From Nuclear to Circumgalactic: Zooming in on AGN-driven Outflows at z similar to 2.2 with SINFONI

Date

2020

Authors

Davies, Rebecca
Forster Schreiber, Natasha
Lutz, Dieter
Genzel, R
Belli, Sirio
Shimizu, T
Contursi, A
Davies, Richard I
Herrera-Camus, Rodrigo
Lee, M

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

IOP Publishing

Abstract

We use deep adaptive optics assisted integral field spectroscopy from SINFONI on the VLT to study the spatially resolved properties of ionized gas outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in three galaxies at z ~ 2.2-K20-ID5, COS4-11337, and J0901 + 1814. These systems probe AGN feedback from nuclear to circumgalactic scales and provide unique insights into the different mechanisms by which AGN-driven outflows interact with their host galaxies. K20-ID5 and COS4-11337 are compact star-forming galaxies with powerful ~1500 km s−1 AGN-driven outflows that dominate their nuclear Hα emission. The outflows do not appear to have any impact on the instantaneous star formation activity of the host galaxies, but they carry a significant amount of kinetic energy that could heat the halo gas and potentially lead to a reduction in the rate of cold gas accretion onto the galaxies. The outflow from COS4-11337 is propagating directly toward its companion galaxy COS4-11363, at a projected separation of 5.4 kpc. COS4-11363 shows signs of shock excitation and recent truncation of star formation activity, which could plausibly have been induced by the outflow from COS4-11337. J0901 + 1814 is gravitationally lensed, giving us a unique view of a compact (R = 470 +- 70 pc), relatively low-velocity (~650 km s−1) AGN-driven outflow. J0901 + 1814 has a similar AGN luminosity to COS4-11337, suggesting that the difference in outflow properties is not related to the current AGN luminosity and may instead reflect a difference in the evolutionary stage of the outflow and/or the coupling efficiency between the AGN ionizing radiation field and the gas in the nuclear regions.

Description

Keywords

High-redshift galaxies, Galaxy evolution, Galaxy kinematics

Citation

Source

The Astrophysical Journal

Type

Journal article

Book Title

Entity type

Access Statement

Open Access

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Restricted until

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