paper

Spectral Evidence for Widespread Galaxy Outflows at z>4

arXiv:astro-ph/0112095 · doi:10.1086/338965

Abstract

We present discovery spectra of a sample of eight lensed galaxies at high redshift, 3.7<z<5.2, selected by their red colors in the fields of four massive clusters: A1689, A2219, A2390, and AC114. Metal absorption lines are detected and observed to be blueshifted by 300-800 km/s with respect to the centroid of Ly-alpha emission. A correlation is found between this blueshift and the equivalent width of the metal lines, which we interpret as a broadening of saturated absorption lines caused by a dispersion in the outflow velocity of interstellar gas. Local starburst galaxies show similar behavior, associated with obvious gas outflows. We also find a trend of increasing equivalent width of Ly-alpha emission with redshift, which may be a genuine evolutionary effect towards younger stellar populations at high redshift with less developed stellar continua. No obvious emission is detected below the Lyman limit in any of our spectra, nor in deep U or B-band images. The UV continua are reproduced well by early B-stars, although some dust absorption would allow a fit to hotter stars. After correcting for the lensing, we derive small physical sizes for our objects, ~0.5-5 kpc/h for a flat cosmology with Omega_m=0.3, Omega_Lambda=0.7. The lensed images are only marginally resolved in good seeing despite their close proximity to the critical curve, where large arcs are visible and hence high magnifications of up to ~20x are inferred. Two objects show a clear spatial extension of the Ly-alpha emission relative to the continuum starlight, indicating a ``breakout'' of the gas. The sizes of our galaxies together with their large gas motion suggests that outflows of gas are common at high redshift and associated with galaxy formation.

arXiv comment48 pages, 16 figures, ApJ, in press. Manuscript with full resolution color images available at (http://astro.princeton.edu/~bfrye)

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