We present results from a survey of galaxies in the fields of six z ≥ 3 damped Lyman α (Lyα) systems (DLAs) using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We report a high detection rate of up to $approx 80 m per cent$ of galaxies within 1000 km s-1 from DLAs and with impact parameters between 25 and 280 kpc. In particular, we discovered five high-confidence Lyα emitters associated with three DLAs, plus up to nine additional detections across five of the six fields. The majority of the detections are at relatively large impact parameters (>50 kpc) with two detections being plausible host galaxies. Among our detections, we report four galaxies associated with the most metal-poor DLA in our sample (Z/Z = -2.33 ± 0.22), which trace an overdense structure resembling a filament. By comparing our detections with predictions from the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) cosmological simulations and a semi-analytic model designed to reproduce the observed bias of DLAs at z > 2, we conclude that our observations are consistent with a scenario in which a significant fraction of DLAs trace the neutral regions within haloes with a characteristic mass of $M- m h approx 1011-1012- M$, in agreement with the inference made from the large-scale clustering of DLAs. We finally show how larger surveys targeting ≈25 absorbers have the potential of constraining the characteristic masses of haloes hosting high-redshift DLAs with sufficient accuracy to discriminate between different models.

Mackenzie, R., Fumagalli, M., Theuns, T., Hatton, D., Garel, T., Cantalupo, S., et al. (2019). Linking gas and galaxies at high redshift: MUSE surveys the environments of six damped Lyα systems at z ≈ 3. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 487(4), 5070-5096 [10.1093/mnras/stz1501].

Linking gas and galaxies at high redshift: MUSE surveys the environments of six damped Lyα systems at z ≈ 3

Fumagalli M.;Cantalupo S.;
2019

Abstract

We present results from a survey of galaxies in the fields of six z ≥ 3 damped Lyman α (Lyα) systems (DLAs) using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We report a high detection rate of up to $approx 80 m per cent$ of galaxies within 1000 km s-1 from DLAs and with impact parameters between 25 and 280 kpc. In particular, we discovered five high-confidence Lyα emitters associated with three DLAs, plus up to nine additional detections across five of the six fields. The majority of the detections are at relatively large impact parameters (>50 kpc) with two detections being plausible host galaxies. Among our detections, we report four galaxies associated with the most metal-poor DLA in our sample (Z/Z = -2.33 ± 0.22), which trace an overdense structure resembling a filament. By comparing our detections with predictions from the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) cosmological simulations and a semi-analytic model designed to reproduce the observed bias of DLAs at z > 2, we conclude that our observations are consistent with a scenario in which a significant fraction of DLAs trace the neutral regions within haloes with a characteristic mass of $M- m h approx 1011-1012- M$, in agreement with the inference made from the large-scale clustering of DLAs. We finally show how larger surveys targeting ≈25 absorbers have the potential of constraining the characteristic masses of haloes hosting high-redshift DLAs with sufficient accuracy to discriminate between different models.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
galaxies: evolution; galaxies: formation; galaxies: high-redshift; intergalactic medium; quasars: absorption lines
English
2019
487
4
5070
5096
open
Mackenzie, R., Fumagalli, M., Theuns, T., Hatton, D., Garel, T., Cantalupo, S., et al. (2019). Linking gas and galaxies at high redshift: MUSE surveys the environments of six damped Lyα systems at z ≈ 3. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 487(4), 5070-5096 [10.1093/mnras/stz1501].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
stz1501.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia di allegato: Publisher’s Version (Version of Record, VoR)
Dimensione 6.47 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
6.47 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/258715
Citazioni
  • Scopus 34
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 35
Social impact