MASSIVE MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS AND NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IN ULIRGs OBSERVED BY HERSCHEL-PACS

Journal Article · Fri May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/733/1/L16· OSTI ID:21562665

Sturm, E; Gracia-Carpio, J; Hailey-Dunsheath, S; Contursi, A; Poglitsch, A; Davies, R; Genzel, R; Lutz, D; Tacconi, L; De Jong, J A ^[1]; Gonzalez-Alfonso, E ^[2]; Veilleux, S ^[3]; Fischer, J ^[4]; Sternberg, A ^[5]; Verma, A ^[6]; Maiolino, R ^[7]

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1. Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)
2. Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Alcala de Henares, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain)
3. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)
4. Naval Research Laboratory, Remote Sensing Division, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
5. Tel Aviv University, Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Ramat Aviv 69978 (Israel)
6. Department of Astrophysics, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)
7. INAF-Osservatorio astronomico di Roma, via Frascati 33, 00040 Monteporzio Catone (Italy)

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 1000 km s{sup -1}, and their outflow rates (up to {approx}1200 M{sub sun} yr{sup -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{sub 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 {approx}10{sup 6}-10{sup 8} years.

• OSTI ID: 21562665
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 733; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
EVOLUTION
FEEDBACK
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
INFRARED SPECTRA
MASS
SPECTRA
STARS