Distinguishing AGN from starbursts as the origin of double peaked Lyman-Alpha Emitters in the reionization era [GA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2012.00014


We discuss the possible origin of the double-peaked profiles recently observed in Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) at the epoch of reionization ($z \gtrsim 6.5$) from obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). Combining the extent of the Lyman-$\alpha$ near-zones estimated from the blue peak velocity offset in these galaxies, with the ionizing emissivity of quasars at $z \gtrsim 6$, we forecast the intrinsic UV and X-ray luminosities of the AGN needed to give rise to their double-peaked profiles. We also estimate the extent of the obscuration of the AGN by comparing their luminosities to those of similar quasar samples at these epochs. Future X-ray and radio observations, as well as those with the ${James \ Webb \ Space \ Telescope}$, will be valuable tools to test the AGN contribution to the intergalactic-scale ionization zones of high-redshift LAEs.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Padmanabhan and A. Loeb
Wed, 2 Dec 20
24/71

Comments: 4 pages, 1 figure