The KBSS-KCWI Survey

The Keck Baryonic Structure Survey using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager

Lyα emission is a powerful tool for investigating ionizing photon escape and star formation activity in early galaxies. Using a combination of spectroscopic and photometric data, the KBSS-KCWI survey explore how Lyα velocity profiles, equivalent widths, etc. correlate with ionizing escape fractions and other important properties for early galaxies. These efforts aim to refine models of reionization and improve the accuracy of metallicity diagnostics across cosmic time.

A typical KBSS-KCWI pointing. The entire KBSS-KCWI survey contains 42 independent pointings like this. The central colored image is contructed from the 3D integral field data cube. A spectrum can be extracted for each light source in the cube.
Zoom in onto the Lyα halo of a single galaxy, Q1549-BX102. The spatial (X and Y) and the spectral profiles are shaped by complex radiative transfer effects that need to be fully understood.

The KBSS-KCWI survey has obtained the largest and deepest integral field units data on \(>120\) star-forming galaxies at \(z = 2-3\). The complete dataset has a limiting surface brightness of \(10^{-20} erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2\\), and covers a variety of star-forming galaxies.

A (hopefully) complete list of publications are shown below.

References

2024

  1. KBSS-InCLOSE. I. Design and First Results from the Inner Circumgalactic Medium of QSO Line-of-sight Emitting Galaxies at z \ensuremath∼ 2–3
    Evan Haze Nuñez, Charles C. Steidel, Evan N. Kirby, and 10 more authors
    \apj, Nov 2024
    DOI
  2. Gas Accretion Traced by Blue-Dominated Ly\ensuremathα Emission and Redshifted UV Absorption Lines in Protocluster Galaxies at z = 2.3 from the KBSS-KCWI Survey
    Claire Bolda, Zhihui Li, Dawn K. Erb, and 2 more authors
    arXiv e-prints, Aug 2024
    DOI

2023

  1. The Circumgalactic Medium of Extreme Emission Line Galaxies at z 2: Resolved Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer Modeling of Spatially Extended Ly\ensuremathα Emission in the KBSS-KCWI Survey
    Dawn K. Erb, Zhihui Li, Charles C. Steidel, and 5 more authors
    \apj, Aug 2023
    DOI

2022

  1. Where outflows meet inflows: gas kinematics in SSA22 Ly \ensuremathα blob 2 decoded by advanced radiative transfer modelling
    Zhihui Li, Charles C. Steidel, Max Gronke, and 2 more authors
    \mnras, Jul 2022
    DOI

2021

  1. The KBSS-KCWI survey: the connection between extended Ly \ensuremathα haloes and galaxy azimuthal angle at z 2-3
    Yuguang Chen, Charles C. Steidel, Dawn K. Erb, and 9 more authors
    \mnras, Nov 2021
    DOI
  2. Revisiting the gas kinematics in SSA22 Lyman-\ensuremathα Blob 1 with radiative transfer modelling in a multiphase, clumpy medium
    Zhihui Li, Charles C. Steidel, Max Gronke, and 1 more author
    \mnras, Apr 2021
    DOI

2018

  1. The Kinematics of Extended Ly\ensuremathα Emission in a Low-mass, Low-metallicity Galaxy at z = 2.3
    Dawn K. Erb, Charles C. Steidel, and Yuguang Chen
    \apjl, Jul 2018
    DOI