The nature of CR7 revealed with MUSE: a young starburst powering extended Lyman-$\alpha$ emission at z=6.6

TL;DR

This study uses deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy to analyze the luminous high-redshift galaxy CR7, revealing it is powered by a young starburst with extended Lyman-alpha emission, challenging the idea of an extreme ionising source.

Contribution

First detailed integral field spectroscopy of CR7 showing its Ly$eta$ halo and starburst-driven emission, clarifying its nature at z=6.6.

Findings

CR7's Ly$eta$ halo has a typical LAE scale length.

Ly$eta$ emission is mainly from the brightest UV component.

High Ly$eta$ equivalent width suggests star formation, not AGN activity.

Abstract

CR7 is among the most luminous Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) known at $z = 6.6$ and consists of at least three UV components that are surrounded by Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$) emission. Previous studies have suggested that it may host an extreme ionising source. Here, we present deep integral field spectroscopy of CR7 with VLT/MUSE. We measure extended emission with a similar halo scale length as typical LAEs at $z\approx5$. CR7's Ly$\alpha$ halo is clearly elongated along the direction connecting the multiple components, likely tracing the underlying gas distribution. The Ly$\alpha$ emission originates almost exclusively from the brightest UV component, but we also identify a faint kinematically distinct Ly$\alpha$ emitting region nearby a fainter component. Combined with new near-infrared data, the MUSE data show that the rest-frame Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width (EW) is $\approx100$ {\AA}. This is a factor four higher than the EW measured in low-redshift analogues with carefully matched Ly$\alpha$ profiles (and thus arguably HI column density), but this EW can plausibly be explained by star formation. Alternative scenarios requiring AGN powering are also disfavoured by the narrower and steeper Ly$\alpha$ spectrum and much smaller IR to UV ratio compared to obscured AGN in other Ly$\alpha$ blobs. CR7's Ly$\alpha$ emission, while extremely luminous, resembles the emission in more common LAEs at lower redshifts very well and is likely powered by a young metal poor starburst.