What question did this study set out to answer?

Quantify the contribution of nebular emission lines to broadband light in galaxies at redshift z > 3 and evaluate its impact on inferred stellar masses and specific star formation rate evolution.

January 17, 2013The Astrophysical JournalOpen Access

KECK SPECTROSCOPY OF 3 <z< 7 FAINT LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES: THE IMPORTANCE OF NEBULAR EMISSION IN UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC STAR FORMATION RATE AND STELLAR MASS DENSITY

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Observational study reveals significant nebular emission contamination in high-redshift galaxies, indicating that specific star formation rates evolve faster than previously measured.

Key Points

Quantify the contribution of nebular emission lines to broadband light in galaxies at redshift z > 3 and evaluate its impact on inferred stellar masses and specific star formation rate evolution.
Analyzed spectral energy distributions of 92 spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at 3.8 < z < 5.0 where Hα falls into the Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 μm filter.
Compared flux measurements against a control sample of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at 3.1 < z < 3.6 without filter contamination using stellar population synthesis models.
Detected a systematic 3.6 μm flux excess corresponding to a mean rest-frame Hα equivalent width of 270 Å at 3.8 < z < 5.0, demonstrating that nebular emission contributes at least 30% of the broadband flux.
Correcting stellar mass densities for nebular contamination demonstrated up to a 5-fold increase in specific star formation rate between z ≃ 2 and z ≃ 7, reconciling observations with theoretical models.

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A 2013 study studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7d507e7e95cc97f61cc3b3 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/763/2/129

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Implication

Observational study reveals significant nebular emission contamination in high-redshift galaxies, indicating that specific star formation rates evolve faster than previously measured.

KECK SPECTROSCOPY OF 3 <z< 7 FAINT LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES: THE IMPORTANCE OF NEBULAR EMISSION IN UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC STAR FORMATION RATE AND STELLAR MASS DENSITY

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Cite This Study

KECK SPECTROSCOPY OF 3 <z< 7 FAINT LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES: THE IMPORTANCE OF NEBULAR EMISSION IN UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC STAR FORMATION RATE AND STELLAR MASS DENSITY

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