Science with an ngVLA: How Do Cold Gas Outflows Shape Galaxies?

TL;DR

The ngVLA will enable unprecedented observations of cold gas outflows in galaxies, advancing understanding of their origins, impact on galaxy evolution, and their connection to other phenomena.

Contribution

This paper outlines the capabilities of the ngVLA to study cold galactic outflows and their role in galaxy evolution, highlighting its complementarity with other observatories.

Findings

ngVLA will measure mass-loss rates of cold outflows

It will clarify the conditions triggering cold winds

The study will connect outflows with black hole activity

Abstract

The ngVLA will obtain breakthrough observations of the cold phases (molecular and atomic) of galactic outflows. These observations will be key to study the driving mechanisms of cold winds, the fate of the gas, the mass-loss rates, the conditions that trigger cold outflows, the fraction of gas that escapes galaxies, the effects of winds on suppressing star formation and slowing black hole growth, the statistical properties of outflows, and the relation between large scale outflows and UFOs and BAL outflows. Finally, we highlight the ngVLA complementarity with existing and planned facilities, such as ALMA/SKA, OST/SPICA, and Lynx/ATHENA.