PMAS Observing Campaign at the Calar Alto 3.5m Telescope: Kinematical feedback as origen of unusual Ly_ profiles in 4 ULIRGs

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Matthias Roth
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2016 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 327656635

The observing program will measure the emission lines of Halpha, Hbeta and [OIII] 5007 in a sample of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). Despite their extreme dust content and column densities, they emit Ly-alpha with peculiar line shapes (compared to P-Cygni). Their Ly-alpha line profiles exhibit strong blueshifted wings, with velocities up to -1000 km/s. Possibly outflowing, shocked gas is responsible for the observed blueshifted wings. With the PMAS observations, we will trace the velocity fields of the ionized gas, the extinction and ionization map. From Halpha, an intrinsic Ly-alpha line will be inferred using radiative transport codes of an expanding gas shell. A comparison with the observation will then allow to locate regions where shocks lead to an enhanced Ly-alpha production.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants