Kavli Affiliate: Robert A. Simcoe
| First 5 Authors: , , , ,
| Summary:
We report the discovery of a Lyman $alpha$ emitter (LAE) candidate in the
immediate foreground of the quasar PSO J158-14 at $z_rm QSO=6.0685$ at a
projected distance $sim29 rm pkpc$ that is associated with an extremely
metal-poor absorption system. This system was found in archival observations of
the quasar field with the Very Large Telescope/Multi-Unit Spectroscopic
Explorer (VLT/MUSE) and was previously missed in searches of absorption systems
using quasar absorption line spectroscopy as it imparts no detectable metal
absorption lines on the background quasar spectrum. The detected Ly$alpha$
emission line at a redshift of $z_rm LAE=6.0323$ is well aligned with the
outer edge of the quasar’s proximity zone and can plausibly cause its observed
damping wing if it is associated with a proximate sub-damped Ly$alpha$
absorption system with a column density of $log N_rm HI / rm cm^-2
approx 19.7$. A $>10$ hour medium-resolution spectrum of the quasar observed
with the Magellan/Folded-port InfraRed Echellette (FIRE) and VLT/X-Shooter
spectrographs reveals a metallicity constraint of $rm [Z/H] < -3$. Such low
metallicity makes this system an extremely metal-poor galaxy candidate and
provides an exciting site to study possible signatures of Population III stars.
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