Friday, November 13, 2009, Noon, Phillips Auditorium
Kinematics and Geometry of Galactic Winds at z~1
Kate Rubin, UCSC
| Galactic outflows are invoked as the mechanism responsible for the buildup of the red sequence and the global decline in star formation rate between z~1 and today. Measurements of outflow properties in distant galaxies, such as the mass and energy outflow rates, are central to understanding their role in the feedback processes which drive this evolution. However, accurate determinations of these outflow rates require knowledge of both the kinematics and the spatial distribution of the outflow. I will discuss three complementary approaches to investigating galactic winds at z~1. Using absorption line signatures of outflows probed along the line of sight to the host galaxy and toward distant background light sources, we identify strong winds in a large sample of high star formation rate galaxies, and trace the ejected interstellar medium from a single post-starburst galaxy at z~0.5. Using emission line signatures of outflows, we provide a unique view of the geometry and spatial extent of outflowing gas in a starburst galaxy at z~0.7. |
M. Westmoquette (UCL), NASA/ESA