A Lyman-alpha blob in the GOODS South field: evidence for cold accretion onto a dark matter halo

Abstract

We report on the discovery of a z = 3.16 Lyman-alpha emitting blob in the GOODS South field. The blob has a total Ly-alpha luminosity of ~ 10^(43) erg s^(-1) and a diameter larger than 60 kpc. The available multi-wavelength data in the GOODS field consists of 13 bands from X-rays (Chandra) to infrared (Spitzer). Unlike other discovered Ly-alpha blobs, this blob shows no obvious continuum counter-part in any of the broad-bands. In particular, no optical counter-parts are found in the deep HST/ACS imaging available. For previously published blobs, AGN (Active Galactic Nuclei) or 'superwind' models have been found to provide the best match with the data. We here argue that the most probable origin of the extended Ly-alpha emission from the blob in the GOODS South field is cold accretion onto a dark matter halo.