The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape
One of the fundamental questions of cosmology is the origin and mechanism(s) responsible for the reionization of the Universe beyond z ∼ 6. Many studies have focused on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observations of local ( z ∼ 0.3) galaxies emitting ionizing radiat...
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| author | Sophia R. Flury Anne E. Jaskot Alberto Saldana-Lopez M. S. Oey John Chisholm Ricardo Amorín Omkar Bait Sanchayeeta Borthakur Cody Carr Henry C. Ferguson Mauro Giavalisco Matthew Hayes Timothy Heckman Alaina Henry Zhiyuan Ji Lena Komarova Florian Leclercq Alexandra Le Reste Stephan McCandliss Rui Marques-Chaves Göran Östlin Laura Pentericci Swara Ravindranath Michael Rutkowski Claudia Scarlata Daniel Schaerer Trinh Thuan Maxime Trebitsch Eros Vanzella Anne Verhamme Bingjie Wang Gábor Worseck Xinfeng Xu |
| author_facet | Sophia R. Flury Anne E. Jaskot Alberto Saldana-Lopez M. S. Oey John Chisholm Ricardo Amorín Omkar Bait Sanchayeeta Borthakur Cody Carr Henry C. Ferguson Mauro Giavalisco Matthew Hayes Timothy Heckman Alaina Henry Zhiyuan Ji Lena Komarova Florian Leclercq Alexandra Le Reste Stephan McCandliss Rui Marques-Chaves Göran Östlin Laura Pentericci Swara Ravindranath Michael Rutkowski Claudia Scarlata Daniel Schaerer Trinh Thuan Maxime Trebitsch Eros Vanzella Anne Verhamme Bingjie Wang Gábor Worseck Xinfeng Xu |
| author_sort | Sophia R. Flury |
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| description | One of the fundamental questions of cosmology is the origin and mechanism(s) responsible for the reionization of the Universe beyond z ∼ 6. Many studies have focused on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observations of local ( z ∼ 0.3) galaxies emitting ionizing radiation (Lyman continuum, or LyC) for insight. However, LyC measurements can depend on chance alignment of optically thin channels with the observer. In addition, low signal in the spectra of these faint LyC emitters inhibits constraints on gas geometry and stellar populations. To circumvent these limitations, we analyze stacks of a consolidated sample of HST/COS observations of the LyC in 89 galaxies at z ∼ 0.3. From fitting of the continuum, we obtain information about the underlying stellar populations, emergent LyC, and neutral interstellar medium geometry. We find that most LyC nondetections are not leaking appreciable LyC ( ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ < 1%), but also that exceptional cases point to spatial variations in the LyC escape fraction ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ . Stellar populations younger than 3 Myr lead to an increase in ionizing feedback, which in turn increases the isotropy of LyC escape. Wolf–Rayet stars and 3–6 Myr populations appear to play little role in LyC escape. Mechanical feedback from supernovae in 8–10 Myr stellar populations is important for anisotropic gas distributions needed for LyC escape. While mechanical feedback is necessary for any LyC escape, high ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ (>5%) also requires a confluence of young stars and ionizing feedback. A two-stage burst of star formation is critical to producing this optimal LyC escape scenario, and should be considered fundamental to identifying LyC emitters at the Epoch of Reionization. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-efc8637924ca4043bf1c2c1472a3fc502025-08-20T01:52:21ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01985112810.3847/1538-4357/adc305The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC EscapeSophia R. Flury0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0159-2613Anne E. Jaskot1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6790-5125Alberto Saldana-Lopez2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8419-3062M. S. Oey3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5808-1320John Chisholm4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0302-2577Ricardo Amorín5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5758-1000Omkar Bait6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2722-8841Sanchayeeta Borthakur7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2724-8298Cody Carr8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4166-2855Henry C. Ferguson9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7113-2738Mauro Giavalisco10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7831-8751Matthew Hayes11https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8587-218XTimothy Heckman12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6670-6370Alaina Henry13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6586-4446Zhiyuan Ji14https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7673-2257Lena Komarova15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5235-7971Florian Leclercq16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6085-5073Alexandra Le Reste17https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1767-6421Stephan McCandliss18https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-4667Rui Marques-Chaves19https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8442-1846Göran Östlin20https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-1349Laura Pentericci21https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8940-6768Swara Ravindranath22https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5269-6527Michael Rutkowski23Claudia Scarlata24https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9136-8876Daniel Schaerer25https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7144-7182Trinh Thuan26https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5331-2030Maxime Trebitsch27https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6849-5375Eros Vanzella28https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5228-9326Anne Verhamme29https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2201-1865Bingjie Wang30https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9269-5046Gábor Worseck31https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0960-3580Xinfeng Xu32https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9217-7051Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, MA 01002, USA ; sflury@umass.edu; Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UKDepartment of Astronomy, Williams College , Williamstown, MA 01267, USADepartment of Astronomy, Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University , 106 91 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan , 323 West Hall, 1085 S. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712-1205, USAARAID Foundation, Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA) , Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Plaza San Juan 1, 44001 Teruel, Spain; Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de La Serena , Avda .Juan Cisternas 1200, La Serena, ChileSKA Observatory , Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, SK11 9FT, UKSchool of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , 781 Terrace Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USACenter for Cosmology and Computational Astrophysics , Institute for Advanced Study in Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People’s Republic of China; Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310058, People’s Republic of ChinaSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, MA 01002, USA ; sflury@umass.eduDepartment of Astronomy, Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University , 106 91 Stockholm, SwedenCenter for Astrophysical Sciences, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Center for Astrophysical Sciences, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan , 323 West Hall, 1085 S. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712-1205, USAMinnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USACenter for Astrophysical Sciences, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , 51 Chemin Pegasi, 1290 Versoix, SwitzerlandDepartment of Astronomy, Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University , 106 91 Stockholm, SwedenINAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma , Via di Frascati 33, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, ItalyAstrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology II, Department of Physics, Catholic University of America , 620 Michigan Ave N.E., Washington, DC 20064, USAMinnesota State University-Mankato , Telescope Science Institute, TN141, Mankato, MN 56001, USAMinnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , 51 Chemin Pegasi, 1290 Versoix, SwitzerlandAstronomy Department, University of Virginia , PO Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325, USAKapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen , PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The NetherlandsINAF , Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Gobetti 93/3 I-40129 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , 51 Chemin Pegasi, 1290 Versoix, SwitzerlandDepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania StateUniversity , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Computational & Data Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAVDI/VDE Innovation+Technik , Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research inAstrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University , 1800 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, USAOne of the fundamental questions of cosmology is the origin and mechanism(s) responsible for the reionization of the Universe beyond z ∼ 6. Many studies have focused on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observations of local ( z ∼ 0.3) galaxies emitting ionizing radiation (Lyman continuum, or LyC) for insight. However, LyC measurements can depend on chance alignment of optically thin channels with the observer. In addition, low signal in the spectra of these faint LyC emitters inhibits constraints on gas geometry and stellar populations. To circumvent these limitations, we analyze stacks of a consolidated sample of HST/COS observations of the LyC in 89 galaxies at z ∼ 0.3. From fitting of the continuum, we obtain information about the underlying stellar populations, emergent LyC, and neutral interstellar medium geometry. We find that most LyC nondetections are not leaking appreciable LyC ( ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ < 1%), but also that exceptional cases point to spatial variations in the LyC escape fraction ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ . Stellar populations younger than 3 Myr lead to an increase in ionizing feedback, which in turn increases the isotropy of LyC escape. Wolf–Rayet stars and 3–6 Myr populations appear to play little role in LyC escape. Mechanical feedback from supernovae in 8–10 Myr stellar populations is important for anisotropic gas distributions needed for LyC escape. While mechanical feedback is necessary for any LyC escape, high ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ (>5%) also requires a confluence of young stars and ionizing feedback. A two-stage burst of star formation is critical to producing this optimal LyC escape scenario, and should be considered fundamental to identifying LyC emitters at the Epoch of Reionization.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc305ReionizationHubble Space TelescopeGalactic and extragalactic astronomyEmission line galaxiesGalaxy stellar contentStellar feedback |
| spellingShingle | Sophia R. Flury Anne E. Jaskot Alberto Saldana-Lopez M. S. Oey John Chisholm Ricardo Amorín Omkar Bait Sanchayeeta Borthakur Cody Carr Henry C. Ferguson Mauro Giavalisco Matthew Hayes Timothy Heckman Alaina Henry Zhiyuan Ji Lena Komarova Florian Leclercq Alexandra Le Reste Stephan McCandliss Rui Marques-Chaves Göran Östlin Laura Pentericci Swara Ravindranath Michael Rutkowski Claudia Scarlata Daniel Schaerer Trinh Thuan Maxime Trebitsch Eros Vanzella Anne Verhamme Bingjie Wang Gábor Worseck Xinfeng Xu The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape The Astrophysical Journal Reionization Hubble Space Telescope Galactic and extragalactic astronomy Emission line galaxies Galaxy stellar content Stellar feedback |
| title | The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape |
| title_full | The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape |
| title_fullStr | The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape |
| title_short | The Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey: The Roles of Stellar Feedback and Interstellar Medium Geometry in LyC Escape |
| title_sort | low redshift lyman continuum survey the roles of stellar feedback and interstellar medium geometry in lyc escape |
| topic | Reionization Hubble Space Telescope Galactic and extragalactic astronomy Emission line galaxies Galaxy stellar content Stellar feedback |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc305 |
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