Radio Galaxy 3C 230 Observed with Gemini Laser-Adaptive-Optics Integral-Field Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses advanced adaptive optics and integral-field spectroscopy to analyze the morphology and gas kinematics of a high-redshift radio galaxy, revealing bipolar outflows and turbulent lobes associated with AGN activity.

Contribution

First high-resolution integral-field spectroscopic observations of a high-redshift radio galaxy using laser adaptive optics, providing detailed insights into its outflows and gas dynamics.

Findings

Detected bipolar outflows spanning ~16 kpc with velocities around 235 km/s.

Resolved structures down to 0.8 kpc, correlating with optical and radio images.

Estimated gas ejection rates comparable to star formation, affecting galaxy evolution.

Abstract

The Altair laser-guide-star adaptive optics facility combined with the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS) on Gemini North have been employed to study the morphology and kinematics of 3C 230 at z=1.5, the first such observations of a high-redshift radio galaxy. These suggest a bi-polar outflow spanning 0"9 (~16 kpc projected distance for a standard lambda-CDM cosmology) reaching a mean relative velocity of 235 km/s in redshifted H-alpha + [NII] and [SII] emission. Structure is resolved to 0"1 (0.8 kpc), well correlated with optical images from the Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Array radio maps obtained at similar spatial resolution. Line diagnostics suggest that over the 10^7 yr to 10^8 yr duration of its AGN activity, gas has been ejected into bright turbulent lobes at rates comparable to star formation, although constituting perhaps only 1 percent of the baryonic mass in the galaxy.