Spatially Resolving the Fundamental Elements of Reionization in Galaxies
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| author | Xu, Xinfeng McCandliss, Stephan Strom, Allison Chen, Hsiao-Wen Choi, Yumi Citro, Annalisa Dahle, Håkon Hayes, Matthew J. Jaskot, Anne Jones, Logan Kaur, Gagandeep Nanayakkara, Themiya Reste, Alexandra Le |
| author_facet | Xu, Xinfeng McCandliss, Stephan Strom, Allison Chen, Hsiao-Wen Choi, Yumi Citro, Annalisa Dahle, Håkon Hayes, Matthew J. Jaskot, Anne Jones, Logan Kaur, Gagandeep Nanayakkara, Themiya Reste, Alexandra Le |
| contents | Cosmic reionization marks a critical epoch when the first galaxies ionized the intergalactic medium through the escape of Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation. Young, massive star clusters are believed to be the primary LyC sources, yet the physical mechanisms enabling LyC escape remain poorly understood. Most existing studies rely on spatially integrated observations, which lack the resolution to resolve internal galaxy structure and pinpoint where and how LyC photons escape. To address this, we propose a science case for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) that enables spatially resolved spectroscopy of LyC-emitting star clusters and their environments in low-redshift galaxies. This requires a UV integral field unit (IFU) with coverage down to ~ 900 Angstrom and a spatial resolution of 10-100 pc-capabilities essential for directly detecting LyC escape and mapping the surrounding interstellar medium. With such instrumentation, we will map cluster-scale LyC escape fractions, characterize the physical conditions of the surrounding interstellar medium, and directly observe feedback-driven outflows that facilitate LyC leakage. These observations will enable novel calibrations of indirect LyC indicators at unprecedented spatial resolution and establish direct connections between local LyC processes and those in high-redshift, clumpy star-forming galaxies. In the long run, this program will build the physical framework needed to understand how galaxies reionized the early universe and shaped its subsequent evolution. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_01312 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Spatially Resolving the Fundamental Elements of Reionization in Galaxies Xu, Xinfeng McCandliss, Stephan Strom, Allison Chen, Hsiao-Wen Choi, Yumi Citro, Annalisa Dahle, Håkon Hayes, Matthew J. Jaskot, Anne Jones, Logan Kaur, Gagandeep Nanayakkara, Themiya Reste, Alexandra Le Astrophysics of Galaxies Cosmic reionization marks a critical epoch when the first galaxies ionized the intergalactic medium through the escape of Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation. Young, massive star clusters are believed to be the primary LyC sources, yet the physical mechanisms enabling LyC escape remain poorly understood. Most existing studies rely on spatially integrated observations, which lack the resolution to resolve internal galaxy structure and pinpoint where and how LyC photons escape. To address this, we propose a science case for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) that enables spatially resolved spectroscopy of LyC-emitting star clusters and their environments in low-redshift galaxies. This requires a UV integral field unit (IFU) with coverage down to ~ 900 Angstrom and a spatial resolution of 10-100 pc-capabilities essential for directly detecting LyC escape and mapping the surrounding interstellar medium. With such instrumentation, we will map cluster-scale LyC escape fractions, characterize the physical conditions of the surrounding interstellar medium, and directly observe feedback-driven outflows that facilitate LyC leakage. These observations will enable novel calibrations of indirect LyC indicators at unprecedented spatial resolution and establish direct connections between local LyC processes and those in high-redshift, clumpy star-forming galaxies. In the long run, this program will build the physical framework needed to understand how galaxies reionized the early universe and shaped its subsequent evolution. |
| title | Spatially Resolving the Fundamental Elements of Reionization in Galaxies |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.01312 |