observing run: The Lyman-alpha haloes of sub-mm galaxies: exploring superwinds and feedback at z=3

• Applicant: Dr. Joris Gerssen
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2006 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 27398542

The large-scale Ly-alpha emission line nebulae around massive galaxies at z = 3 can reveal much about the formation of such galaxies. We have successfully used SAURON to map the morphology and kinematics of this emission in two sub-mm galaxies (LAB-1 & 2) in the SSA22 protocluster at z = 3:094, searching for evidence of violent superwind outflows- a vital ingredient in galaxy formation theories. In LAB-2 we discovered the spectacular aftermath of a several-108 yr-old outflow in the form of a 100 kpc-scale shell of absorbing HI (Wilman, Gerssen et al. 2005, Nature); a smaller-scale cavity in the Ly-alpha emission in LAB-1 suggests a less-evolved outflow. The observations aim to finish a 05A programme to probe the evolution of such outflows and the impact upon them of AGN-driven jets, via SAURON observations of a further sub-mm galaxy and two high-z radio galaxies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants