Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21733543m&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #335.43; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
1
Scientific paper
We present the first spectroscopic measurements of the [OIII] 5007 Angstrom line in two z 3.1 Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) using the new near-infrared instrument LUCIFER1 on the 8.4m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). This work includes also the optical imaging and spectroscopic observations used to identify these Ly-alpha emitting galaxies. These [OIII] measurements represent the first direct constraints on the strength of the [OIII] line in high-redshift LAEs, where we find [OIII] line fluxes of 7 - 36 x 10-17 erg/s/cm2 in two z 3.1 LAEs. These lines are strong enough to dominate broad-band flux measurements that include the line (in this case, Ks band photometry). Spectral energy distribution fits that do not account for the lines would therefore overestimate the 4000 Angstrom (and/or Balmer) break strength in such galaxies, and hence also the ages and stellar masses of such high-z galaxies.
Additionally, we have used the [OIII] line to measure accurate systemic redshifts for these two galaxies. In doing so we have uncovered a velocity offset between the [OIII] and Ly-alpha lines in both LAEs, with the Ly-alpha line peaking 343 and 126 km/s redward of the systemic velocity. These velocity offsets imply that there are powerful outflows in high-redshift LAEs. These types of offsets can also ease the transmission of Ly-alpha photons through the intergalactic medium around the galaxies.
This work was supported by NSF grant AST-0808165.
Finkelstein Steven L.
Hibon Pascale
Malhotra Sagar
McLinden Emily
Rhoads James E.
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