Extending Hubble into the 2030s to Resolve the Physics of LyC Escape

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Carr, Cody, McCandliss, Stephan, Berg, Michelle, Cen, Renyue, France, Kevin, Hayes, Matthew, Henry, Alaina, Oey, M. S., Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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_version_ 1866916061528457216
author Carr, Cody
McCandliss, Stephan
Berg, Michelle
Cen, Renyue
France, Kevin
Hayes, Matthew
Henry, Alaina
Oey, M. S.
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
author_facet Carr, Cody
McCandliss, Stephan
Berg, Michelle
Cen, Renyue
France, Kevin
Hayes, Matthew
Henry, Alaina
Oey, M. S.
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
contents Current observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that star-forming galaxies produce enough ionizing (LyC; $λ< 91.2$ nm) photons to drive cosmic reionization, but the efficiency with which these photons escape their host galaxies remains uncertain. Absorption by the neutral intergalactic medium progressively suppresses direct LyC detections above redshift $z\sim3$, forcing astronomers to rely on indirect diagnostics of LyC escape calibrated at low redshift. Low-resolution ultraviolet observations of high-redshift analogs obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have been critical for developing these diagnostics. These studies suggest that stellar feedback plays a central role in regulating LyC escape, although the role of galactic winds and the underlying physical mechanisms remain poorly constrained. High-resolution spectroscopy blueward of 160.0 nm (rest-frame) is required to resolve the kinematic structure of the winds and reveal the physics governing LyC escape. Such observations are currently only possible with HST and represent a major science driver for the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Extending the lifetime of HST and prioritizing ultraviolet observations are essential for interpreting current JWST studies of the early Universe and important preparatory science for HWO.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_30035
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Extending Hubble into the 2030s to Resolve the Physics of LyC Escape
Carr, Cody
McCandliss, Stephan
Berg, Michelle
Cen, Renyue
France, Kevin
Hayes, Matthew
Henry, Alaina
Oey, M. S.
Saldana-Lopez, Alberto
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Current observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that star-forming galaxies produce enough ionizing (LyC; $λ< 91.2$ nm) photons to drive cosmic reionization, but the efficiency with which these photons escape their host galaxies remains uncertain. Absorption by the neutral intergalactic medium progressively suppresses direct LyC detections above redshift $z\sim3$, forcing astronomers to rely on indirect diagnostics of LyC escape calibrated at low redshift. Low-resolution ultraviolet observations of high-redshift analogs obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have been critical for developing these diagnostics. These studies suggest that stellar feedback plays a central role in regulating LyC escape, although the role of galactic winds and the underlying physical mechanisms remain poorly constrained. High-resolution spectroscopy blueward of 160.0 nm (rest-frame) is required to resolve the kinematic structure of the winds and reveal the physics governing LyC escape. Such observations are currently only possible with HST and represent a major science driver for the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Extending the lifetime of HST and prioritizing ultraviolet observations are essential for interpreting current JWST studies of the early Universe and important preparatory science for HWO.
title Extending Hubble into the 2030s to Resolve the Physics of LyC Escape
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.30035