Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5
We have discovered extended Lyman-α emission around a z = 4.5 QSO in a deep long-slit spectrum with Keck/LRIS at moderate spectral resolution (R ≈ 1000). The line emission extends 5 arcsec beyond the continuum of the QSO and is spatially asymmetric. This extended line emission has a spectral extent...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2003
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| _version_ | 1797086264203149312 |
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| author | Bunker, A Smith, J Spinrad, H Stern, D Warren, S |
| author_facet | Bunker, A Smith, J Spinrad, H Stern, D Warren, S |
| author_sort | Bunker, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We have discovered extended Lyman-α emission around a z = 4.5 QSO in a deep long-slit spectrum with Keck/LRIS at moderate spectral resolution (R ≈ 1000). The line emission extends 5 arcsec beyond the continuum of the QSO and is spatially asymmetric. This extended line emission has a spectral extent of 1000km/s, much narrower in velocity spread than the broad Lyman-α from the QSO itself and slightly offset in redshift. No evidence of continuum is seen for the extended emission line region, suggesting that this recombination line is powered by reprocessed QSO Lyman continuum flux rather than by local star formation. This phenomenon is rare in QSOs which are not radio loud, and this is the first time it has been observed at z > 4. It seems likely that the QSO is illuminating the surrounding cold gas of the host galaxy, with the ionizing photons producing Lyman-α fluorescence. As suggested by Haiman and Rees (2001), this 'fuzz' around a distant quasar may place strong constraints on galaxy formation and the extended distribution of cold, neutral gas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:19:38Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:a3766f9e-1ca6-45ea-855d-7e407422826d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:19:38Z |
| publishDate | 2003 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:a3766f9e-1ca6-45ea-855d-7e407422826d2022-03-27T02:27:06ZIlluminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a3766f9e-1ca6-45ea-855d-7e407422826dEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2003Bunker, ASmith, JSpinrad, HStern, DWarren, SWe have discovered extended Lyman-α emission around a z = 4.5 QSO in a deep long-slit spectrum with Keck/LRIS at moderate spectral resolution (R ≈ 1000). The line emission extends 5 arcsec beyond the continuum of the QSO and is spatially asymmetric. This extended line emission has a spectral extent of 1000km/s, much narrower in velocity spread than the broad Lyman-α from the QSO itself and slightly offset in redshift. No evidence of continuum is seen for the extended emission line region, suggesting that this recombination line is powered by reprocessed QSO Lyman continuum flux rather than by local star formation. This phenomenon is rare in QSOs which are not radio loud, and this is the first time it has been observed at z > 4. It seems likely that the QSO is illuminating the surrounding cold gas of the host galaxy, with the ionizing photons producing Lyman-α fluorescence. As suggested by Haiman and Rees (2001), this 'fuzz' around a distant quasar may place strong constraints on galaxy formation and the extended distribution of cold, neutral gas. |
| spellingShingle | Bunker, A Smith, J Spinrad, H Stern, D Warren, S Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title | Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title_full | Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title_fullStr | Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title_short | Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z = 4.5 |
| title_sort | illuminating protogalaxies the discovery of extended lyman α emission around a qso at z 4 5 |
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