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  1. OA@INAF
  2. PRODOTTI RICERCA INAF
  3. 1 CONTRIBUTI IN RIVISTE (Journal articles)
  4. 1.01 Articoli in rivista
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/31889
Title: The VANDELS survey: a strong correlation between Ly α equivalent width and stellar metallicity at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5
Authors: Cullen, F.
McLure, R. J.
Dunlop, J. S.
Carnall, A. C.
McLeod, D. J.
Shapley, A. E.
Amorín, R.
BOLZONELLA, MICOL 
CASTELLANO, MARCO 
Cimatti, A.
Cirasuolo, M.
CUCCIATI, Olga 
FONTANA, Adriano 
FONTANOT, Fabio 
GARILLI, BIANCA MARIA ROSA 
Guaita, L.
Jarvis, M. J.
PENTERICCI, Laura 
POZZETTI, Lucia 
Talia, M.
Zamorani, G.
Calabrò, A.
CRESCI, GIOVANNI 
Fynbo, J. P. U.
Hathi, N. P.
Giavalisco, M.
Koekemoer, A.
MANNUCCI, FILIPPO 
SAXENA, AAYUSH 
Issue Date: 2020
Journal: MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 
Number: 495
Issue: 1
First Page: 1501
Abstract: We present the results of a new study investigating the relationship between observed Ly α equivalent width (W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α)) and the metallicity of the ionizing stellar population ( Z<SUB>⋆</SUB>) for a sample of 768 star-forming galaxies at 3 ≤ z ≤ 5 drawn from the VANDELS survey. Dividing our sample into quartiles of rest-frame W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) across the range $-58 \,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}} \lesssim$ W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) $\lesssim 110 \,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}}$ , we determine Z<SUB>⋆</SUB> from full spectral fitting of composite far-ultraviolet spectra and find a clear anticorrelation between W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) and Z<SUB>⋆</SUB>. Our results indicate that Z<SUB>⋆</SUB> decreases by a factor ≳ 3 between the lowest W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) quartile (<W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) $\rangle =-18\,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}}$ ) and the highest W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) quartile (<W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) $\rangle =24\,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}}$ ). Similarly, galaxies typically defined as Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs; W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) $\gt 20\,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}}$ ) are, on average, metal poor with respect to the non-LAE galaxy population (W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) $\le 20\,\rm {\mathring{\rm A}}$ ) with Z<SUB>⋆</SUB><SUB>non-LAE</SUB> ≳ 2 × Z<SUB>⋆</SUB><SUB>LAE</SUB>. Finally, based on the best-fitting stellar models, we estimate that the increasing strength of the stellar ionizing spectrum towards lower Z<SUB>⋆</SUB> is responsible for ${\simeq}15{-}25{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the observed variation in W<SUB>λ</SUB>(Ly α) across our sample, with the remaining contribution ( ${\simeq}75{-}85{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ ) being due to a decrease in the H I/dust covering fractions in low- Z<SUB>⋆</SUB> galaxies.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/31889
URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/495/1/1501/5835232?login=true
http://arxiv.org/abs/2001.11063v2
ISSN: 0035-8711
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa1260
Bibcode ADS: 2020MNRAS.495.1501C
Fulltext: open
Appears in Collections:1.01 Articoli in rivista

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