Enhanced X-ray emission from candidate Lyman continuum emitting galaxies
Abstract
The reionization of the early universe may have been helped by X-ray binaries. Feedback from X-ray binaries may clear paths of low column density out of galaxies, enabling the leakage of Lyman continuum radiation. However, the study of such distant galaxies is not feasible, so we instead turn to local analogs. We studied the X-ray properties of 8 potential Lyman leaking analog galaxies using Chandra observations. These galaxies were selected on the basis of weak emission lines and a predominately blue color. These criteria favor low column densities and imply the presence of young stars in the potential analogs. X-ray luminosities were found for point sources identified in the galaxies, as well as for the full extent of the galaxies. Three of the galaxies have X-ray luminosities well above theoretical calculations based on metallicity and star formation rate. These results support the concept that the presence of X-ray binaries may have been important to the process of reionization.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #234
- Pub Date:
- June 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AAS...23420206B