A 30 kpc Spatially Extended Clumpy and Asymmetric Galactic Outflow at z $\sim$ 1.7

TL;DR

This study maps a large, asymmetric, and clumpy galactic outflow at z~1.7, revealing its extensive spatial reach and complex kinematic structure, which informs models of galaxy feedback and evolution.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed spatial mapping of a galactic outflow at this redshift, showing its extent, asymmetry, and multiple shells, advancing understanding of outflow morphology and kinematics.

Findings

Outflow extends up to 30 kpc from the galaxy center.

Mg II emission is patchy and asymmetric, covering 184 kpc$^2$.

Two kinematic components suggest two outflow shells separated by 400 km/s.

Abstract

We image the spatial extent of a cool galactic outflow with fine structure Fe II$^*$ emission and resonant Mg II emission in a gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxy at $z = 1.70347$. The Fe II$^*$ and Mg II (continuum-subtracted) emissions span out to radial distances of $\sim$14.33 kpc and 26.5 kpc, respectively, with maximum spatial extents of $\sim$21 kpc for Fe II$^*$ emission and $\sim$30 kpc for Mg II emission. Mg II residual emission is patchy and covers a total area of $\sim$184 kpc$^2$, constraining the minimum area covered by the outflowing gas to be $\sim$13% of the total area. Mg II emission is asymmetric and shows $\sim$21% more extended emission along the declination direction. We constrain the covering fractions of the Fe II$^*$ and Mg II emission as a function of radial distance and characterize them with a power law model. The Mg II 2803 emission line shows two kinematically distinct emission components, and may correspond to two distinct shells of outflowing gas with a velocity separation of $\Delta v \sim$ 400 km/s. By using multiple images with different magnifications of the galaxy in the image plane, we trace the Fe II$^*$, Mg II emissions around three individual star-forming regions. In all cases, both the Fe II$^*$ and Mg II emissions are more spatially extended compared to the star forming regions traced by the [O II] emission. These findings provide robust constraints on the spatial extent of the outflowing gas, and combined with outflow velocity and column density measurements will give stringent constraints on mass outflow rates of the galaxy.