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Nature and chemical abundances of a sample of Lyman-α emitter objects at high redshift.

Authors :
Dors, O L
Agarwal, B
Hägele, G F
Cardaci, M V
Rydberg, Claes-Erik
Riffel, R A
Oliveira, A S
Krabbe, A C
Source :
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Sep2018, Vol. 479 Issue 2, p2294-2307. 14p.
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

We built a grid of photoionization models and compiled already available observational emission line intensities ($1000 \,\, \lt \,\, \lambda $ (Å) < 2000) of confirmed star formation regions and Active Galactic Nucleus (AGNs) in order to classify five Lyα emitter (LAE) objects at high redshift (5.7 <  $z$  < 7.2). We selected objects for which at least one metal emission-line was measured. The resulting sample is composed by the objects RXC J2248.7-4431-ID3, HSC J233408+004403, COSY, A1703-zd6, and CR7 (clump C). The photoionization models were built assuming a Power Law (associated with the presence of an AGN), a Direct Collapse Black Hole (DCBH), and Population II stars for the ionizing source. The resulting models were then compared with observational emission-line ratios in six diagnostic diagrams to produce a spectral classification of the sample. We found that CR7 (clump C), HSC J233408+004403 and COSY probably have a non thermal ionizing source (AGN or DCBH) while the RXC J2248.7-4431-ID3 and A1703-zd6 seem to host a stellar cluster. Detailed photoionization models were constructed to reproduce observational emission line ratios of the sample of LAEs, and to derive chemical abundances and number of ionizing photons $Q(\rm H)$ of these objects. From these models, we found metallicities in the range $0.1 \,\, \lesssim \,\, (Z/Z_{\odot }) \,\, \lesssim \,\, 0.5$ and $\log Q(\rm H) \,\, \gt \,\, 53$. Values for C/O abundance ratio derived for the LAEs seem to be consistent with those derived for local star forming objects with similar metallicities, while an overabundance of N/O was found for most of the LAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00358711
Volume :
479
Issue :
2
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
130659668
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty1658