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Register a new userSpectroscopic detections of CIII]1909 at z~6-7: A new probe of early star forming galaxies and cosmic reionisation
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Deep spectroscopic observations of z~6.5 galaxies have revealed a marked decline with increasing redshift in the detectability of Lyman-alpha emission. While this may offer valuable insight into the end of the reionisation process, it presents a fundamental challenge to the detailed spectroscopic study of the many hundreds of photometrically-selected distant sources now being found via deep HST imaging, and particularly those bright sources viewed through foreground lensing clusters. In this paper we demonstrate the validity of a new way forward via the convincing detection of an alternative diagnostic line, CIII]1909, seen in spectroscopic exposures of two star forming galaxies at z=6.029 and 7.213. The former detection is based on a 3.5 hour X-shooter spectrum of a bright (J=25.2) gravitationally-lensed galaxy behind the cluster Abell 383. The latter detection is based on a 4.2 hour MOSFIRE spectra of one of the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxies, GN-108036, with J=25.2. Both targets were chosen for their continuum brightness and previously-known redshift (based on Lyman-alpha), ensuring that any CIII] emission would be located in a favorable portion of the near-infrared sky spectrum. We compare our CIII] and Lyman-alpha equivalent widths in the context of those found at z~2 from earlier work and discuss the motivation for using lines other than Lyman-alpha to study galaxies in the reionisation era.
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We have obtained three-dimensional maps of the universe in $sim200times200times80$ 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$alpha$ luminosity of $log(L_{rm Lyalpha}/[mathrm{erg s^{-1}}])=43.0$, 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 $zsimeq 4-6$ 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 $sim10^{14} mathrm{M_odot}$.
We discuss new Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopic observations of four luminous galaxies at z~7-9 selected to have intense optical line emission by Roberts-Borsani et al. (2016). Previous follow-up has revealed Lyman-alpha in two of the four galaxies. Our new MOSFIRE observations confirm that Lyman-alpha is present in the entire sample. We detect Lyman-alpha emission in COS-zs7-1, confirming its redshift as z=7.154, and we detect Lyman-alpha in EGS-zs8-2 at z=7.477, verifying a tentative detection presented in an earlier study. The ubiquity of Lyman-alpha in this sample is puzzling given that the IGM is likely significantly neutral over 7<z<9. To investigate this result in more detail, we have initiated a campaign to target UV metal emission in the four Lyman-alpha emitters as a probe of both the radiation field and the velocity offset of Lyman-alpha. Here we present the detection of intense CIII] emission in EGS-zs8-1, a galaxy from this sample previously shown to have Lyman-alpha at z=7.73. Photoionization models indicate that an intense radiation field and low metallicity are required to reproduce the intense CIII] and optical line emission. We argue that this extreme radiation field is likely to affect the local environment, increasing the transmission of Lyman-alpha through the galaxy. Moreover, the centroid of CIII] indicates that Lyman-alpha is redshifted from the systemic value by 340 km/s. This velocity offset is larger than that seen in less luminous systems, providing an additional explanation for the transmission of Lyman-alpha emission through the IGM. Since the transmission is further enhanced by the likelihood that such systems are also situated in the densest regions with the largest ionized bubbles, the visibility of Lyman-alpha at z>7 is expected to be strongly luminosity-dependent, with the most effective transmission occurring in systems with intense star formation.
Recent observations have revealed the presence of strong CIII] emission (EW$_{rm{CIII]}}>20$ r{A}) in $z>6$ galaxies, the origin of which remains unclear. In an effort to understand the nature of these line emitters, we have initiated a survey targeting CIII] emission in gravitationally-lensed reionization era analogs identified in HST imaging of clusters from the RELICS survey. Here we report initial results on four galaxies selected to have low stellar masses (2-8$times$10$^7$ M$_odot$) and J$_{125}$-band flux excesses indicative of intense [OIII]+H$beta$ emission (EW$_{rm{[OIII]+Hbeta}}$=500-2000 r{A}), similar to what has been observed at $z>6$. We detect CIII] emission in three of the four sources, with the CIII] EW reaching values seen in the reionization era (EW$_{rm{CIII]}}simeq 17-22$ r{A}) in the two sources with the strongest optical line emission (EW$_{rm{[OIII]+Hbeta}}simeq 2000$ r{A}). We have obtained a Magellan/FIRE near-infrared spectrum of the strongest CIII] emitter in our sample, revealing gas that is both metal poor and highly ionized. Using photoionization models, we are able to simultaneously reproduce the intense CIII] and optical line emission for extremely young (2-3 Myr) and metal poor (0.06-0.08 Z$_odot$) stellar populations, as would be expected after a substantial upturn in the SFR of a low mass galaxy. The sources in this survey are among the first for which CIII] has been used as the primary means of redshift confirmation. We suggest that it should be possible to extend this approach to $z>6$ with current facilities, using CIII] to measure redshifts of objects with IRAC excesses indicating EW$_{rm{[OIII]+Hbeta}}simeq 2000$ r{A}, providing a method of spectroscopic confirmation independent of Ly$alpha$.
We study the mean properties of a large representative sample of 217 galaxies showing CIII] emission at $2<z<4$, selected from a parent sample of $sim$750 main-sequence star-forming galaxies in the VANDELS survey. These CIII] emitters have a broad range of UV luminosities, thus allowing a detailed stacking analysis to characterize their stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR) and stellar metallicity, as a function of the UV emission line ratios, EWs, and the carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) abundance ratio. Reliable CIII] detections represent $sim$30% of the parent sample. Extreme CIII] emitters (EW(CIII])$gtrsim$8r{A}) are exceedingly rare ($sim$3%) in VANDELS. The UV line ratios of the sample suggest no ionization source other than massive stars. Stacks with larger EW(CIII]) show larger EW(Ly$alpha$) and lower metallicity, but not all CIII] emitters are Ly$alpha$ emitters. The stellar metallicities of CIII] emitters are not significantly different from that of the parent sample, increasing from $sim$10% to $sim$40% solar for stellar masses $log$(M$_{star}$/M$_{odot})sim$9-10.5. The stellar mass-metallicity relation of the CIII] emitters is consistent with previous works showing strong evolution from $z=0$ to $zsim3$. The C/O abundances of the sample range 35%-150% solar, with a noticeable increase with FUV luminosity and a smooth decrease with the CIII] and Ly$alpha$ EWs. We discuss the CIII] emitters in the C/O-Fe/H and the C/O-O/H planes and find they follow stellar and nebular abundance trends consistent with those of Milky Way halo and thick disc stars and local HII galaxies, respectively. A qualitative agreement is also found with chemical evolution models, which suggests that CIII] emitters at $zsim$3 are experiencing an active phase of chemical enrichment.
We utilize 16 band Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of 18 lensing clusters obtained as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) Multi-Cycle Treasury program to search for $zsim6-8$ galaxies. We report the discovery of 204, 45, and 13 Lyman-break galaxy candidates at $zsim6$, $zsim7$, and $zsim8$, respectively, identified from purely photometric redshift selections. This large sample, representing nearly an order of magnitude increase in the number of magnified star-forming galaxies at $zsim 6-8$ presented to date, is unique in that we have observations in four WFC3/UVIS UV, seven ACS/WFC optical, and all five WFC3/IR broadband filters, which enable very accurate photometric redshift selections. We construct detailed lensing models for 17 of the 18 clusters to estimate object magnifications and to identify two new multiply lensed $z gtrsim 6$ candidates. The median magnifications over the 17 clusters are 4, 4, and 5 for the $zsim6$, $zsim7$, and $zsim8$ samples, respectively, over an average area of 4.5 arcmin$^2$ per cluster. We compare our observed number counts with expectations based on convolving blank field UV luminosity functions through our cluster lens models and find rough agreement down to $sim27$ mag, where we begin to suffer significant incompleteness. In all three redshift bins, we find a higher number density at brighter observed magnitudes than the field predictions, empirically demonstrating for the first time the enhanced efficiency of lensing clusters over field surveys. Our number counts also are in general agreement with the lensed expectations from the cluster models, especially at $zsim6$, where we have the best statistics.
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