Absorption-selected galaxies trace the low-mass, late-type, star-forming population at z ∼ 2–3

Author:

Rhodin N H P1ORCID,Krogager J-K2ORCID,Christensen L1ORCID,Valentino F3ORCID,Heintz K E34ORCID,Møller P56ORCID,Zafar T7ORCID,Fynbo J P U3ORCID

Affiliation:

1. DARK, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

2. Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS-UPMC, UMR7095, 98bis bd Arago, F-75014 Paris, France

3. Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

4. Centre for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland

5. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzchildstrasse 2, D-85748 Garching bei München, Germany

6. Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

7. Australian Astronomical Optics, Macquarie University, 105 Delhi Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT We report on the stellar content, half-light radii and star formation rates of a sample of 10 known high-redshift (z ≳ 2) galaxies selected on strong neutral hydrogen (H i) absorption ($\log ({\rm N_{H\, \rm {I}}\: /\: cm}^{-2})\,\gt\, 19$) towards background quasars. We use observations from the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 in three broad-band filters to study the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the galaxies. Using careful quasar point spread function subtraction, we study their galactic environments, and perform the first systematic morphological characterization of such absorption-selected galaxies at high redshifts. Our analysis reveals complex, irregular hosts with multiple star-forming clumps. At a spatial sampling of 0.067 arcsec per pixel (corresponding to 0.55 kpc at the median redshift of our sample), 40 per cent of our sample requires multiple Sérsic components for an accurate modelling of the observed light distributions. Placed on the mass–size relation and the ‘main sequence’ of star-forming galaxies, we find that absorption-selected galaxies at high redshift extend known relations determined from deep luminosity-selected surveys to an order of magnitude lower stellar mass, with objects primarily composed of star-forming, late-type galaxies. We measure half-light radii in the range r1/2 ∼ 0.4 to 2.6 kpc based on the reddest band (F160W) to trace the oldest stellar populations, and stellar masses in the range log (M⋆/M⊙) ∼ 8 to 10 derived from fits to the broad-band SED. Spectroscopic and SED-based star formation rates are broadly consistent, and lie in the range $\log (\mathrm{SFR}/{\rm M}_{\odot }\, {\rm yr}^{-1}) \sim 0.0$ to 1.7.

Funder

Independent Research Fund Denmark

Danish National Research Foundation

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics

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