Extreme Neutral Outflow in a non-AGN Quiescent Galaxy at z~1.3

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sun, Yang, Ji, Zhiyuan, Rieke, George H., D'Eugenio, Francesco, Zhu, Yongda, Sun, Fengwu, Lin, Xiaojing, Bunker, Andrew J., Lyu, Jianwei, Rinaldi, Pierluigi, Willmer, Christopher N. A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Sun, Yang
Ji, Zhiyuan
Rieke, George H.
D'Eugenio, Francesco
Zhu, Yongda
Sun, Fengwu
Lin, Xiaojing
Bunker, Andrew J.
Lyu, Jianwei
Rinaldi, Pierluigi
Willmer, Christopher N. A.
author_facet Sun, Yang
Ji, Zhiyuan
Rieke, George H.
D'Eugenio, Francesco
Zhu, Yongda
Sun, Fengwu
Lin, Xiaojing
Bunker, Andrew J.
Lyu, Jianwei
Rinaldi, Pierluigi
Willmer, Christopher N. A.
contents We report the discovery of a substantial sodium doublet (Na D $λλ$5890, 5896Å)-traced neutral outflow in the quiescent galaxy JADES-GS-206183 at $z=1.317$. Its JWST/NIRSpec-MSA spectrum shows a deep, blueshifted Na D absorption, revealing a neutral outflow with $v_{\rm out}=828^{+79}_{-49}\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ and a mass outflow rate of $\log(\dot{M}_{\rm out}/\mathrm{M_{\odot}\,yr^{-1}})=2.40^{+0.11}_{-0.16}$. This outflow rate exceeds that of any neutral outflows identified beyond $z\sim1$ by the same line and is comparable with those in local galaxies with intensive star formation or luminous AGN. JADES-GS-206183 is also a peculiar quiescent galaxy with a spiral$+$bar morphology, high dust attenuation ($A_V=2.27\pm0.23$ mag). Paschen $α$ (Pa$α$) emission from the FRESCO NIRCam grism confirms its low star formation rate ($\mathrm{SFR_{Paα}}=10.78\pm 0.55\,\mathrm{M_{\odot}\,yr^{-1}}$), placing it 0.5 dex below the main-sequence ($\log(\mathrm{sSFR/yr^{-1}})=-10.2$). Despite the systematics introduced by different star formation history (SFH) priors, the SED modeling, combining HST-to-NIRCam photometry with the VLT/MUSE spectrum, suggests that JADES-GS-206183 experienced an older episode of star formation 0.5-2 Gyr ago and a possible rejuvenation within recent $\sim$10 Myr. Moreover, rest-frame optical lines indicate that the current AGN activity of JADES-GS-206183, if present, is also weak. Even though we tentatively detect a broad component of the H$α$ line, it likely traces an ionized outflow rather than an AGN. The results demonstrate that the Na D outflow in JADES-GS-206183 is highly unlikely to be driven by current star formation or nuclear activity. Instead, it may represent a long-lasting fossil outflow from past AGN activity, potentially co-triggered with the early phase of rejuvenation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_14682
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Extreme Neutral Outflow in a non-AGN Quiescent Galaxy at z~1.3
Sun, Yang
Ji, Zhiyuan
Rieke, George H.
D'Eugenio, Francesco
Zhu, Yongda
Sun, Fengwu
Lin, Xiaojing
Bunker, Andrew J.
Lyu, Jianwei
Rinaldi, Pierluigi
Willmer, Christopher N. A.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We report the discovery of a substantial sodium doublet (Na D $λλ$5890, 5896Å)-traced neutral outflow in the quiescent galaxy JADES-GS-206183 at $z=1.317$. Its JWST/NIRSpec-MSA spectrum shows a deep, blueshifted Na D absorption, revealing a neutral outflow with $v_{\rm out}=828^{+79}_{-49}\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ and a mass outflow rate of $\log(\dot{M}_{\rm out}/\mathrm{M_{\odot}\,yr^{-1}})=2.40^{+0.11}_{-0.16}$. This outflow rate exceeds that of any neutral outflows identified beyond $z\sim1$ by the same line and is comparable with those in local galaxies with intensive star formation or luminous AGN. JADES-GS-206183 is also a peculiar quiescent galaxy with a spiral$+$bar morphology, high dust attenuation ($A_V=2.27\pm0.23$ mag). Paschen $α$ (Pa$α$) emission from the FRESCO NIRCam grism confirms its low star formation rate ($\mathrm{SFR_{Paα}}=10.78\pm 0.55\,\mathrm{M_{\odot}\,yr^{-1}}$), placing it 0.5 dex below the main-sequence ($\log(\mathrm{sSFR/yr^{-1}})=-10.2$). Despite the systematics introduced by different star formation history (SFH) priors, the SED modeling, combining HST-to-NIRCam photometry with the VLT/MUSE spectrum, suggests that JADES-GS-206183 experienced an older episode of star formation 0.5-2 Gyr ago and a possible rejuvenation within recent $\sim$10 Myr. Moreover, rest-frame optical lines indicate that the current AGN activity of JADES-GS-206183, if present, is also weak. Even though we tentatively detect a broad component of the H$α$ line, it likely traces an ionized outflow rather than an AGN. The results demonstrate that the Na D outflow in JADES-GS-206183 is highly unlikely to be driven by current star formation or nuclear activity. Instead, it may represent a long-lasting fossil outflow from past AGN activity, potentially co-triggered with the early phase of rejuvenation.
title Extreme Neutral Outflow in a non-AGN Quiescent Galaxy at z~1.3
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14682