Lyman Alpha Blobs and their Filaments

Lyman alpha blobs are extended Lyman alpha emission regions around high redshift, radio-quiet galaxies.  They may be powered by starburst-driven winds, excited by an AGN in the host galaxy or be a signature of a cooling flow.  One cluster containing Lyman alpha blobs at z=2.38 was discovered by Paul Francis and collaborators in 1996, and has been the subject of multi-wavelength research ever since.  I am part of a research group which has published a number of papers and has a range of active observing proposals:
I am part of a research group which has published a number of papers and has a range of active observing proposals:



Selected Refereed Publications

Francis, Paul J.; Woodgate, Bruce E.; Warren, Stephen J.; Moller, Palle; Mazzolini, Margaret; Bunker, Andrew J.; Lowenthal, James D.; Williams, Ted B.; Minezaki, Takeo; Kobayashi, Yukiyasu; Yoshii, Yuzuru 1996, ApJ, 457, 490, "A Group of Galaxies at Redshift 2.38"

Francis, Paul J.; Woodgate, Bruce E.; Danks, Anthony C., 1997, ApJ, 482, 25, "A Group of Red, Ly alpha -emitting, High-Redshift Galaxies"

Francis, Paul J.; Wilson, Greg M.; Woodgate, Bruce E., 2001, PASA, 18, 64, "On the Gas Surrounding High-Redshift Galaxy Clusters"

Francis, Paul J.; Williger, Gerard M.; Collins, Nicholas R.; Palunas, Povilas; Malumuth, Eliot M.; Woodgate, Bruce E.; Teplitz, Harry I.; Smette, Alain; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Danks, Anthony C.;  Hill, Robert S.; Lindler, Donald; Kimble, Randy A.; Heap, Sara R.; Hutchings, John B.  2001, ApJ, 554, 1001, "A Pair of Compact Red Galaxies at Redshift 2.38, Immersed in a 100 Kiloparsec Scale Lyα Nebula"

Palunas, Povilas; Teplitz, Harry I.; Francis, Paul J.; Williger, Gerard M.; Woodgate, Bruce E. 2004, ApJ, 602, 545, "The Distribution of Lyα-Emitting Galaxies at z=2.38"

Francis, Paul J.; Williger, Gerard M. 2004, ApJ, 602, 77, "Low-Metallicity Gas Clouds in a Galaxy Protocluster at Redshift 2.38"

Francis, Paul J.; Palunas, Povilas; Teplitz, Harry I.; Williger, Gerard M.; Woodgate, Bruce E. 2004, ApJ, 614, 75, "The Distribution of Lyα-emitting Galaxies at z=2.38. II. Spectroscopy"

Selected Current Observing Programs

Colbert, J.W., Teplitz, H.I., Palunas, P., Williger, G.M., Woodgate, B.E., Francis, P.J.,  2004, Spitzer Cycle 1 program, 20.6 hours, "Measuring the Mass, SFR and Ages of Galaxies within the z=2.38 Filament"

Francis, P.J. et al. 2004, Gemini-South/GMOS 2004b, 25.5 hours, "What are the Giant Lyman-Alpha Blobs?"

NASA Press Conferences and Releases

Link to Paul Francis' website:
203rd AAS Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 7 Jan 2004

stories from 205th AAS meeting, San Diego, California, USA, 11 Jan 2005
Spitzer Space Telescope official release
ANU release

Media Coverage

space.com
rednova.com
spacedaily.com
universetoday.com
spaceflightnow.com

A book has included an artist's conception of the 50 Mpc+ filament, in the constellation of Grus the Crane, which contains several blobs we have studied and which is on Paul Francis' website from the 203rd AAS Meeting (link above):
Reflections on the Nature of God, c. 2004, ed. Michael Reagan (son of Ronald Reagan), Templeton Foundation Press, ISBN 1-932031-69-3

There is also a chat on the subject:

physicsforums.com