Extremely Large Telescope

Abstract:

The Herschel survey, H-ATLAS, with its large areal coverage, has recently discovered a number of bright, strongly lensed high-z submillimeter galaxies. The strong magnification makes it possible to study molecular species other than CO, which are otherwise difficult to observe in high-z galaxies. Among the lensed galaxies already identified by H-ATLAS, the source J090302.9-014127B (SDP.17b) at z = 2.305 is remarkable because of its excitation conditions and a tentative detection of the H2O 202-111 emission line (Lupu et al. 2010, ApJ, submitted). We report observations of this line in SDP.17b using the IRAM interferometer equipped with its new 277-371 GHz receivers. The H2O line is detected at a redshift of z = 2.3049 ± 0.0006, with a flux of 7.8 ± 0.5 Jy km s-1 and a FWHM of 250 ± 60 km s-1. The new flux is 2.4 times weaker than the previous tentative detection, although both remain marginally consistent within 1.6σ. The intrinsic line luminosity and ratio of H2O(2 02 - 111)/CO(8 - 7) are comparable with those of the nearby starburst/enshrouded-AGN Mrk 231, and the ratio I(H2O)/L FIR is even higher, suggesting that SDP.17b could also host a luminous AGN. The detection of a strong H2O 202 - 1 11 line in SDP.17b implies an efficient excitation mechanism of the water levels that must occur in very dense and warm interstellar gas probably similar to Mrk 231. © 2011 ESO.

Abstract:

We have chosen the name of GYES, one of the mythological giants with one hundred arms, offspring of Gaia and Uranus, for our instrument study of a multifibre spectrograph for the prime focus of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Such an instrument could provide an excellent ground-based complement for the Gaia mission and a northern complement to the HERMES project on the AAT. The CFHT is well known for providing a stable prime focus environment, with a large field of view, which has hosted several imaging instruments, but has never hosted a multifibre spectrograph. Building upon the experience gained at GÉPI with FLAMES-Giraffe and X-Shooter, we are investigating the feasibility of a high multiplex spectrograph (about 500 fibres) over a field of view one degree in diameter. We are investigating an instrument with resolution in the range 15000 to 30000, which should provide accurate chemical abundances for stars down to 16th magnitude and radial velocities, accurate to 1 kms -1 for fainter stars. The study is led by GÉPI-Observatoire de Paris with a contribution from Oxford for the study of the positioner. The financing for the study comes from INSU CSAA and Observatoire de Paris. The conceptual study will be delivered to CFHT for review by October 1st 2010. © EAS, EDP Sciences 2011.

Abstract:

Mass outflows driven by stars and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are a key element in many current models of galaxy evolution. They may produce the observed black-hole-galaxy mass relation and regulate and quench both star formation in the host galaxy and black hole accretion. However, observational evidence of such feedback processes through outflows of the bulk of the star-forming molecular gas is still scarce. Here we report the detection of massive molecular outflows, traced by the hydroxyl molecule (OH), in far-infrared spectra of ULIRGs obtained with Herschel-PACS as part of the SHINING key project. In some of these objects the (terminal) outflow velocities exceed 1000kms-1, and their outflow rates (up to 1200 M yr -1) are several times larger than their star formation rates. We compare the outflow signatures in different types of ULIRGs and in starburst galaxies to address the issue of the energy source (AGN or starburst) of these outflows. We report preliminary evidence that ULIRGs with a higher AGN luminosity (and higher AGN contribution to L IR) have higher terminal velocities and shorter gas depletion timescales. The outflows in the observed ULIRGs are able to expel the cold gas reservoirs from the centers of these objects within 106-108 years. © 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.