Evidence for Wide-Spread AGN Driven Outflows in the Most Massive z~1-2 Star Forming Galaxies
Abstract
In this paper we follow up on our previous detection of nuclear ionized outflows in the most massive (log(M*/Msun) >= 10.9) z~1-3 star-forming galaxies (Forster Schreiber et al.), by increasing the sample size by a factor of six (to 44 galaxies above log(M*/Msun) >= 10.9) from a combination of the SINS/zC-SINF, LUCI, GNIRS, and KMOS^3D spectroscopic surveys. We find a fairly sharp onset of the incidence of broad nuclear emission (FWHM in the Ha, [NII], and [SII] lines ~ 450-5300 km/s), with large [NII]/Ha ratios, above log(M*/Msun) ~ 10.9, with about two thirds of the galaxies in this mass range exhibiting this component. Broad nuclear components near and above the Schechter mass are similarly prevalent above and below the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, and at z~1 and ~2. The line ratios of the nuclear component are fit by excitation from active galactic nuclei (AGN), or by a combination of shocks and photoionization. The incidence of the most massive galaxies with broad nuclear components is at least as large as that of AGNs identified by X-ray, optical, infrared or radio indicators. The mass loading of the nuclear outflows is near unity. Our findings provide compelling evidence for powerful, high-duty cycle, AGN-driven outflows near the Schechter mass, and acting across the peak of cosmic galaxy formation.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1406.0183,
title = {Evidence for Wide-Spread AGN Driven Outflows in the Most Massive z~1-2 Star Forming Galaxies},
author = {R. Genzel and N. M. Förster Schreiber and D. Rosario and P. Lang and D. Lutz and E. Wisnioski and E. Wuyts and S. Wuyts and K. Bandara and R. Bender and S. Berta and J. Kurk and J. T. Mendel and L. J. Tacconi and D. Wilman and A. Beifiori and G. Brammer and A. Burkert and P. Buschkamp and J. Chan and C. M. Carollo and R. Davies and F. Eisenhauer and M. Fabricius and M. Fossati and M. Kriek and S. Kulkarni and S. J. Lilly and C. Mancini and I. Momcheva and T. Naab and E. J. Nelson and A. Renzini and R. Saglia and R. M. Sharples and A. Sternberg and S. Tacchella and P. van Dokkum},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1406.0183},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal