From rings to bulges: evidence for rapid secular galaxy evolution at z~2 from integral field spectroscopy in the SINS survey

TL;DR

This study uses integral field spectroscopy to investigate the internal structures of z~2 star-forming galaxies, revealing rapid secular evolution driven by gas accretion and turbulence, leading to bulge and disk formation without major mergers.

Contribution

It provides evidence that secular processes can rapidly build bulges and disks in high-redshift galaxies, challenging merger-centric models of galaxy evolution.

Findings

Presence of turbulent rotating disks and bulges at z~2

Rapid secular evolution occurs on <1 Gyr timescales

High turbulence possibly driven by cold accretion flows

Abstract

We present Ha integral field spectroscopy of well resolved, UV/optically selected z~2 star-forming galaxies as part of the SINS survey with SINFONI on the ESO VLT. Our laser guide star adaptive optics and good seeing data show the presence of turbulent rotating star forming rings/disks, plus central bulge/inner disk components, whose mass fractions relative to total dynamical mass appears to scale with [NII]/Ha flux ratio and star formation age. We propose that the buildup of the central disks and bulges of massive galaxies at z~2 can be driven by the early secular evolution of gas-rich proto-disks. High redshift disks exhibit large random motions. This turbulence may in part be stirred up by the release of gravitational energy in the rapid cold accretion flows along the filaments of the cosmic web. As a result dynamical friction and viscous processes proceed on a time scale of <1 Gyr, at least an order of magnitude faster than in z~0 disk galaxies. Early secular evolution thus drives gas and stars into the central regions and can build up exponential disks and massive bulges, even without major mergers. Secular evolution along with increased efficiency of star formation at high surface densities may also help to account for the short time scales of the stellar buildup observed in massive galaxies at z~2.