Confirmation of a Steep Luminosity Function for Lyman-alpha Emitters at z = 5.7: A Major Component of Reionization

We report the first direct and robust measurement of the faint-end slope of the Lyman-alpha emitter (LAE) luminosity function at z = 5.7. Candidate LAEs from a low-spectral-resolution blind search with IMACS on Magellan-Baade were targeted at higher resolution to distinguish high redshift LAEs from foreground galaxies. All but 2 of our 42 single-emission-line systems have flux F $< 2.0 times 10^{-17}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, making these the faintest emission-lines observed for a z = 5.7 sample with known completeness, an essential property for determining the faint end slope of the LAE luminosity function. We find 13 LAEs as compared to 29 foreground galaxies, in very good agreement with the modeled foreground counts predicted in Dressler et al. (2011a) that had been used to estimate a faint-end slope of $alpha$ = -2.0 for the LAE luminosity function. A 32% LAE fraction, LAE/(LAE+foreground), within the flux interval F = $2-20 times 10^{-18}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, constrains the faint end slope of the luminosity function to -2.35 < $alpha$ < -1.95 (1-$sigma$). We show how this steep LF should provide, to the limit of our observations, more than 20% of the flux necessary to maintain ionization at z=5.7, with a factor-of-ten extrapolation in flux reaching more than 55%. This is in addition to a comparable contribution from Lyman Break Galaxies M$_{UV} le$ -18. We suggest that this bodes well for a sufficient supply of Lyman continuum photons by similar, low-mass star forming galaxies within the reionization epoch at z $approx$ 7, only 250 Myr earlier.

Spatially Resolved Gas Kinematics within a Ly$alpha$ Nebula: Evidence for Large-scale Rotation

We use spatially extended measurements of Ly$alpha$ as well as less optically thick emission lines from an $approx$80 kpc Ly$alpha$ nebula at $zapprox1.67$ to assess the role of resonant scattering and to disentangle kinematic signatures from Ly$alpha$ radiative transfer effects. We find that the Ly$alpha$, CIV, HeII, and CIII] emission lines all tell a similar story in this system, and that the kinematics are broadly consistent with large-scale rotation. First, the observed surface brightness profiles are similar in extent in all four lines, strongly favoring a picture in which the Ly$alpha$ photons are produced in situ instead of being resonantly scattered from a central source. Second, we see low kinematic offsets between Ly$alpha$ and the less optically thick HeII line ($sim$100-200 km s$^{-1}$), providing further support for the argument that the Ly$alpha$ and other emission lines are all being produced within the spatially extended gas. Finally, the full velocity field of the system shows coherent velocity shear in all emission lines: $approx$500 km s$^{-1}$ over the central $approx$50 kpc of the nebula. The kinematic profiles are broadly consistent with large-scale rotation in a gas disk that is at least partially stable against collapse. These observations suggest that the Ly$alpha$ nebula represents accreting material that is illuminated by an offset, hidden AGN or distributed star formation, and that is undergoing rotation in a clumpy and turbulent gas disk. With an implied mass of M(<R=20 kpc)$sim3times10^{11}$ $M_{odot}$, this system may represent the early formation of a large Milky Way mass galaxy or galaxy group.

Demographics and Physical Properties of Gas Out/Inflows at 0.4 < z < 1.4

We present Keck/LRIS spectra of over 200 galaxies with well-determined redshifts between 0.4 and 1.4. We combine new measurements of near-ultraviolet, low-ionization absorption lines with previously measured masses, luminosities, colors, and star formation rates to describe the demographics and properties of galactic flows. Among star-forming galaxies with blue colors, we find a net blueshift of the FeII absorption greater than 200 km/s (100 km/s) towards 2.5% (20%) of the galaxies. The fraction of blueshifted spectra does not vary significantly with stellar mass, color, or luminosity but does decline at specific star formation rates less than roughly 0.8 Gyr^{-1}. The insensitivity of the blueshifted fraction to galaxy properties requires collimated outflows at these redshifts, while the decline in outflow fraction with increasing blueshift might reflect the angular dependence of the outflow velocity. The low detection rate of infalling gas, 3 to 6% of the spectra, suggests an origin in (enriched) streams favorably aligned with our sightline. We find 4 of these 9 infalling streams have projected velocities commensurate with the kinematics of an extended disk or satellite galaxy. The strength of the MgII absorption increases with stellar mass, B-band luminosity, and U-B color, trends arising from a combination of more interstellar absorption at the systemic velocity and less emission filling in more massive galaxies. Our results provides a new quantitative understanding of gas flows between galaxies and the circumgalactic medium over a critical period in galaxy evolution.

Detections of Faint Lyman-alpha Emitters at z = 5.7: Galaxy Building Blocks and Engines of Reionization

We report results of a unprecedentedly deep, blind search for Ly-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z = 5.7 using IMACS, the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera & Spectrograph, with the goal of identifying missing sources of reionization that could also be basic building blocks for todays L* galaxies. We describe how improvements in wide field imaging with the Baade telescope, upgrades to IMACS, and the accumulation of ~20 hours of integration per field in excellent seeing led to the detection of single-emission-line sources as faint as F ~ 2 x 10^{-18} ergs s^{-1} cm^{-2}, a sensitivity 5 times deeper than our first search (Martin et al. 2008). A reasonable correction for foreground interlopers implies a steep rise of approximately an order of magnitude in source density for a factor of four drop in flux, from F = 10^{-17.0} ergs s^{-1} cm^{-2} to F = 10^{-17.6} (2.5) x 10^{-18} ergs s^{-1} cm^{-2}. At this flux the putative LAEs have reached a surface density of ~1 per sq arcminute -- a comoving volume density of 4 x 10^{-3} Mpc^{-3}, several times the density of L* galaxies today. Such a population of faint LAEs would account for a significant fraction of the critical flux density required to complete reionization at this epoch, and would be good candidates for building blocks of stellar mass ~10^{8-9} Msun for the young galaxies of this epoch.

New Results from the Magellan IMACS Spectroscopic Lyman Alpha Survey: NICMOS Observations of Lyman Alpha emitters at z=5.7

We present NICMOS J110 (rest-frame 1200-2100 A) observations of the three z=5.7 Lyman Alpha emitters discovered in the blind multislit spectroscopic survey by Martin et al. (2008). These images confirm the presence of the two sources which were previously only seen in spectroscopic observations. The third source, which is undetected in our J110 observations has been detected in narrowband imaging of the Cosmic Origins Survey (COSMOS), so our nondetection implies a rest frame equivalent width >146 Angstroms (3 sigma). The two J110-- detected sources have more modest rest frame equivalent widths of 30-40 Angstroms, but all three are typical of high-redshift LAEs. In addition, the J110- detected sources have UV luminosities that are within a factor of two of L*_{UV}, and sizes that appear compact (r_{hl} ~ 0.15) in our NIC2 images -- consistent with a redshift of 5.7. We use these UV-continuum and Lyman Alpha measurements to estimate the i-z colors of these galaxies, and show that at least one, and possibly all three would be missed by the i-dropout LBG selection. These observations help demonstrate the utility of multislit narrowband spectroscopy as a technique for finding faint emission line galaxies.

Physical Conditions in the Low-Ionization Component of Starburst Outflows: The Shape of Near-Ultraviolet and Optical Absorption-Line Troughs in Keck Spectra of ULIRGs

We analyze the physical conditions in the low-ionization component of starburst outflows (in contrast to the high-ionization wind fluid observed in X-rays), based on new Keck/LRIS spectroscopy of partially resolved absorption troughs in near-ultraviolet and optical spectra of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies. The large velocity width and blueshift present in seven, atomic transitions indicate a macroscopic velocity gradient within the outflowing gas. The mgII 2796, 2803 (and feII 2587, 2600) doublet lines in these data constrains the gas kinematics better than the heavily blended ad 5892, 98 doublet. The identical shape of the mgII 2796 absorption troughs to that of the normally weaker transition at 2803AA requires both transitions be optically thick at all outflow velocities. The fraction of the galactic continuum covered by the outflow at each velocity therefore dictates the shape of these absorption troughs. We suggest that the velocity offset of the deepest part of the troughs, where the covering factor of low-ionization gas is near unity, reflects the speed of a shell of swept-up, interstellar gas at the time of blowout. In a spherical outflow, we show that the fragments of this shell expand slowly relative to the geometrical dilution; and the covering fraction of low-ionization gas decreases with increasing radius. Our measurement of a covering factor that decreases with increasing velocity can therefore be interpreted as evidence that the low-ionization outflow is accelerating. We also present measurements of C_f(v) in 4 species, place an upper limit of 3000 cm3 on the density of the outflowing gas, and discuss lower limits on the mass outflow rate.

The Origin and Kinematics of Cold Gas in Galactic Winds: Insight from Numerical Simulations

We study the origin of Na I absorbing gas in ultraluminous infrared galaxies motivated by the recent observations by Martin of extremely superthermal linewidths in this cool gas. We model the effects of repeated supernova explosions driving supershells in the central regions of molecular disks with M_d=10^10 M_sun, using cylindrically symmetric gas dynamical simulations run with ZEUS-3D. The shocked swept-up shells quickly cool and fragment by Rayleigh-Taylor instability as they accelerate out of the dense, stratified disks. The numerical resolution of the cooling and compression at the shock fronts determines the peak shell density, and so the speed of Rayleigh-Taylor fragmentation. We identify cooled shells and shell fragments as Na I absorbing gas and study its kinematics. We find that simulations with a numerical resolution of le 0.2 pc produce multiple Rayleigh-Taylor fragmented shells in a given line of sight. We suggest that the observed wide Na I absorption lines, <v> = 320 pm 120 km s^-1 are produced by these multiple fragmented shells traveling at different velocities. We also suggest that some shell fragments can be accelerated above the observed average terminal velocity of 750 km s^-1 by the same energy-driven wind with an instantaneous starburst of sim 10^9 M_sun. The bulk of mass is traveling with the observed average shell velocity 330 pm 100 km s^-1. Our results show that an energy-driven bubble causing Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities can explain the kinematics of cool gas seen in the Na I observations without invoking additional physics relying primarily on momentum conservation, such as entrainment of gas by Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, ram pressure driving of cold clouds by a hot wind, or radiation pressure acting on dust. (abridged)