The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5
We present the results of a new study investigating the relationship between observed Ly α equivalent width (Wλ(Ly α)) and the metallicity of the ionizing stellar population (Z★) for a sample of 768 star-forming galaxies at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5 dra...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2020
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| _version_ | 1797084869806784512 |
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| author | Cullen, F McLure, RJ Dunlop, JS Carnall, AC McLeod, DJ Shapley, AE Amorin, R Bolzonella, M Castellano, M Cimatti, A Cirasuolo, M Cucciati, O Fontana, A Fontanot, F Garilli, B Guaita, L Jarvis, MJ Pentericci, L Pozzetti, L Talia, M Zamorani, G Calabro, A Cresci, G Fynbo, JPU Hathi, NP Giavalisco, M Koekemoer, A Mannucci, F Saxena, A |
| author_facet | Cullen, F McLure, RJ Dunlop, JS Carnall, AC McLeod, DJ Shapley, AE Amorin, R Bolzonella, M Castellano, M Cimatti, A Cirasuolo, M Cucciati, O Fontana, A Fontanot, F Garilli, B Guaita, L Jarvis, MJ Pentericci, L Pozzetti, L Talia, M Zamorani, G Calabro, A Cresci, G Fynbo, JPU Hathi, NP Giavalisco, M Koekemoer, A Mannucci, F Saxena, A |
| author_sort | Cullen, F |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We present the results of a new study investigating the relationship between observed Ly α equivalent width (Wλ(Ly α)) and the metallicity of the ionizing stellar population (Z★) for a sample of 768 star-forming galaxies at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5 drawn from the VANDELS survey. Dividing our sample into quartiles of rest-frame Wλ(Ly α) across the range −58 Å ≾ Wλ(Ly α) ≾ 110 Å, we determine Z★ from full spectral fitting of composite far-ultraviolet spectra and find a clear anticorrelation between Wλ(Ly α) and Z★. Our results indicate that Z★ decreases by a factor ≳ 3 between the lowest Wλ(Ly α) quartile (≺Wλ(Ly α)≻ = −18 Å) and the highest Wλ(Ly α) quartile (≺Wλ(Ly α)≻ = 24 Å). Similarly, galaxies typically defined as Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs; Wλ(Ly α) > 20 Å) are, on average, metal poor with respect to the non-LAE galaxy population (Wλ(Ly α) ≤ 20 Å) with Z★non-LAE ≳ 2 × Z★LAE. Finally, based on the best-fitting stellar models, we estimate that the increasing strength of the stellar ionizing spectrum towards lower Z★ is responsible for ≈15−25 per cent of the observed variation in Wλ(Ly α) across our sample, with the remaining contribution (≈75−85 per cent) being due to a decrease in the H I/dust covering fractions in low- Z★ galaxies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:01:11Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:9d689f5a-72dc-4d75-a28d-f64738bd9e46 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:01:11Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:9d689f5a-72dc-4d75-a28d-f64738bd9e462022-03-27T00:43:01ZThe VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9d689f5a-72dc-4d75-a28d-f64738bd9e46EnglishSymplectic ElementsOxford University Press2020Cullen, FMcLure, RJDunlop, JSCarnall, ACMcLeod, DJShapley, AEAmorin, RBolzonella, MCastellano, MCimatti, ACirasuolo, MCucciati, OFontana, AFontanot, FGarilli, BGuaita, LJarvis, MJPentericci, LPozzetti, LTalia, MZamorani, GCalabro, ACresci, GFynbo, JPUHathi, NPGiavalisco, MKoekemoer, AMannucci, FSaxena, AWe present the results of a new study investigating the relationship between observed Ly α equivalent width (Wλ(Ly α)) and the metallicity of the ionizing stellar population (Z★) for a sample of 768 star-forming galaxies at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5 drawn from the VANDELS survey. Dividing our sample into quartiles of rest-frame Wλ(Ly α) across the range −58 Å ≾ Wλ(Ly α) ≾ 110 Å, we determine Z★ from full spectral fitting of composite far-ultraviolet spectra and find a clear anticorrelation between Wλ(Ly α) and Z★. Our results indicate that Z★ decreases by a factor ≳ 3 between the lowest Wλ(Ly α) quartile (≺Wλ(Ly α)≻ = −18 Å) and the highest Wλ(Ly α) quartile (≺Wλ(Ly α)≻ = 24 Å). Similarly, galaxies typically defined as Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs; Wλ(Ly α) > 20 Å) are, on average, metal poor with respect to the non-LAE galaxy population (Wλ(Ly α) ≤ 20 Å) with Z★non-LAE ≳ 2 × Z★LAE. Finally, based on the best-fitting stellar models, we estimate that the increasing strength of the stellar ionizing spectrum towards lower Z★ is responsible for ≈15−25 per cent of the observed variation in Wλ(Ly α) across our sample, with the remaining contribution (≈75−85 per cent) being due to a decrease in the H I/dust covering fractions in low- Z★ galaxies. |
| spellingShingle | Cullen, F McLure, RJ Dunlop, JS Carnall, AC McLeod, DJ Shapley, AE Amorin, R Bolzonella, M Castellano, M Cimatti, A Cirasuolo, M Cucciati, O Fontana, A Fontanot, F Garilli, B Guaita, L Jarvis, MJ Pentericci, L Pozzetti, L Talia, M Zamorani, G Calabro, A Cresci, G Fynbo, JPU Hathi, NP Giavalisco, M Koekemoer, A Mannucci, F Saxena, A The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title | The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title_full | The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title_fullStr | The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title_short | The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 <= z <= 5 |
| title_sort | vandels survey a strong correlation between ly alpha equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 z 5 |
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