No strong dependence of Lyman continuum leakage on physical properties of star-forming galaxies at $3.1\lesssim \mathbf{z}\lesssim 3.5$

Abstract

We present Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation escape fraction $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ measurements for 183 spectroscopically confirmed star-forming galaxies in the redshift range $3.11<z<3.53$ in the \textit{Chandra} Deep Field South. We use ground-based imaging to measure $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$, and use ground- and space-based photometry to derive galaxy physical properties using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We additionally derive [O III]+H$\beta$ equivalent widths (that fall in the observed K band) by including nebular emission in the SED fitting. After removing foreground contaminants, we report the discovery of 11 new candidate LyC leakers, with absolute LyC escape fractions, $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ in the range $0.14-0.85$. From non-detections, we place $1\sigma$ upper limits of $f_{\mathrm{esc}}<0.12$, where the Lyman-break selected galaxies have $f_{\mathrm{esc}}<0.11$ and `blindly' discovered galaxies with no prior photometric selection have $f_{\mathrm{esc}}<0.13$. We find a slightly higher $1\sigma$ limit of $f_{\mathrm{esc}}<0.20$ for extreme emission line galaxies with rest-frame [O III]+H$\beta$ equivalent widths $>300$A. For candidate LyC leakers, we find a weak negative correlation between $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ and galaxy stellar masses, no correlation between $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) and a positive correlation between $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ and EW${}_0$([O III]+H$\beta$). The weak/no correlations between stellar mass and sSFRs may be explained by misaligned viewing angles and/or non-coincident timescales of starburst activity and periods of high $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$. Alternatively, escaping radiation may predominantly occur in highly localised star-forming regions, or $f_{\mathrm{esc}}$ measurements may be impacted by stochasticity of the intervening neutral medium, obscuring any global trends with galaxy properties. These hypotheses have important consequences for models of reionisation.

19 pages, 11 figures, 1 appendix, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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