The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly α equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5

F. Cullen, R. J. McLure, J. S. Dunlop, A. C. Carnall, D. J. McLeod, A. E. Shapley, R. Amorín, M. Bolzonella, M. Castellano, A. Cimatti, M. Cirasuolo, O. Cucciati, A. Fontana, F. Fontanot, B. Garilli, L. Guaita, M. J. Jarvis, L. Pentericci, L. Pozzetti, M. TaliaG. Zamorani, A. Calabrò, G. Cresci, J. P.U. Fynbo, N. P. Hathi, M. Giavalisco, A. Koekemoer, F. Mannucci, A. Saxena

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30 Citas (Scopus)

Resumen

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 Znon-LAE ≳ 2 × ZLAE. 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.

Idioma originalInglés
Páginas (desde-hasta)1501-1510
Número de páginas10
PublicaciónMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volumen495
N.º1
DOI
EstadoPublicada - 2020
Publicado de forma externa

Áreas temáticas de ASJC Scopus

  • Astronomía y astrofísica
  • Ciencias planetarias y espacial

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