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The Lyα and Continuum Origins Survey. III. Investigating the Link between Galaxy Morphology, Merger Properties, and LyC Escape
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Number of Authors: 232026 (English)In: Astrophysical Journal, ISSN 0004-637X, E-ISSN 1538-4357, Vol. 998, no 2, article id 222Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Characterizing the mechanisms and galaxy properties conducive to the escape of ionizing (LyC) emission is necessary to accurately model the Epoch of Reionization and identify the sources that powered it. Using Hubble Space Telescope data, the Ly alpha and Continuum Origins Survey (LaCOS) is the first program to obtain uniform, multiwavelength subkiloparsec imaging for a large sample (42) of galaxies observed in LyC and enable statistically robust studies between LyC and resolved galaxy properties. Here, we characterize the morphology and galaxy merger properties of LaCOS galaxies and investigate their connection with the escape fraction of LyC emission fescLyC . We find strong anticorrelations between fescLyC and size (r20, r50, and r80) measured in filters containing emission from star-forming regions, and with the asymmetry and clumpiness in F150LP, a filter tracing UV continuum and Ly alpha. We find that >= 48% of LaCOS galaxies, and >= 41% of LaCOS LyC-emitters are visually classified as galaxy mergers. Galaxies robustly identified as mergers in LaCOS are at advanced stages of interaction, close to coalescence. The fescLyC properties of robust mergers and low-probability mergers cannot be differentiated statistically, and we only find significant difference between the two populations in terms of their sizes and LyC luminosity: robust mergers having larger values. We conclude that (i) fescLyC tends to be larger in galaxies with a small number of compact, centrally located, UV-emitting star-forming regions, (ii) mergers at advanced stages of interaction represent a sizable fraction of LyC-emitting samples at z similar to 0.3, and (iii) mergers can facilitate the escape of LyC photons from galaxies.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. Vol. 998, no 2, article id 222
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Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology Probability Theory and Statistics
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URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-254909DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae2ad8ISI: 001687115500001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-254909DiVA, id: diva2:2058262
Available from: 2026-05-07 Created: 2026-05-07 Last updated: 2026-05-07Bibliographically approved

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Hayes, Matthew J.Östlin, GöranSaldana-Lopez, AlbertoMelinder, Jens

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Hayes, Matthew J.Östlin, GöranSaldana-Lopez, AlbertoMelinder, Jens
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Department of AstronomyThe Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmo Particle Physics (OKC)
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Astronomy, Astrophysics and CosmologyProbability Theory and Statistics

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