(Proposal ID) S12A-099

(PI) Wang Yiping

(Proposal Title)
Search for galaxy counterparts of Lyman Limit Systems at z>3

(Abstract)
We propose high resolution narrow-band imaging at near-infrared wavelengths 
with IRCS+LGSAO188 to search for galaxy counterparts of Lyman Limit Systems at 
z>3. Totally, five narrow-band filters available for IRCS camera at 
wavelengths shorter than 2.3um are chosen to search for [OII] and [OIII] 
emissions of galaxies at z>3. The proposed deep imaging survey will be very 
useful not only in understanding the physical nature of the Lyman Limit 
Systems at high-z, and placing tight constraints on cosmological simulations 
with radiation transfer. Most importantly, it would directly give evidences 
and statistics on the prevalence of the alternative galaxy formation mode, 
"cold stream accretion", in the young universe.  With the high spatial 
resolution of LGSAO188 and the high performance of IRCS camera on Subaru 8.2m 
telescope, we hope to carry out a narrow-band deep imaging survey of 8 high-z 
QSO fields, to search for galaxies associated with Lyman Limit Systems at z>3, 
in order to construct a small sample at first.