Revisiting the gas kinematics in SSA22 Lyman-α Blob 1 with radiative transfer modelling in a multiphase, clumpy medium
Abstract
We present new observations of Lyman-α (Lyα) Blob 1 (LAB1) in the SSA22 protocluster region (z = 3.09) using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager and Keck Multi-object Spectrometer for Infrared Exploration. We have created a narrow-band Lyα image and identified several prominent features. By comparing the spatial distributions and intensities of Lyα and Hβ, we find that recombination of photo-ionized H I gas followed by resonant scattering is sufficient to explain all the observed Lyα/Hβ ratios. We further decode the spatially resolved Lyα profiles using both moment maps and radiative transfer modelling. By fitting a set of multiphase, 'clumpy' models to the observed Lyα profiles, we manage to reasonably constrain many parameters, namely the H I number density in the interclump medium (ICM), the cloud volume filling factor, the random velocity and outflow velocity of the clumps, the H I outflow velocity of the ICM, and the local systemic redshift. Our model has successfully reproduced the diverse Lyα morphologies, and the main results are: (1) the observed Lyα spectra require relatively few clumps per line of sight as they have significant fluxes at the line centre; (2) the velocity dispersion of the clumps yields a significant broadening of the spectra as observed; (3) the clump bulk outflow can also cause additional broadening if the H I in the ICM is optically thick; (4) and the H I in the ICM is responsible for the absorption feature close to the Lyα line centre.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- April 2021
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/staa3951
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2008.09130
- Bibcode:
- 2021MNRAS.502.2389L
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: evolution;
- galaxies: high-redshift;
- intergalactic medium;
- galaxies: kinematics and dynamics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- v1: 25 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRAS. v2: revised version with a full list of posterior figures, published in MNRAS