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Infrared and millimetre-wavelength evidence for cold accretion within a z=2.83 Lyman α blob

Smith, Daniel J. B. and Jarvis, Matt J. and Lacy, Mark and Martínez-Sansigre, Alejo (2008) Infrared and millimetre-wavelength evidence for cold accretion within a z=2.83 Lyman α blob. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2). pp. 799-805. ISSN 0035-8711. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13580.x. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:SMImnras08

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Abstract

This paper discusses infrared and millimetre-wavelength observations of a Lyman α blob (LAB) discovered by Smith & Jarvis, a candidate for ionization by the cold accretion scenario discussed in Fardal et al. and Dijkstra et al.We have observed the counterpart galaxy at infrared wavelengths in deep observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope using the IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 μm and MIPS 24 μm bands, as well as using the Max-Planck Millimeter Bolometer (MAMBO-2) at a wavelength of 1.2mm with the IRAM 30 m telescope. These observations probe the ≳ 95 kpc Lyman α halo for the presence of obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) components or the presence of a violent period of star formation invoked by other models of ionization for these mysterious objects. 24 μm observations suggest that an obscured AGN would be insufficiently luminous to ionize the halo, and that the star formation rate within the halo may be as low as <140M⊙ yr^−1 depending on the model spectral energy distribution (SED) used. This is reinforced by our observations at 1.2mm using MAMBO-2, which yield an upper limit of star formation rate <550M⊙ yr^−1 from our non-detection to a 3σ flux limit of 0.86 mJy beam^−1. Finding no evidence for either AGN or extensive star formation, we conclude that this halo is ionized by a cold accretion process. We derive model SEDs for the host galaxy, and use the Bruzual & Charlot and Maraston libraries to show that the galaxy is well described by composite stellar populations of total mass 3.42 ± 0.13 × 10^11 or 4.35 ± 0.16 × 10^11M⊙ depending on the model SEDs used.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13580.xDOIArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Jarvis, Matt J.0000-0001-7039-9078
Lacy, Mark0000-0002-3032-1783
Additional Information:© 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 RAS. Accepted 2008 June 13. Received 2008 June 12; in original form 2008 April 25. DJBS wishes to thank Chris Simpson for valuable conversations, and the UK STFC for a PDRA. MJJ acknowledges the support of a Research Council UK fellowship. This work is based, in part, on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA. Many thanks to the IRAM staff for their support, particularly Stephane Leon for running the MAMBO pool, and to all guest observers during the pool observing sessions at the 30m. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). The Isaac Newton and William Herschel Telescopes are operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofısica de Canarias.
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
Research Councils UK (RCUK)UNSPECIFIED
NASAUNSPECIFIED
Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU)UNSPECIFIED
Max-Planck-GesellschaftUNSPECIFIED
Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN)UNSPECIFIED
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)UNSPECIFIED
Subject Keywords:galaxies: haloes; galaxies: high-redshift
Issue or Number:2
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13580.x
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:SMImnras08
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:SMImnras08
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:13338
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:22 Apr 2009 18:32
Last Modified:08 Nov 2021 22:37

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