Three Lyman-α-emitting filaments converging to a massive galaxy group at z = 2.91: discussing the case for cold gas infall
Journal
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Daddi, E.
•
Valentino, F.
•
Rich, R. M.
•
Neill, J. D.
•
Gronke, M.
•
O'Sullivan, D.
•
Elbaz, D.
•
Bournaud, F.
•
Finoguenov, A.
•
Marchal, A.
•
•
Jin, S.
•
Liu, D.
•
•
•
Coogan, R.
•
D'Eugenio, C.
•
Gobat, R.
•
Kalita, B. S.
•
Laursen, P.
•
Martin, D. C.
•
•
Schinnerer, E.
•
Wang, T.
Abstract
We have discovered a 300 kpc-wide giant Lyman-α (Lyα) nebula centered on the massive galaxy group RO-1001 at z = 2.91 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey field. Keck Cosmic Web Imager observations reveal three cold gas filaments converging into the center of the potential well of its ∼4 × 1013 M⊙ dark matter halo, hosting 1200 M⊙ yr−1 of star formation as probed by Atacama Large Millimeter Array and NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array observations. The nebula morphological and kinematics properties and the prevalence of blueshifted components in the Lyα spectra are consistent with a scenario of gas accretion. The upper limits on active galactic nuclei activity and overall energetics favor gravity as the primary Lyα powering source and infall as the main source of gas flows to the system. Although interpretational difficulties remain, with outflows and likely also photoionization with ensuing recombination still playing a role, this finding provides arguably an ideal environment to quantitatively test models of cold gas accretion and galaxy feeding inside an actively star-forming massive halo at high redshift....
Volume
649
Start page
A78
Issn Identifier
0004-6361
Ads BibCode
2021A&A...649A..78D
Rights
open.access
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