SILVERRUSH. XI. Intensity Mapping for Lya Emission Extending over $100-1000$ comoving kpc around $z\sim2-7$ LAEs with Subaru HSC-SSP and CHORUS Data

TL;DR

This study uses deep, wide-area Subaru HSC-SSP data to detect and analyze diffuse Lyα emission extending over 100-1000 kpc around LAEs at redshifts 2-7, revealing insights into the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium.

Contribution

First intensity mapping analysis of extended Lyα emission around LAEs across multiple redshifts using Subaru HSC-SSP data, revealing redshift evolution and powering mechanisms.

Findings

Diffuse Lyα emission detected at 4.1σ around z=3.3 LAEs

Intrinsic surface brightness increases with redshift after correction

Extended emission likely powered by resonant scattering in CGM and IGM

Abstract

We conduct intensity mapping to probe for extended diffuse Ly$\alpha$ emission around Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at $z\sim2-7$, exploiting very deep ($\sim26$ mag at $5\sigma$) and large-area ($\sim4.5$ deg$^2$) Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam narrow-band (NB) images and large LAE catalogs consisting of a total of 1781 LAEs at $z=2.2$, $3.3$, $5.7$, and $6.6$ obtained by the HSC-SSP SILVERRUSH and CHORUS projects. We calculate the spatial correlations of these LAEs with $\sim1-2$ billion pixel flux values of the NB images, deriving the average Ly$\alpha$ surface brightness (${\rm SB_{Ly\alpha}}$) radial profiles around the LAEs. By carefully estimating systematics such as fluctuations of sky background and point spread functions, we detect diffuse Ly$\alpha$ emission ($\sim10^{-20}-10^{-19}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ arcsec$^{-2}$) at $100-1000$ comoving kpc around $z=3.3$ LAEs at the $4.1\sigma$ level and tentatively ($\sim2\sigma$) at the other redshifts, beyond the virial radius of a dark-matter halo with a mass of $10^{11}\ M_\odot$. While the observed ${\rm SB_{Ly\alpha}}$ profiles have similar amplitudes at $z=2.2-6.6$ within the uncertainties, the intrinsic ${\rm SB_{Ly\alpha}}$ profiles (corrected for the cosmological dimming effect) increase toward high redshifts. This trend may be explained by increasing hydrogen gas density due to the evolution of the cosmic volume. Comparisons with theoretical models suggest that extended Ly$\alpha$ emission around a LAE is powered by resonantly scattered Ly$\alpha$ photons in the CGM and IGM that originates from the inner part of the LAE, and/or neighboring galaxies around the LAE.