Extremely Large Telescope

Abstract:

We present two-dimensional gas-kinematic maps of the central region in Centauras A. The adaptive optics (AO) assisted SINFONI data from the VLT have aresolutionof 0.12″ in K band. The ionized gas species (Brγ, [Fe II], [Si VI]) show a rotational partern that is increasingly overlaid by nonrotational motion for higher excitation lines in the direction of Cen A's radio jet. The emission lines of molecular hydrogen (H2) show regular rotation and no distortion due to the jet. The molecular gas seems to be well settled in the gravitational potential of the stars and the central supermassive black hole, and we thus use it as a tracer to model the mass in the central ± 1.5Prime;. These are the first AO integral-field observations on the nucleus of Cen A, enabling us to study the regularity of the rotation around the black hole, well inside the radius of influence, and to determine the inclination angle of the gas disk in a robust way. The gas kinematics are best modeled through a tilted-ring model that describes the warped gas disk; its mean inclination angle is ∼34° and the mean position angle of the major axis is ∼155°. The best-fit black hole mass is MBH = (4.5 -1.0-1.7) 7times; 107 M⊙ (3 σ error), based on a kinematically hot disk model where the velocity dispersion is included through the Jeans equation. This black hole mass estimate is somewhat lower than, but consistent with, the mass values previously derived from ionized gas kinematics. It is also consistent with the stellar dynamical measurement from the same AO observations, which we present in a separate paper. It brings Cen A into agreement with the MBH-σ relation. © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

We present the first comparison of the dynamical properties of different samples of z ∼ 1.4-3.4 star-forming galaxies from spatially resolved imaging spectroscopy from SINFONI/VLT integral field spectroscopy and IRAM CO millimeter interferometry. Our samples include 16 rest-frame UV-selected, 16 rest-frame optically selected, and 13 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). We find that rest-frame UV and optically bright (K < 20) z ∼ 2 star forming galaxies are dynamically similar, and follow the same velocity-size relation as disk galaxies at z ∼ 0. In the theoretical framework of rotating disks forming from dissipative collapse in dark matter halos, the two samples require a spin parameter 〈λ〉 ranging from 0.06 to 0.2. In contrast, bright SMGs (S850 μm ≥ 5 mJy) have larger velocity widths and are much more compact. Hence, SMGs have lower angular momenta and higher matter densities than either the UV or optically selected populations. This indicates that dissipative major mergers may dominate the SMGs population, resulting in early spheroids, and that a significant fraction of the UV/optically bright galaxies have evolved less violently, either in a series of minor mergers, or in rapid dissipative collapse from the halo, given that either process may leads to the formation of early disks. These early disks may later evolve into spheroids via disk instabilities or mergers. Because of their small sizes and large densities, SMGs lie at the high surface density end of a universal (out to z = 2.5) "SchmidtKennicutt" relation between gas surface density and star formation rate surface density. The best-fit relation suggests that the star formation rate per unit area scales as the surface gas density to a power of ∼ 1.7, and that the star formation efficiency increases by a factor of 4 between non-starbursts and strong starbursts. © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

We present a differential wavefront sampling method for the efficient alignment of centred optical systems. Using the inter-element effects reported in our previous study, this method generates a linear symmetric matrix that relates the optical wavefront to misalignments within the system. The solution vector of this matrix equation provides a unique description of decentre and tilt misalignments of the system. We give a comparison of this approach to the existing method in the first case study and then illustrate characteristics of the new approach using the subsequent four case studies and Monte-Carlo alignment simulations. The results reveal superiority of the method over the existing one in misalignment estimation accuracy and demonstrate the practical feasibility and robustness. © 2007 Optical Society of America.

Abstract:

Stellar kinematics show no evidence of hidden mass concentrations at the centre of M83. We show the clearest evidence yet of an age gradient along the starburst arc and interpret the arc to have formed from orbital motion away from a starforming region in the dust lane.