New clues on the extended HeII ionization in IZw18 from GTC/MEGARA and JWST/MIRI

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Autori principali: Arroyo-Polonio, A., Kehrig, C., Vílchez, J. M., Iglesias-Páramo, J., Perez-Montero, E., Puertas, S. Duarte, Gallego, J., Reverte, D.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Arroyo-Polonio, A.
Kehrig, C.
Vílchez, J. M.
Iglesias-Páramo, J.
Perez-Montero, E.
Puertas, S. Duarte
Gallego, J.
Reverte, D.
author_facet Arroyo-Polonio, A.
Kehrig, C.
Vílchez, J. M.
Iglesias-Páramo, J.
Perez-Montero, E.
Puertas, S. Duarte
Gallego, J.
Reverte, D.
contents IZw18 is one of the lowest-metallicity star-forming galaxies known at z$\sim$0, considered a unique local analogue of the first galaxies. The origin of its hard ionizing continuum, expected to be a common feature in the early Universe and traced by He\textsc{ii} emission lines, remains intensely debated and challenging to explain. Here we combine optical (GTC/MEGARA) and mid-infrared (JWST/MIRI) integral field spectroscopic observations for IZw18 to shed new light on the high-ionization phenomenon. This letter reports the first detection of the high-ionization [Ne\textsc{v}]14.32 $μ$m line in IZw18. Its emission is spatially extended and coincident with the He\textsc{ii} peak, revealing the presence of highly energetic ionizing sources that surpass mechanisms previously proposed on the basis of He\textsc{ii} alone. Our kinematic studies highlight that the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686-emitting gas displays higher velocity dispersions and a different velocity pattern compared to the H$β$ emission, suggesting the presence of energetic processes such as shocks or stellar-driven feedback. Additionally, integrated spectra show asymmetric blueshifted profiles in the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686 line, possibly indicating \textbf{early-stage} stellar-driven outflows potentially facilitating future ionizing photon leakage. Our spatial analysis also reveals differences in structure between the emission of H$β$ and He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686, with the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686 peak offset by a projected distance of 140 pc from the peak H$β$ emission. This indicates distinct locations for the most extreme ionizing sources compared to moderate ionizing sources. Our findings underscore the complex interplay of physical processes in extremely metal-poor environments with \textbf{high-ionized} gas, offering new insights into the conditions prevailing in the early galaxies.
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institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle New clues on the extended HeII ionization in IZw18 from GTC/MEGARA and JWST/MIRI
Arroyo-Polonio, A.
Kehrig, C.
Vílchez, J. M.
Iglesias-Páramo, J.
Perez-Montero, E.
Puertas, S. Duarte
Gallego, J.
Reverte, D.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
IZw18 is one of the lowest-metallicity star-forming galaxies known at z$\sim$0, considered a unique local analogue of the first galaxies. The origin of its hard ionizing continuum, expected to be a common feature in the early Universe and traced by He\textsc{ii} emission lines, remains intensely debated and challenging to explain. Here we combine optical (GTC/MEGARA) and mid-infrared (JWST/MIRI) integral field spectroscopic observations for IZw18 to shed new light on the high-ionization phenomenon. This letter reports the first detection of the high-ionization [Ne\textsc{v}]14.32 $μ$m line in IZw18. Its emission is spatially extended and coincident with the He\textsc{ii} peak, revealing the presence of highly energetic ionizing sources that surpass mechanisms previously proposed on the basis of He\textsc{ii} alone. Our kinematic studies highlight that the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686-emitting gas displays higher velocity dispersions and a different velocity pattern compared to the H$β$ emission, suggesting the presence of energetic processes such as shocks or stellar-driven feedback. Additionally, integrated spectra show asymmetric blueshifted profiles in the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686 line, possibly indicating \textbf{early-stage} stellar-driven outflows potentially facilitating future ionizing photon leakage. Our spatial analysis also reveals differences in structure between the emission of H$β$ and He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686, with the He\textsc{ii}$λ$4686 peak offset by a projected distance of 140 pc from the peak H$β$ emission. This indicates distinct locations for the most extreme ionizing sources compared to moderate ionizing sources. Our findings underscore the complex interplay of physical processes in extremely metal-poor environments with \textbf{high-ionized} gas, offering new insights into the conditions prevailing in the early galaxies.
title New clues on the extended HeII ionization in IZw18 from GTC/MEGARA and JWST/MIRI
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.01742