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Recently, intense emission from nebular C III] and C IV emission lines have been observed in galaxies in the epoch of reionization (z > 6) and have been proposed as the prime way of measuring their redshift and studying their stellar populations. These galaxies might represent the best examples of cosmic reionizers, as suggested by recent low-z observations of Lyman continuum emitting galaxies, but it is hard to directly study the production and escape of ionizing photons at such high redshifts. The ESO spectroscopic public survey VANDELS offers the unique opportunity to find rare examples of such galaxies at cosmic noon (z ∼ 3), thanks to the ultra deep observations available. We have selected a sample of 39 galaxies showing C IV emission, whose origin (after a careful comparison to photoionization models) can be ascribed to star formation and not to active galactic nuclei. By using a multiwavelength approach, we determined their physical properties including metallicity and the ionization parameter and compared them to the properties of the parent population to understand what the ingredients are that could characterize the analogs of the cosmic reionizers. We find that C IV emitters are galaxies with high photon production efficiency and there are strong indications that they might also have a large escape fraction: given the visibility of C IV in the epoch of reionization, this could become the best tool to pinpoint the cosmic reioinzers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the intersection between the populations of star forming galaxies selected as either Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) or Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in the redshift range 2.9 − 6.7 and within the same volume of universe sampled by the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) behind the Hubble Frontier Fields lensing cluster A2744. We define three samples of star-forming galaxies: LBG galaxies with an LAE counterpart (92 galaxies), LBG galaxies without an LAE counterpart (408 galaxies), and LAE galaxies without an LBG counterpart (46 galaxies). All these galaxies are intrinsically faint because of the lensing nature of the sample (M1500 ≥ −20.5). The fraction of LAEs among all selected star-forming galaxies increases with redshift up to z ∼ 6 and decreases for higher redshifts, in agreement with previous findings. The evolution of LAE/LBG populations with UV magnitude and Lyα luminosity shows that the LAE selection is able to identify intrinsically UV faint galaxies with M1500 ≥ −15 that are typically missed in the deepest lensing photometric surveys. The LBG population seems to fairly represent the total population of star-forming galaxies down to M1500 ∼ −15. Galaxies with M1500 < −17 tend to have SFRLyα < SFRuv, whereas the opposite trend is observed within our sample for faint galaxies with M1500 > −17, including galaxies only detected by their Lyα emission, with a large scatter. These trends, previously observed in other samples of star-forming galaxies at high-z, are seen here for very faint M1500 ∼ −15 galaxies; that is, much fainter than in previous studies. The present results show no clear evidence for an intrinsic difference between the properties of the two populations selected as LBG and/or LAE. The observed trends could be explained by a combination of several phenomena, like the existence of different star-formation regimes, the dust content, the relative distribution and morphology of dust and stars, or the stellar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We wish to investigate the physical properties of a sample of Lyα emitting galaxies in the VANDELS survey, with particular focus on the role of kinematics and neutral hydrogen column density in the escape and spatial distribution of Lyα photons. Methods. From all the Lyα emitting galaxies in the VANDELS Data Release 2 at 3.5 ≲ z ≲ 4.5, we selected a sample of 52 galaxies that also have a precise systemic redshift determination from at least one nebular emission line (HeII or CIII]). For these galaxies, we derived different physical properties (stellar mass, age, dust extinction, and star formation rate) from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting of the exquisite multiwavelength photometry available in the VANDELS fields, using the dedicated spectral modeling tool BEAGLE and the UV β slope from the observed photometry. We characterized the Lyα emission in terms of kinematics, equivalent width (EW), full width at half-maximum, and spatial extension and then estimated the velocity of the neutral outflowing gas. The ultra-deep VANDELS spectra (up to 80 h on-source integration) enable this for individual galaxies without the need to rely on stacks. We then investigated the correlations between the Lyα properties and the other measured properties to study how they affect the shape and intensity of Lyα emission. Results. We reproduce some of the well-known correlations between Lyα EW and stellar mass, dust extinction, and UV β slope, in the sense that the emission line appears brighter in galaxies with lower mass that are less dusty and bluer. We do not find any correlation with the SED-derived star formation rate, while we find that galaxies with brighter Lyα tend to be more compact in both UV and in Lyα. Our data reveal an interesting correlation between the Lyα velocity offset and the shift of the interstellar absorption lines with respect to the systemic redshift, observed for the first time at high redshifts: galaxies with higher interstellar medium (ISM) outflow velocities show smaller Lyα velocity shifts. We interpret this relation in the context of the shell-model scenario, where the velocity of the ISM and the HI column density contribute together in determining the Lyα kinematics. In support to our interpretation, we observe that galaxies with high HI column densities have much more extended Lyα spatial profiles; this is a sign of increased scattering. However, we do not find any evidence that the HI column density is related to any other physical properties of the galaxies, although this might be due in part to the limited range of parameters that our sample spans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of CANDELSz7, a European Southern Observatory (ESO) Large Program aimed at spectroscopically confirming a homogeneous sample of z ≃ 6 and z ≃ 7 star forming galaxies. The candidates were selected in the GOODS-South, UDS, and COSMOS fields using the official CANDELS catalogs based on H160-band detections. Standard color criteria, which were tailored depending on the ancillary multi-wavelength data available for each field, were applied to select more than 160 candidate galaxies at z ≃ 6 and z ≃ 7. Deep, medium-resolution FORS2 spectroscopic observations were then conducted with integration times ranging from 12 to 20 h to reach a Lyα flux limit of approximately 1 − 3 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2 at 3σ. We could determine a spectroscopic redshift for about 40% of the galaxies, mainly through the detection of a single emission line that we interpret as Lyα emission, or for some of the brightest objects (H160 ≤ 25.5) from the presence of faint continuum and a sharp drop that we interpret as a Lyα break. In this paper we present the redshifts and main properties of 65 newly confirmed high-redshift galaxies. Adding previous proprietary and archival data we assemble a sample of ≃260 galaxies that we use to explore the evolution of the Lyα fraction in Lyman break galaxies and the change in the shape of the emission line between z ∼ 6 and z ∼ 7. We also discuss the accuracy of the CANDELS photometric redshifts in this redshift range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. To identify the galaxies responsible for the reionization of the Universe, we must rely on the investigation of the Lyman continuum (LyC) properties of z ≲ 5 star-forming galaxies, where we can still directly observe their ionizing radiation. Aims. The aim of this work is to explore the correlation between the LyC emission and some of the proposed indirect indicators of LyC radiation at z ~ 4 such as a bright Lyα emission and a compact UV continuum size. Methods. We selected a sample of 201 star-forming galaxies from the Vimos Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS) at 3.5 ≤ z ≤ 4.3 in the COSMOS, ECDFS, and VVDS-2h fields, including only those with reliable spectroscopic redshifts, a clean spectrum in the LyC range and clearly not contaminated by bright nearby sources in the same slit. For all galaxies we measured the Lyα EW, the Lyα velocity shift with respect to the systemic redshift, the Lyα spatial extension and the UV continuum effective radius. We then selected different sub-samples according to the properties predicted to be good LyC emission indicators: in particular we created sub-samples of galaxies with EW(Lyα) ≥ 70 Å, Lyαext ≤ 5.7 kpc, rUV ≤ 0.30 kpc and |ΔvLyα|≤ 200 km s−1. We stacked all the galaxies in each sub-sample and measured the flux density ratio (fλ(895)∕fλ(1470)), that we considered to be a proxy for LyC emission. We then compared these ratios to those obtained for the complementary samples. Finally, to estimate the statistical contamination from lower redshift inter-lopers in our samples, we performed dedicated Monte Carlo simulations using an ultradeep U-band image of the ECDFS field. Results. We find that the stacks of galaxies which are UV compact (rUV ≤ 0.30 kpc) and have bright Lyα emission (EW(Lyα) ≥ 70 Å), have much higher LyC fluxes compared to the rest of the galaxy population. These parameters appear to be good indicators of LyC radiation in agreement with theoretical studies and previous observational works. In addition we find that galaxies with a low Lyα spatial extent (Lyαext ≤ 5.7 kpc) have higher LyC flux compared to the rest of the population. Such a correlation had never been analysed before and seems even stronger than the correlation with high EW(Lyα) and small rUV. These results assume that the stacks from all sub-samples present the same statistical contamination from lower redshift interlopers. If we subtract a statistical contamination from low redshift interlopers obtained with the simulations from the flux density ratios (fλ(895)∕fλ(1470)) of the significant sub-samples we find that these samples contain real LyC leaking flux with a very high probability, although the true average escape fractions are very uncertain. Conclusions. Our work indicates that galaxies with very high EW(Lyα), small Ly αext and small rUV are very likely the best candidates to show Lyman continuum radiation at z ~ 4 and could therefore be the galaxies that have contributed most to reionisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast and energetic winds are invoked by galaxy formation models as essential processes in the evolution of galaxies. These outflows can be powered either by star formation (SF) and/or active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, but the relative dominance of the two mechanisms is still under debate. We use spectroscopic stacking analysis to study the properties of the low-ionization phase of the outflow in a sample of 1330 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and 79 X-ray-detected (1042 < LX < 1045 erg s-1) Type 2 AGN at 1.7 < z < 4.6 selected from a compilation of deep optical spectroscopic surveys, mostly zCOSMOS-Deep and VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We measure mean velocity offsets of ~- 150 km s-1 in the SFGs, while in the AGN sample the velocity is much higher (~- 950 km s-1), suggesting that the AGN is boosting the outflow up to velocities that could not be reached only with the SF contribution. The sample of X-ray AGN has on average a lower SF rate than non-AGN SFGs of similar mass: this, combined with the enhanced outflow velocity in AGN hosts, is consistent with AGN feedback in action. We further divide our sample of AGN into two X-ray luminosity bins: we measure the same velocity offsets in both stacked spectra, at odds with results reported for the highly ionized phase in local AGN, suggesting that the two phases of the outflow may be mixed only up to relatively low velocities, while the highest velocities can be reached only by the highly ionized phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Determining the average fraction of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons escaping high redshift galaxies is essential for understanding how reionization proceeded in the z> 6 Universe. Aims: We want to measure the LyC signal from a sample of sources in the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) and COSMOS fields for which ultra-deep VIMOS spectroscopy as well as multi-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging are available. Methods: We select a sample of 46 galaxies at z ~ 4 from the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS) database, such that the VUDS spectra contain the LyC part, that is, the rest-frame range 880-910 Å. Taking advantage of the HST imaging, we apply a careful cleaning procedure and reject all the sources showing nearby clumps with different colours, that could potentially be lower-redshift interlopers. After this procedure, the sample is reduced to 33 galaxies. We measure the ratio between ionizing flux (LyC at 895 Å) and non-ionizing emission (at ~ 1500 Å) for all individual sources. We also produce a normalized stacked spectrum of all sources. Results: Assuming an intrinsic average L(1470)/L(895) of 3, we estimate the individual and average relative escape fraction. We do not detect ionizing radiation from any individual source, although we identify a possible LyC emitter with very high Lya equivalent width (EW). From the stacked spectrum and assuming a mean transmissivity for the sample, we measure a relative escape fraction f escrel = 0.09 ± 0.04. We also look for correlations between the limits in the LyC flux and source properties and find a tentative correlation between LyC flux and the EW of the Lya emission line. Conclusions: Our results imply that the LyC flux emitted by V = 25-26 star-forming galaxies at z ~ 4 is at most very modest, in agreement with previous upper limits from studies based on broad and narrow band imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The study of statistically significant samples of star-forming dwarf galaxies (SFDGs) at different cosmic epochs is essential for the detailed understanding of galaxy assembly and chemical evolution. However, the main properties of this large population of galaxies at intermediate redshift are still poorly known. Aims: We present the discovery and spectrophotometric characterization of a large sample of 164 faint (iAB~ 23-25 mag) SFDGs at redshift 0.13 = z = 0.88 selected by the presence of bright optical emission lines in the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We investigate their integrated physical properties and ionization conditions, which are used to discuss the low-mass end of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and other key scaling relations. Methods: We use optical VUDS spectra in the COSMOS, VVDS-02h, and ECDF-S fields, as well as deep multi-wavelength photometry that includes HST-ACS F814W imaging, to derive stellar masses, extinction-corrected star-formation rates (SFR), and gas-phase metallicities of SFDGs. For the latter, we use the direct method and a Te-consistent approach based on the comparison of a set of observed emission lines ratios with the predictions of detailed photoionization models. Results: The VUDS SFDGs are compact (median re~ 1.2 kpc), low-mass (M*~ 107-109M⊙) galaxies with a wide range of star-formation rates (SFR(Ha) ~ 10-3-101M⊙/yr) and morphologies. Overall, they show a broad range of subsolar metallicities (12 +log (O/H) =7.26-8.7; 0.04 ≲Z/Z⊙≲ 1). Nearly half of the sample are extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs) characterized by high equivalent widths and emission line ratios indicative of higher excitation and ionization conditions. The MZR of SFDGs shows a flatter slope compared to previous studies of galaxies in the same mass range and redshift. We find the scatter of the MZR is partly explained in the low mass range by varying specific SFRs and gas fractions amongst the galaxies in our sample. In agreement with recent studies, we find the subclass of EELGs to be systematically offset to lower metallicity compared to SFDGs at a given stellar mass and SFR, suggesting a younger starburst phase. Compared with simple chemical evolution models we find that most SFDGs do not follow the predictions of a "closed-box" model, but those from a gas-regulating model in which gas flows are considered. While strong stellar feedback may produce large-scale outflows favoring the cessation of vigorous star formation and promoting the removal of metals, younger and more metal-poor dwarfs may have recently accreted large amounts of fresh, very metal-poor gas, that is used to fuel current star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Lyman alpha (Lyα) emitting galaxies (LAEs) are used to probe the distant universe and are therefore important for galaxy evolution studies and for providing clues to the nature of the epoch of reionization. However, the exact circumstances under which Lyα escapes a galaxy are still not fully understood. Aims. The Trident project is designed to simultaneously examine Lyα, Hα, and Lyman continuum emission from galaxies at redshift z 2, thus linking these three aspects of ionizing radiation in galaxies. In this paper, we outline the strategy of this project and examine the properties of LAEs in the GOODS North field. Methods. We performed a narrowband LAE survey in GOODS North using existing filters and two custom made filters at the Nordic Optical Telescope with MOSCA. We use complementary broadband archival data in the field to make a careful candidate selection and perform optical to near-IR SED fitting. We also estimate far-IR luminosities by matching our candidates to detections in Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm and Herschel/PACS catalogues. Results. We find a total of 25 LAE candidates, probing mainly the bright end of the LAE luminosity function with LLyα 1-15 × 1042 erg s-1. They display a range of masses of 0.5-50×109 M, and average ages from a few tens of Myr to 1 Gyr when assuming a constant star formation history. The majority of our candidates also show signs of recent elevated star formation. Three candidates have counterparts in the GOODS-Herschel far-IR catalogue, with luminosities consistent with ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). Conclusions. The wide range of parameters derived from our SED fitting, as well as part of our sample being detected as ULIRGs, seems to indicate that at these Lyα luminosities, LAEs do not necessarily have to be young dwarfs, and that a lack of dust is not required for Lyα to escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To investigate the ingredients, which allow star-forming galaxies to present Ly line in emission, we studied the kinematics and gas phase metallicity of the interstellar medium. Methods. We used multi-object near-infrared spectroscopy with Magellan/MMIRS to study nebular emission from z~2-3 starforming galaxies discovered in three MUSYC fields. Results. We detected emission lines from four active galactic nuclei and 13 high-redshift star-forming galaxies, including H lines down to a flux of (4 ± 1)E-17 erg s-1 cm-2. This yielded seven new redshifts. The most common emission line detected is [OIII]5007, which is sensitive to metallicity. We were able to measure metallicity (Z) for two galaxies and to set upper (lower) limits for another two (two). The metallicity values are consistent with 0:3 < Z=Z < 1.2, 12 + log (O/H) ~ 8.2-8.8. Comparing the Lya central wavelength with the systemic redshift, we find ▵ vLyα -[OIII]5007 = 70-270 km s-1. Conclusions. High-redshift star-forming galaxies, Lya emitting (LAE) galaxies, and Ha emitters appear to be located in the low mass, high star-formation rate (SFR) region of the SFR versus stellar mass diagram, confirming that they are experiencing burst episodes of star formation, which are building up their stellar mass. Their metallicities are consistent with the relation found for z ~ 2.2 galaxies in the Z versus stellar mass plane. The measured ▵ vLyα -[OIII]5007 values imply that outflows of material, driven by star formation, could be present in the z ~ 2-3 LAEs of our sample. Comparing with the literature, we note that galaxies with lower metallicity than ours are also characterized by similar ▵ vLyα -[OIII]5007 velocity o sets. Strong F([OIII]5007) is detected in many Lyα emitters. Therefore, we propose the F(Lya)/F([OIII]5007) flux ratio as a tool for the study of high-redshift galaxies; while influenced by metallicity, ionization, and Lya radiative transfer in the ISM, it may be possible to calibrate this ratio to primarily trace one of these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]