Halo ejection in distant radio galaxies: Jet feedback in massive galaxy formation

We present results from a Keck optical and near IR spectroscopic study of the giant emission line halos of the z>3 High Redshift Radio Galaxies (HiZRGs) 4C 41.17, 4C 60.07 and B2 0902+34. The outer regions of these halos show quiet kinematics with typical velocity dispersions of a few hundred...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dopita, M, Reuland, M, Van Breugel, W, De Vries, W, Stanford, SA, Röttgering, H, Miley, G, Venemans, B, Spinrad, H, Dawson, S, Dey, A, Lacy, M, Stern, D, Bunker, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2007
Description
Summary:We present results from a Keck optical and near IR spectroscopic study of the giant emission line halos of the z>3 High Redshift Radio Galaxies (HiZRGs) 4C 41.17, 4C 60.07 and B2 0902+34. The outer regions of these halos show quiet kinematics with typical velocity dispersions of a few hundred km∈s-1 and velocity shears consistent with rotation. The inner regions contain shocked, clumpy cocoons of gas closely associated with the radio lobes with disturbed kinematics and expansion velocities and/or velocity dispersions >1000 km∈s-1. We also find evidence for the ejection of chemically enriched material in 4C 41.17 up to a distance of 60 kpc along the radio-axis. We infer that these HiZRGs are undergoing a final jet-induced phase of star formation with the ejection of most of their interstellar medium before evolving to become "red and dead" Elliptical galaxies. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.