Orientation effects on cool gas absorption from gravitational-arc tomography of a z = 0.77 disc galaxy

TL;DR

This study uses gravitational-arc spectroscopy to examine how the orientation of a galaxy influences MgII absorption in its circumgalactic medium, revealing anisotropic gas distribution and outflows.

Contribution

It demonstrates that galaxy orientation affects MgII absorption properties and supports bipolar outflows as a key factor, using spatially-resolved spectroscopy of a gravitational arc.

Findings

EW decreases with impact parameter D

EW and covering fraction correlate with azimuthal angle alpha

Data favor bipolar outflow models over a simple disc model

Abstract

We use spatially-resolved spectroscopy of a distant giant gravitational arc to test orientation effects on MgII absorption equivalent width (EW) and covering fraction (kappa) in the circumgalactic medium of a foreground star-forming galaxy (G1) at z~0.77. Forty-two spatially-binned arc positions uniformly sample impact parameters (D) to G1 between 10 and 30 kpc and azimuthal angles alpha between 30 and 90 degrees (minor axis). We find an EW-D anti-correlation, akin to that observed statistically in quasar absorber studies, and an apparent correlation of both EW and kappa with alpha, revealing a non-isotropic gas distribution. In line with our previous results on MgII kinematics suggesting the presence of outflows in G1, at minimum a simple 3-D static double-cone model (to represent the trace of bipolar outflows) is required to recreate the EW spatial distribution. The D and alpha values probed by the arc cannot confirm the presence of a disc, but the data highly disfavor a disc alone. Our results support the interpretation that the EW-alpha correlation observed statistically using other extant probes is partly shaped by bipolar metal-rich winds.