Comparing the VANDELS sample to a zoom-in Radiative Hydrodynamical Simulation: using the Si II and C II line spectra as tracers of galaxy evolution and Lyman Continuum leakage

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Main Authors: Gazagnes, Simon, Cullen, Fergus, Mauerhofer, Valentin, Begley, Ryan, Berg, Danielle, Blaizot, Jeremy, Chisholm, John, Garel, Thibault, Leclercq, Floriane, McLure, Ross J., Verhamme, Anne
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Published: 2024
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author Gazagnes, Simon
Cullen, Fergus
Mauerhofer, Valentin
Begley, Ryan
Berg, Danielle
Blaizot, Jeremy
Chisholm, John
Garel, Thibault
Leclercq, Floriane
McLure, Ross J.
Verhamme, Anne
author_facet Gazagnes, Simon
Cullen, Fergus
Mauerhofer, Valentin
Begley, Ryan
Berg, Danielle
Blaizot, Jeremy
Chisholm, John
Garel, Thibault
Leclercq, Floriane
McLure, Ross J.
Verhamme, Anne
contents We compare mock ultraviolet C II and Si II absorption and emission line features generated using a ~10$^9$ $M_\odot$ virtual galaxy with observations of 131 $z~3$ galaxies from the VANDELS survey. We find that the mock spectra reproduce reasonably well a large majority (83%) of the \vandels\ spectra ($χ^2<2$), but do not resemble the most massive objects ($>10^{10}M_\odot$) which exhibit broad absorption features. Interestingly, the best-matching mock spectra originate from periods of intense star formation in the virtual galaxy, where its luminosity is four times higher than in periods of relative quiescence. Furthermore, for each galaxy, we predict the Lyman Continuum (LyC) escape fractions using the environment of the virtual galaxy. We derive an average escape fraction of 0.01$\pm$0.02, consistent with other estimates from the literature. The predicted escape fractions are tightly correlated with the Lyman-$α$ escape fractions and highly consistent with observed empirical trends. Additionally, galaxies with larger predicted escape fractions exhibit bluer $β$ slopes, more Lyman-$α$ flux, and weaker low-ionization absorption lines. Building upon the good agreement between our predictions and observationally established LyC diagnostics, we examine the LyC leakage mechanisms in the simulation. We find that LyC photon leakage is enhanced in directions where the observed flux dominantly emerges from compact regions depleted of neutral gas and dust, mirroring the scenario inferred from observational data. In general, this study further highlights the potential of high-resolution radiation hydrodynamics simulations in analyzing UV absorption and emission line features and providing valuable insights into the LyC leakage of star-forming galaxies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_03759
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Comparing the VANDELS sample to a zoom-in Radiative Hydrodynamical Simulation: using the Si II and C II line spectra as tracers of galaxy evolution and Lyman Continuum leakage
Gazagnes, Simon
Cullen, Fergus
Mauerhofer, Valentin
Begley, Ryan
Berg, Danielle
Blaizot, Jeremy
Chisholm, John
Garel, Thibault
Leclercq, Floriane
McLure, Ross J.
Verhamme, Anne
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We compare mock ultraviolet C II and Si II absorption and emission line features generated using a ~10$^9$ $M_\odot$ virtual galaxy with observations of 131 $z~3$ galaxies from the VANDELS survey. We find that the mock spectra reproduce reasonably well a large majority (83%) of the \vandels\ spectra ($χ^2<2$), but do not resemble the most massive objects ($>10^{10}M_\odot$) which exhibit broad absorption features. Interestingly, the best-matching mock spectra originate from periods of intense star formation in the virtual galaxy, where its luminosity is four times higher than in periods of relative quiescence. Furthermore, for each galaxy, we predict the Lyman Continuum (LyC) escape fractions using the environment of the virtual galaxy. We derive an average escape fraction of 0.01$\pm$0.02, consistent with other estimates from the literature. The predicted escape fractions are tightly correlated with the Lyman-$α$ escape fractions and highly consistent with observed empirical trends. Additionally, galaxies with larger predicted escape fractions exhibit bluer $β$ slopes, more Lyman-$α$ flux, and weaker low-ionization absorption lines. Building upon the good agreement between our predictions and observationally established LyC diagnostics, we examine the LyC leakage mechanisms in the simulation. We find that LyC photon leakage is enhanced in directions where the observed flux dominantly emerges from compact regions depleted of neutral gas and dust, mirroring the scenario inferred from observational data. In general, this study further highlights the potential of high-resolution radiation hydrodynamics simulations in analyzing UV absorption and emission line features and providing valuable insights into the LyC leakage of star-forming galaxies.
title Comparing the VANDELS sample to a zoom-in Radiative Hydrodynamical Simulation: using the Si II and C II line spectra as tracers of galaxy evolution and Lyman Continuum leakage
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.03759