Direct evidence for Ly$α$ depletion in the protocluster core

Abstract

We have carried out a panoramic Ly$α$ narrowband imaging with Suprime-Cam on Subaru towards the known protocluster USS1558--003 at $z=2.53$. Our previous narrowband imaging at near-infrared has identified multiple dense groups of H$α$ emitters (HAEs) within the protocluster. We have now identified the large-scale structures across a $\sim$50 comoving Mpc scale traced by Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) in which the protocluster traced by the HAEs is embedded. On a smaller scale, however, there are remarkably few LAEs in the regions of HAE overdensities. Moreover, the stacking analyses of the images show that HAEs in higher-density regions show systematically lower escape fractions of Ly$α$ photons than those of HAEs in lower-density regions. These phenomena may be driven by the extra depletion of Ly$α$ emission lines along our line of sight by more intervening cold circumgalactic/intergalactic medium and/or dust existing in the dense core. We also caution that all the past high-$z$ protocluster surveys using LAEs as the tracers would have largely missed galaxies in the very dense cores of the protoclusters where we would expect to see any early environmental effects.

6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter