after $z \sim 2$ as some previous studies have reported for the LMC itself.

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