Fluorescent Lyman α emission from gas near a QSO at redshift 4.28

Paul J. Francis*, Sunsanee McDonnell

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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    Abstract

    We use integral field spectroscopy with the Gemini North Telescope to detect probable fluorescent Lyman α (Lyα) emission from gas lying close to the luminous QSO PSS 2155+1358 at redshift 4.28. The emission is most likely coming not from primordial gas, but from a multiphase, chemically enriched cloud of gas lying about 50 kpc from the QSO. It appears to be associated with a highly ionized associated absorber seen in the QSO spectrum. With the exception of this gas cloud, the environment of the QSO is remarkably free of neutral hydrogen. We also marginally detect Lyα emission from a foreground subdamped Lyα absorption-line system.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1372-1378
    Number of pages7
    JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Volume370
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2006

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