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Title

The WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey: high-resolution kinematics of luminous star-forming galaxies

Author(s)

Wisnioski, Emily;  Glazebrook, Karl;  Blake, Chris;  Wyder, Ted;  Martin, Chris;  Poole, Gregory B.;  Sharp, Rob;  Couch, Warrick;  Kacprzak, Glenn G.;  Brough, Sarah;  Colless, Matthew;  Contreras, Carlos;  Croom, Scott;  Croton, Darren;  Davis, Tamara M.;  Drinkwater, Michael J.;  Forster, Karl;  Gilbank, David G.;  Gladders, Michael;  Jelliffe, Ben;  Jurek, Russell J.;  Li, I-hui;  Madore, Barry;  Pimbblet, Kevin;  Pracy, Michael;  Woods, David;  Yee, H. K. C.

Abstract

We report evidence of ordered orbital motion in luminous star-forming galaxies at z∼ 1.3. We present integral field spectroscopy (IFS) observations, performed with the OH Suppressing InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS) system, assisted by laser guide star adaptive optics on the Keck telescope, of 13 star-forming galaxies selected from the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. Selected via ultraviolet and [O ii] emission, the large volume of the WiggleZ survey allows the selection of sources which have comparable intrinsic luminosity and stellar mass to IFS samples at z > 2. Multiple 1–2 kpc size subcomponents of emission, or 'clumps', are detected within the Hα spatial emission which extends over 6–10 kpc in four galaxies, resolved compact emission (r < 3 kpc) is detected in five galaxies and extended regions of Hα emission are observed in the remaining four galaxies. We discuss these data in the context of different snapshots in a merger sequence and/or the evolutionary stages of coalescence of star-forming regions in an unstable disc. We find evidence of ordered orbital motion in galaxies as expected from disc models and the highest values of velocity dispersion (σ > 100 km s−1) in the most compact sources. This unique data set reveals that the most luminous star-forming galaxies at z > 1 are gaseous unstable discs indicating that a different mode of star formation could be feeding gas to galaxies at z > 1, and lending support to theories of cold dense gas flows from the intergalactic medium.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies. Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing

Source

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 417, no. 4 (Nov 2011), pp. 2601-2623

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences

Keyword(s)

Galaxy dynamics;  Galaxy evolution;  Galaxy formation;  Galaxy kinematics;  High-redshift

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing

ISSN

0035-8711

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19429.x

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation copyright © 2011 Royal Astronomical Society. The accepted manuscript is reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. The definitive publication is available at www.interscience.wiley.com

Research Projects

The last 8 billion years of cosmic evolution, Australian Research Council grant number DP0772084
The formation and structure of distant galaxies, Australian Research Council grant number LX0881951
The Australian virtual observatory, Australian Research Council grant number LE0668442

Full text

Peer reviewed