A Spatially Resolved Map of the Kinematics, Star-Formation and Stellar Mass Assembly in a Star-Forming Galaxy at z=4.9

TL;DR

This study provides a detailed, spatially resolved analysis of a high-redshift galaxy at z=4.9, revealing its kinematics, star formation, and mass assembly processes, including star-forming regions and galactic outflows.

Contribution

It offers the first detailed spatially resolved kinematic and star formation map of a galaxy at z=4.9, combining lensing, imaging, and spectroscopy to understand early galaxy assembly.

Findings

Galaxy has a stellar mass of ~7x10^8 solar masses.

Star formation rate is approximately 42 solar masses per year.

Galactic outflow shows Ly-alpha redshifted and UV-ISM lines blueshifted, indicating a young outflow (~15 Myr).

Abstract

We present a detailed study of the spatially resolved kinematics, star-formation and stellar mass in a highly amplified galaxy at z=4.92 behind the lensing cluster MS1358+62. We use the observed optical, near- and mid-infrared imaging from HST ACS & NICMOS and Spitzer IRAC to derive the stellar mass and the Gemini/NIFS IFU to investigate the velocity structure of the galaxy from the nebular [OII] emission. Using a detailed gravitational lens model, we account for lensing amplification factor 12.+/-2.0 and find that this intrinsically L* galaxy has a stellar mass of M*=7+/-2x10^8Mo, a dynamical mass of Mdyn=3+/-1x10^9csc^2(i)Mo (within of 2kpc) and a star-formation rate of 42+/-8Mo/yr. The source-plane UV/optical morphology of this galaxy is dominated by five discrete star-forming regions. Exploiting the dynamical information we derive masses for individual star-forming regions of Mcl~10^(8-9)Mo with sizes of ~200pc. We find that, at a fixed size, the star-formation rate density within these HII regions is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than those observed in local spiral/starburst galaxies, but consistent with the most massive HII regions in the local Universe such as 30Dor. Finally, we compare the spatially resolved nebular emission line velocity with the Ly-alpha and UV-ISM lines and find that this galaxy is surrounded by a galactic scale outflow in which the Ly-alpha appears redshifted by ~150km/s and the UV-ISM lines blue-shifted by -200km/s from the (systemic) nebular emission. The velocity structure of the outflow mirrors that of the nebular emission suggesting the outflow is young (~15Myr), and has yet to burst out of the system. Taken together, these results suggest that this young galaxy is undergoing its first major epoch of mass assembly.