The Lyman $\alpha$ Reference Sample XIV: Lyman $\alpha$ imaging of 45 low redshift star-forming galaxies and inferences on global emission

TL;DR

This study uses Hubble imaging of 45 low-redshift star-forming galaxies to analyze Ly α emission, its escape fraction, and implications for star formation rate estimates, revealing complex dust effects and radiative transfer influences.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed Ly α imaging of a large low-redshift galaxy sample, analyzing escape fractions, dust effects, and developing a new Ly α-based star formation rate calibration.

Findings

Ly α is less concentrated than FUV and optical emission in most galaxies.

Ly α escape fraction is strongly anti-correlated with nebular and stellar extinction.

A new SFR calibration based on Ly α luminosity and equivalent width is proposed.

Abstract

We present Ly $\alpha$ imaging of 45 low redshift star-forming galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxies have been selected to have moderate to high star formation rates using far-ultraviolet (FUV) luminosity and \ha equivalent width criteria, but no constraints on Ly $\alpha$ luminosity. We employ a pixel stellar continuum fitting code to obtain accurate continuum subtracted Ly $\alpha$, H $\alpha$ and H $\beta$ maps. We find that Ly $\alpha$ is less concentrated than FUV and optical line emission in almost all galaxies with significant Ly $\alpha$ emission. We present global measurements of Ly $\alpha$ and other quantities measured in apertures designed to capture all of the Ly $\alpha$ emission. We then show how the escape fraction of Ly $\alpha$ relates to a number of other measured quantities (mass, metallicity, star formation, ionisation parameter, and extinction). We find that the escape fraction is strongly anti-correlated with nebular and stellar extinction, weakly anti-correlated with stellar mass, but no conclusive evidence for correlations with other quantities. We show that Ly $\alpha$ escape fractions are inconsistent with common dust extinction laws, and discuss how a combination of radiative transfer effects and clumpy dust models can help resolve the discrepancies. We present a star formation rate calibration based on Ly $\alpha$ luminosity, where the equivalent width of Ly $\alpha$ is used to correct for non-unity escape fraction, and show that this relation provides a reasonably accurate SFR estimate. We also show stacked growth curves of Ly $\alpha$ for the galaxies that can be used to find aperture loss fractions at a given physical radius.