Introducing the Condor Array Telescope. VI. Discovery of Extensive Ionized Gaseous Filaments of the Cosmic Web in the Direction of the M81 Group

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Main Authors: Lanzetta, Kenneth M., Gromoll, Stefan, Shara, Michael M., Valls-Gabaud, David, Walter, Frederick M., Webb, John K.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Lanzetta, Kenneth M.
Gromoll, Stefan
Shara, Michael M.
Valls-Gabaud, David
Walter, Frederick M.
Webb, John K.
author_facet Lanzetta, Kenneth M.
Gromoll, Stefan
Shara, Michael M.
Valls-Gabaud, David
Walter, Frederick M.
Webb, John K.
contents We used the Condor Array Telescope to obtain deep imaging observations through luminance broad-band and He II, [O III], He I, H$α$, [N II], and [S II] narrow-band filters of an extended region of the M81 Group spanning $\approx 8 \times 8$ deg$^2$ on the sky centered near M81 and M82. Here we report aspects of these observations that are specifically related to (1) a remarkable filament known as the "Ursa Major Arc" that stretches $\approx 30$ deg on the sky roughly in the direction of Ursa Major, (2) a "Giant Shell of Ionized Gas" that stretches $\approx 0.8$ deg on the sky located $\approx 0.6$ deg NW of M82, and (3) a remarkable network of ionized gaseous filaments revealed by the new Condor observations that appear to connect the arc, the shell, and various of the galaxies of the M81 Group and, by extension, the group itself. We measure flux ratios between the various ions to help to distinguish photoionized from shock-ionized gas, and we find that the flux ratios of the arc and shell are not indicative of shock ionization. This provides strong evidence against a previous interpretation of the arc as an interstellar shock produced by an unrecognized supernova. We suggest that all of these objects, including the arc, are associated with the M81 Group and are located at roughly the distance $\approx 3.6$ Mpc of M81, that the arc is an intergalactic filament, and that the objects are associated with the low-redshift cosmic web.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_06258
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Introducing the Condor Array Telescope. VI. Discovery of Extensive Ionized Gaseous Filaments of the Cosmic Web in the Direction of the M81 Group
Lanzetta, Kenneth M.
Gromoll, Stefan
Shara, Michael M.
Valls-Gabaud, David
Walter, Frederick M.
Webb, John K.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We used the Condor Array Telescope to obtain deep imaging observations through luminance broad-band and He II, [O III], He I, H$α$, [N II], and [S II] narrow-band filters of an extended region of the M81 Group spanning $\approx 8 \times 8$ deg$^2$ on the sky centered near M81 and M82. Here we report aspects of these observations that are specifically related to (1) a remarkable filament known as the "Ursa Major Arc" that stretches $\approx 30$ deg on the sky roughly in the direction of Ursa Major, (2) a "Giant Shell of Ionized Gas" that stretches $\approx 0.8$ deg on the sky located $\approx 0.6$ deg NW of M82, and (3) a remarkable network of ionized gaseous filaments revealed by the new Condor observations that appear to connect the arc, the shell, and various of the galaxies of the M81 Group and, by extension, the group itself. We measure flux ratios between the various ions to help to distinguish photoionized from shock-ionized gas, and we find that the flux ratios of the arc and shell are not indicative of shock ionization. This provides strong evidence against a previous interpretation of the arc as an interstellar shock produced by an unrecognized supernova. We suggest that all of these objects, including the arc, are associated with the M81 Group and are located at roughly the distance $\approx 3.6$ Mpc of M81, that the arc is an intergalactic filament, and that the objects are associated with the low-redshift cosmic web.
title Introducing the Condor Array Telescope. VI. Discovery of Extensive Ionized Gaseous Filaments of the Cosmic Web in the Direction of the M81 Group
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.06258