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Title:
Kinemetry of SINS High-Redshift Star-Forming Galaxies: Distinguishing Rotating Disks from Major Mergers
Authors:
Shapiro, Kristen L.; Genzel, Reinhard; Förster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Tacconi, Linda J.; Bouché, Nicolas; Cresci, Giovanni; Davies, Richard; Eisenhauer, Frank; Johansson, Peter H.; Krajnović, Davor; Lutz, Dieter; Naab, Thorsten; Arimoto, Nobuo; Arribas, Santiago; Cimatti, Andrea; Colina, Luis; Daddi, Emanuele; Daigle, Olivier; Erb, Dawn; Hernandez, Olivier; Kong, Xu; Mignoli, Marco; Onodera, Masato; Renzini, Alvio; Shapley, Alice; Steidel, Charles
Affiliation:
AA(Department of Astronomy, Campbell Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.), AB(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.; Department of Physics, Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.), AC(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AD(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AE(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AF(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AG(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AH(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AI(Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Scheinerstrasse 1, D-81679 München, Germany.), AJ(Denys Wilkinson Building, University of Oxford, Keble Road, OX1 3RH, UK.), AK(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.), AL(Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Scheinerstrasse 1, D-81679 München, Germany.), AM(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.), AN(Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain.), AO(Dipartimento di Astronomia, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna, Italy.), AP(Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain.), AQ(Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, DAPNIA/SAp, Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.), AR(Observatoire du mont Mégantic, LAE, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale Center Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.), AS(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.), AT(Observatoire du mont Mégantic, LAE, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succursale Center Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.), AU(Center for Astrophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026 Hefei, China.), AV(Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy.), AW(Institute of Earth, Atmosphere and Astronomy, BK21, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-749 South Korea.), AX(Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy.), AY(Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544.), AZ(California Institute of Technology, MS 105-24, Pasadena, CA 91125.)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 682, Issue 1, pp. 231-251. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
07/2008
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Galaxies: Evolution, Galaxies: High-Redshift, Galaxies: Interactions, Galaxies: Kinematics and Dynamics, Methods: Data Analysis, Techniques: Spectroscopic
DOI:
10.1086/587133
Bibliographic Code:
2008ApJ...682..231S

Abstract

We present a simple set of kinematic criteria that can distinguish between galaxies dominated by ordered rotational motion and those involved in major merger events. Our criteria are based on the dynamics of the warm ionized gas (as traced by Hα) within galaxies, making this analysis accessible to high-redshift systems, whose kinematics are primarily traceable through emission features. Using the method of kinemetry (developed by Krajnović and coworkers), we quantify asymmetries in both the velocity and velocity dispersion maps of the warm gas, and the resulting criteria enable us to empirically differentiate between nonmerging and merging systems at high redshift. We apply these criteria to 11 of our best-studied rest-frame UV/optical-selected z~2 galaxies for which we have near-infrared integral-field spectroscopic data from SINFONI on the VLT. Of these 11 systems, we find that >50% have kinematics consistent with a single rotating disk interpretation, while the remaining systems are more likely undergoing major mergers. This result, combined with the short formation timescales of these systems, provides evidence that rapid, smooth accretion of gas plays a significant role in galaxy formation at high redshift.

Based on observations obtained at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile in the context of guaranteed time programs 073.B-9018, 074.A-9011, 075.A-0466, 076.A-0527, 077.A-0576, 078.A-0600, and 079.A-0341.


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