Keck Lyman continuum spectroscopic survey (KLCS)

We measure the ratio of ionizing to non-ionizing UV flux density <f_900_/f_1500_>_obs_, where f_900_ is the mean flux density evaluated over the range [880,910]{AA}. We quantify the emergent ratio of ionizing to non-ionizing UV flux density by analyzing high signal-to-noise ratio composite spectra formed from subsamples with common observed properties and numbers sufficient to reduce the statistical uncertainty in the modeled IGM+CGM correction to obtain precise values of <f_900_/f_1500_>_out_, including a full-sample average <f_900_/f_1500>_out_=0.057{+/-}0.006.

We show that <f_900_/f_1500_>_out_ increases monotonically with W_{lambda}_(Ly{alpha}), inducing an inverse correlation with UV luminosity as a by-product. We fit the composite spectra using stellar spectral synthesis together with models of the ISM in which a fraction f_c_ of the stellar continuum is covered by gas with column density N_HI_. We show that the composite spectra simultaneously constrain the intrinsic properties of the stars (L_900_/L_1500_)_int_ along with f_c_, N_HI_, E(B-V), and f_esc,abs_, the absolute escape fraction of ionizing photons.