Tracing Outflows from Stellar Feedback in the Early Universe with Lyman-$\alpha$
Abstract
Blind spectroscopy of massive lensing galaxy clusters with MUSE has revealed large numbers of gravitationally-lensed Lyman-$ \alpha $ emitters exhibiting asymmetric profiles at $ 2.9 \leq z \leq 6.7 $, suggesting abundant outflows from low-mass star-forming galaxies in the early universe. Are these primaeval galaxies experiencing their first bursts of star formation, or established galaxies experiencing rejuvenation? With JWST rest-frame optical/NIR continuum imaging now available for many of these objects, we can search for older stellar populations. Here, we search for spectroscopic confirmation of outflows from these galaxies, finding a few high-signal-to-noise cases in which blueshifted interstellar absorption lines are detected. Next, we analyse the star formation histories with combined HST + JWST photometry. We find most them to be well characterised by very young, low metallicity stellar populations. However, despite the rest-frame optical/NIR coverage of JWST, we cannot place strict upper bounds on the mass in old stars (age $ > 100\,\text{Myr} $).
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- October 2024
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2410.21788
- Bibcode:
- 2024arXiv241021788N
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 2024 (Symposium 391 - The first chapters of our cosmic history with JWST)