0004-637X_704_1_724.pdf (1.59 MB)
A Physical Model of Lya Emitters
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 21:00 authored by Vithal Tivli, Sangeeta Malhotra, James E Rhoads, Evan Scannapieco, Robert J Thacker, Ilian IlievIlian Iliev, Garrelt MellemaWe present a simple physical model for populating dark matter halos with Lya emitters (LAEs) and predict the properties of LAEs at z 3-7. The central tenet of this model is that the Lya luminosity is proportional to the star formation rate (SFR) which is directly related to the halo mass accretion rate. The only free parameter in our model is then the star formation efficiency (SFE). An efficiency of 2.5% provides the best fit to the Lya luminosity function (LF) at redshift z = 3.1, and we use this SFE to construct Lya LFs at other redshifts. Our model reproduces the Lya LFs, stellar ages, SFR 1-10 M sun yr1, stellar masses ~107to108 M sun, and the clustering properties of LAEs at z 3-7. We find the spatial correlation lengths ro 3-6 h 1 Mpc, in agreement with the observations. Finally, we estimate the field-to-field variation 30% for current volume and flux limited surveys, again consistent with observations. Our results suggest that the star formation, and hence Lya emission in LAEs can be powered by accretion of new material. Relating the accreted mass, rather than the total mass, to the Lya luminosity of LAEs naturally gives rise to their duty cycle.
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Publication status
- Published
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- Published version
Journal
Astrophysical JournalISSN
0004-637XPublisher
Institute of PhysicsExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
704Page range
724 - 732Pages
9.0Department affiliated with
- Physics and Astronomy Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2012-02-06First Open Access (FOA) Date
2016-03-22First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-11-10Usage metrics
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