The Structure and Kinematics of the Circum-Galactic Medium from Far-UV Spectra of z~2-3 Galaxies
Mar, 2010Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
We present new results on the kinematics and spatial distribution of metal-enriched gas within 125 kpc (physical) of Lyman Break galaxies at redshifts z~2-3. In particular, we demonstrate how rest-UV galaxy spectra can be used to obtain key spatial and spectral information more efficiently than possible with QSO sightlines. After recalibrating the measurement of galaxy systemic redshifts from their UV spectra, we investigate the kinematics of galaxy-scale outflows via the strong interstellar (IS) absorption and Lya emission lines (when present), as well as their dependence on other physical properties of the galaxies. We construct a sample of 512 close (1-15 arcsec) angular pairs of z~2-3 LBGs in which the spectra background galaxies probe the circumgalactic gas surrrounding those in the foreground. The close pairs, together with spectra of the foreground galaxies themselves, sample galactocentric impact parameters b=0-125 kpc (physical) at Note:
- To appear in ApJ; minor revisions to match journal version; added 1 figure, several references, and a subsection discussing the inferred rate of gas outflow into the IGM
References(104)
Figures(25)