LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5
We investigate the consistency of intergalactic medium (IGM) tomography and galaxy surveys as tracers of the cosmic web and protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5. We use maps from the Ly α Tomography IMACS Survey (LATIS), which trace the distributions of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and IGM Ly α absorption on ≃4...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade3c3 |
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| author | Andrew B. Newman Nima Chartab Mahdi Qezlou Gwen C. Rudie Guillermo A. Blanc Daniel D. Kelson Simeon Bird Caitlin Casey Enrico Congiu Olga Cucciati Denise Hung Brian C. Lemaux Victoria Pérez Jorge Zavala |
| author_facet | Andrew B. Newman Nima Chartab Mahdi Qezlou Gwen C. Rudie Guillermo A. Blanc Daniel D. Kelson Simeon Bird Caitlin Casey Enrico Congiu Olga Cucciati Denise Hung Brian C. Lemaux Victoria Pérez Jorge Zavala |
| author_sort | Andrew B. Newman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigate the consistency of intergalactic medium (IGM) tomography and galaxy surveys as tracers of the cosmic web and protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5. We use maps from the Ly α Tomography IMACS Survey (LATIS), which trace the distributions of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and IGM Ly α absorption on ≃4 h ^−1 cMpc scales within the same large volume. Overall, the joint distribution of IGM absorption and LBG density is well constrained and accurately described by a simple physical model. However, we identify several exceptional locations exhibiting strong IGM absorption indicative of a massive protocluster, yet no coincident overdensity of LBGs. As discussed by Newman et al., whose results we revise using the complete LATIS survey data, these are candidate ultraviolet (UV)-dim protoclusters that may harbor distinct galaxy populations missed by rest-UV spectroscopic surveys. We present follow-up observations targeting one such candidate embedded within Antu, an extended region of IGM absorption at z = 2.685 that contains five IGM-selected protoclusters and has a total mass of 3 × 10 ^15 M _⊙ . Ly α emitters trace the overall structure of Antu but avoid the center of the candidate UV-dim protocluster, which also appears to contain no submillimeter-selected sources. A near-infrared spectroscopic galaxy census is needed to determine whether this large region is dominated by galaxies with reduced or absent star formation activity. This work adds to a growing and puzzling literature on discrepancies among different galaxy and IGM tracers, whose resolution promises to shed light on the early stages of environment-dependent galaxy evolution. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aa9a57f44af641cb9aeb2c052c63e005 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-aa9a57f44af641cb9aeb2c052c63e0052025-08-20T02:37:17ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198814810.3847/1538-4357/ade3c3LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5Andrew B. Newman0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7769-8660Nima Chartab1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3691-937XMahdi Qezlou2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7066-1240Gwen C. Rudie3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8459-5413Guillermo A. Blanc4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4218-3944Daniel D. Kelson5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4727-4327Simeon Bird6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5803-5490Caitlin Casey7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0930-6466Enrico Congiu8Olga Cucciati9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9336-7551Denise Hung10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7523-140XBrian C. Lemaux11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1428-7036Victoria Pérez12Jorge Zavala13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7051-1100Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; anewman@carnegiescience.eduObservatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; anewman@carnegiescience.edu; Caltech/IPAC , 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAThe University of Texas at Austin , 2515 Speedway Boulevard, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712, USAObservatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; anewman@carnegiescience.eduObservatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; anewman@carnegiescience.edu; Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile , Camino del Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, ChileObservatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; anewman@carnegiescience.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Riverside , 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USAThe University of Texas at Austin , 2515 Speedway Boulevard, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712, USAEuropean Southern Observatory (ESO) , Alonso de Córdova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago 19001, ChileINAF—Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna , via Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, ItalyUniversity of Hawai’i , Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; Gemini Observatory , NSF NOIRLab, 670 N. A’ohoku Place, Hilo, Hawai’i, 96720, USAGemini Observatory , NSF NOIRLab, 670 N. A’ohoku Place, Hilo, Hawai’i, 96720, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile , Camino del Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, ChileNational Astronomical Observatory of Japan , 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, JapanWe investigate the consistency of intergalactic medium (IGM) tomography and galaxy surveys as tracers of the cosmic web and protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5. We use maps from the Ly α Tomography IMACS Survey (LATIS), which trace the distributions of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and IGM Ly α absorption on ≃4 h ^−1 cMpc scales within the same large volume. Overall, the joint distribution of IGM absorption and LBG density is well constrained and accurately described by a simple physical model. However, we identify several exceptional locations exhibiting strong IGM absorption indicative of a massive protocluster, yet no coincident overdensity of LBGs. As discussed by Newman et al., whose results we revise using the complete LATIS survey data, these are candidate ultraviolet (UV)-dim protoclusters that may harbor distinct galaxy populations missed by rest-UV spectroscopic surveys. We present follow-up observations targeting one such candidate embedded within Antu, an extended region of IGM absorption at z = 2.685 that contains five IGM-selected protoclusters and has a total mass of 3 × 10 ^15 M _⊙ . Ly α emitters trace the overall structure of Antu but avoid the center of the candidate UV-dim protocluster, which also appears to contain no submillimeter-selected sources. A near-infrared spectroscopic galaxy census is needed to determine whether this large region is dominated by galaxies with reduced or absent star formation activity. This work adds to a growing and puzzling literature on discrepancies among different galaxy and IGM tracers, whose resolution promises to shed light on the early stages of environment-dependent galaxy evolution.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade3c3ProtoclustersGalaxy environmentsLyman alpha forest |
| spellingShingle | Andrew B. Newman Nima Chartab Mahdi Qezlou Gwen C. Rudie Guillermo A. Blanc Daniel D. Kelson Simeon Bird Caitlin Casey Enrico Congiu Olga Cucciati Denise Hung Brian C. Lemaux Victoria Pérez Jorge Zavala LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 The Astrophysical Journal Protoclusters Galaxy environments Lyman alpha forest |
| title | LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 |
| title_full | LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 |
| title_fullStr | LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 |
| title_full_unstemmed | LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 |
| title_short | LATIS: Comparing Galaxy and IGM Tomography Maps as Tracers of Large-scale Structure and Protoclusters at z ∼ 2.5 |
| title_sort | latis comparing galaxy and igm tomography maps as tracers of large scale structure and protoclusters at z ∼ 2 5 |
| topic | Protoclusters Galaxy environments Lyman alpha forest |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade3c3 |
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