Tracing high-z galaxy kinematics from turbulent disks to quenched spheroids

Wed 12th September, 2018 @12:00 PM, level 7
Dr Emily Wisnioski, ANU

Email:  emily.wisnioski[at]anu.edu.au

Abstract

The depth of the KMOS3D Survey has allowed us to study in unprecedented detail rare galaxies at z>1 that are likely in the process of quenching. The short timescales associated with the quenching process make it difficult to catch galaxies “in the act” of shutting down their star formation. Compact star-forming galaxies, making-up ~7% of our sample, are selected to have properties aligned with already quenched galaxies at the same or lower redshifts but forming stars at rates 2-10x higher. We measure resolved kinematics of ~30 of these galaxies within the KMOS3D survey. Our results – the first resolved spectral data of such objects – show that compact star-forming galaxies are rotationally-dominated systems, providing strong evidence that recently quenched galaxies at these epochs are likely to be “fast rotators” . The majority of compact star-forming galaxies show evidence of low molecular gas fractions from ALMA observations and nuclear activity indicative of secular quenching processes that may retain the rotation observed in the star-forming phase. The KMOS3D survey, an integral field survey of over 600 galaxies at z=0.7-2.7 using KMOS at the VLT, will make their data public this year. In addition to the above science (Wisnioski et al. 2018) I will describe the survey and data products that will soon be available to the Australian community.