A faint M <sub>UV</sub>  = −14.5 Lyman-continuum leaker candidate in the epoch of reionization: Unprecedented Ly <i>α</i> properties at z = 5.725

We report the unprecedented Ly α properties of AMORE6, an extremely metal-poor (12 + log(O/H) &lt; 6), low-mass ( M ★ = 4.4 × 10 5 M ⊙ ), and ultracompact (effective radius ∼30 pc) dwarf galaxy at z = 5.7253, which is gravitationally lensed by the cluster A2744. A prominent, narrow, and nearly symmetric Ly α emission line is detected at the systemic redshift (the latter traced by H β , from JWST/NIRCam slitless spectroscopy), with a rest-frame equivalent width of 150 ± 10 Å, a full width at half maximum of 58 ± 1 km s −1 , and a slight asymmetry, resulting in a flux excess of ∼10% in the red wing of the line. The negligible velocity offset from systemic (d v = 4 ± 67 km s −1 , 3 σ uncertainty), together with the sharpness and symmetry of the profile, indicates minimum radiative transfer effects, which implies a neutral hydrogen column density consistent with an optically thin medium that in turn is compatible with a nonzero ionizing photon escape fraction. If indirect spectral diagnostics calibrated at z &lt; 4.5 remain the only viable tools for identifying LyC leakers during reionization, then based on its strongest indicator (Ly α ), AMORE6 stands out as one of the most compelling LyC-leaking candidates yet discovered in the epoch of reionization.

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2026-03-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202558660
Primary Topic
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

A faint M UV  = −14.5 Lyman-continuum leaker candidate in the epoch of reionization: Unprecedented Ly α properties at z = 5.725

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
article

A faint M UV  = −14.5 Lyman-continuum leaker candidate in the epoch of reionization: Unprecedented Ly α properties at z = 5.725

article en

Abstract

We report the unprecedented Ly α properties of AMORE6, an extremely metal-poor (12 + log(O/H) &lt; 6), low-mass ( M ★ = 4.4 × 10 5 M ⊙ ), and ultracompact (effective radius ∼30 pc) dwarf galaxy at z = 5.7253, which is gravitationally lensed by the cluster A2744. A prominent, narrow, and nearly symmetric Ly α emission line is detected at the systemic redshift (the latter traced by H β , from JWST/NIRCam slitless spectroscopy), with a rest-frame equivalent width of 150 ± 10 Å, a full width at half maximum of 58 ± 1 km s −1 , and a slight asymmetry, resulting in a flux excess of ∼10% in the red wing of the line. The negligible velocity offset from systemic (d v = 4 ± 67 km s −1 , 3 σ uncertainty), together with the sharpness and symmetry of the profile, indicates minimum radiative transfer effects, which implies a neutral hydrogen column density consistent with an optically thin medium that in turn is compatible with a nonzero ionizing photon escape fraction. If indirect spectral diagnostics calibrated at z &lt; 4.5 remain the only viable tools for identifying LyC leakers during reionization, then based on its strongest indicator (Ly α ), AMORE6 stands out as one of the most compelling LyC-leaking candidates yet discovered in the epoch of reionization.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 708
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (FR), University of Geneva (CH), California Institute of Technology (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), University of California, Los Angeles (US), Lyon College (US), University of Milan (IT), University of Ferrara (IT), Tohoku University (JP), Czech Academy of Sciences, Astronomical Institute (CZ), Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna (IT), Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (US), Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (DE), Schnörringen Telescope Science Institute (DE), Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (US), National Institute for Astrophysics (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
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