Reconstructing the Observed Ionizing Photon Production Efficiency at Z ~2 Using Stellar Population Models
Date
2020
Authors
Nanayakkara, Themiya
Brinchmann, Jarle
Glazebrook, Karl
Bouwens, Rychard John
Kewley, Lisa
Tran, Kim-Vy
Cowley, Michael
Fisher, Deanne B
Kacprzak, Glenn
Labbe, Ivo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Abstract
The ionizing photon production efficiency, ξion, is a critical parameter that provides a number of physical constraints to the nature of the early Universe, including the contribution of galaxies to the timely completion of the reionization of the Universe. Here we use KECK/MOSFIRE and ZFOURGE multi-band photometric data to explore the ξion of a population of galaxies at z∼2 with log10(M∗/M⊙)∼9.0−11.5. Our 130 \Halpha\ detections show a median log10(ξion[Hz/erg]) of 24.8±0.5 when dust corrected using a Calzetti et al. (2000) dust prescription. Our values are typical of mass/magnitude selected ξion values observed in the z∼2 Universe. Using BPASSv2.2.1 and Starburst99 stellar population models with simple parametric star-formation-histories (SFH), we find that even with models that account for effects of stellar evolution with binaries/stellar rotation, model galaxies at log10(ξion[Hz/erg])≲25.0 have low Hα equivalent widths (EW) and redder colors compared to our z∼2 observed sample. We find that introducing star-bursts to the SFHs resolve the tension with the models, however, due to the rapid time evolution of ξion, Hα EWs, and rest-frame optical colors, our Monte Carlo simulations of star-bursts show that random distribution of star-bursts in evolutionary time of galaxies are unlikely to explain the observed distribution. Thus, either our observed sample is specially selected based on their past SFH or stellar models require additional mechanisms to reproduce the observed high UV luminosity of galaxies for a given production rate of hydrogen ionizing photons
Description
Keywords
Citation
Collections
Source
The Astrophysical Journal
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access
License Rights
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description