Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie
STEPHEN PHILLIPS hostreviews.co.uk / UNSPLASH

Spatially mapping the metal-enriched absorbing CGM of a massive galaxy at z~4.5

Wuji Wang , ARI

High-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs) are hosted by some of the most massive galaxies known at any redshift and are unique markers of concomitant powerful active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity and extreme starbursts. Their energetic radio jets, high star formation rates and black hole accretion rates place them amongst the most active sources at and near Cosmic Noon. Their extended gaseous environments of HzRGs are disturbed by outflows and inflows and show signs of significant jet-gas interactions making them unique objects in which quasar-mode feedback, radio-mode feedback and the host galaxies can be studied simultaneously. I will present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral field unit spectroscopic observations of the 70 kpc x 30 kpc Lyman-alpha halo around a massive (10^11.8 M_sun) z = 4.5 radio galaxy. I will present our detailed spatially resolved spectral analysis of the complex Lyman-alpha profile in which we identify and measure the signatures (kinematics and column densities) of eight neutral gas absorbing systems at -3500 < v < 0 km/s. The strongest absorber at v ~0 km/s has a high covering fraction being detected across the extent of the Lyman-alpha halo, a significant column density gradient along the south to north direction and a velocity gradient along the radio jet axis. The absorber is also observed in in CIV and NV absorption, and very likely represents an outflowing metal-enriched shell driven by a previous AGN or star formation episode within the galaxy and is now caught up by the radio jet leading to jet-gas interactions. These observations provide evidence that feedback from AGN in some of the most massive galaxies the early Universe may take an important part in re-distributing material and metals in their environments. This work is part of larger sample of similarly massive, high-z radio galaxies and I will present the future plans for this unique sample of massive high-z galaxies hosting powerful AGN. JWST will be transformative for these galaxies as it will allow a detailed investigation on how radio- and quasar-mode feedback work together in the early Universe.

ARI Institute Colloquium
24 Jun 2021, 11:15
ARI, Moenchhofstrasse 12-14, Seminarraum 1, 1.OG

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