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Register a new userIntegral Field Spectroscopy of the Extended Emission-Line Region of 4C 37.43
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We present Gemini integral field spectroscopy and Keck II longslit spectroscopy of the extended emission-line region (EELR) around the quasar 4C 37.43. The velocity structure of the ionized gas is complex and cannot be explained globally by a simple dynamical model. The spectra from the clouds are inconsistent with shock or ``shock + precursor ionization models, but they are consistent with photoionization by the quasar nucleus. The best-fit photoionization model requires a low-metallicity (12+log(O/H) < 8.7) two-phase medium, consisting of a matter-bounded diffuse component with a unity filling-factor (N ~ 1 cc, T ~ 15000 K), in which are embedded small, dense clouds (N ~ 400 cc, T ~ 10^4 K). The high-density clouds are transient and can be re-generated through compressing the diffuse medium by low-speed shocks (V_S lesssim 100 kms). Our photoionization model gives a total mass for the ionized gas of about 3x10^{10} M_sun, and the total kinetic energy implied by this mass and the observed velocity field is ~2x10^{58} ergs. The fact that luminous EELRs are confined to steep-spectrum radio-loud quasars, yet show no morphological correspondence to the radio jets, suggests that the driving force producing the 4C 37.43 EELR was a roughly spherical blast wave initiated by the production of the jet. That such a mechanism seems capable of ejecting a mass comparable to that of the total interstellar medium of the Milky Way suggests that ``quasar-mode feedback may indeed be an efficient means of regulating star formation in the early universe.
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We have explored the nature of the extended emission-line region around the z=0.37 quasar 4C 37.43, using extensive ground-based and HST imaging and spectroscopy. The velocity field of the ionized gas shows gradual gradients within components but large jumps between components, with no obvious global organization. The HST [O III] image shows radial linear features on the east side of the QSO that appear to mark the edges of an ionization cone. Concentrating on the bright emission peaks ~4arcsec$ east of the quasar, we find through modeling that we require at least two density regimes contributing significantly to the observed emission-line spectrum: one with a density of ~2 cm^-3, having essentially unity filling factor, and one with a density of ~500 cm^-3, having a very small (~10^-5) filling factor. Because the temperatures of these two components are similar, they cannot be in pressure equilibrium, and there is no obvious source of confinement for the dense regions. We estimate that the dense regions will dissipate on timescales <~10^4 years and therefore need to be continuously regenerated, most likely by shocks. Because we know that some QSOs, at least, begin their lives in conjunction with merger-driven massive starbursts in their host galaxies, an attractive interpretation is that the extended emission region comprises gas that has been expelled as a result of tidal forces during the merger and is now being shocked by the galactic superwind from the starburst. This picture is supported by the observed distribution of the ionized gas, the presence of velocities ranging up to ~700 km s^{-1}, and the existence of at least two QSOs having similarly luminous and complex extended emission regions that are known to have ultra-luminous IR galaxy hosts with current or recent starbursts.
We present Gemini Multiobject Spectrograph integral field spectroscopy of the extended emission-line region associated with quasar 3C 249.1. The kinematics of the ionized gas measured from the [O III] $lambda$5007 line is rather complex and cannot be explained globally by a simple dynamical model, but some clouds can be modeled individually as having locally linear velocity gradients. The temperatures of the ionized gas appear uniform (varying from ~12000 to 15000 K), while the densities vary from a few tens to a few hundreds cm^{-3}. The emission mechanism of all of the emission clouds, as indicated by the line-ratio diagnostics, is consistent both with shock + precursor and pure photoionization models. The total mass of the ionized gas is on the order of 10^9 M_Sun. We estimate the bulk kinetic energy and momentum of the extended emission-line region of 2.5*10^{57} ergs and 10^{50} dyne s, and a dynamical timescale of ~10 Myr. By comparing the injection rates of kinetic energy and momentum of different galactic wind models with the observation, we argue that the emission-line clouds are most likely a direct result from the feedback of the quasar. We also discuss the nature of the extended X-ray emission surrounding the quasar.
Luminous extended emission-line regions (EELRs) on kpc scales surround a substantial fraction of steep-spectrum radio-loud QSOs. Although their existence has been known for over three decades, there are still major uncertainties on the physical processes responsible for their complex morphology and kinematics. We are obtaining deep integral field spectroscopy for a sample of EELRs around QSOs at z<0.5 with the Integral Field Unit (IFU) of the GMOS on the Gemini North telescope, aiming at extracting accurate kinematics of the EELRs, measuring important physical parameters (e.g., density, temperature, metallicity) and reliable intensity ratios of diagnostic emission lines from individual clouds that comprise an EELR. Here we present results from the observations of the EELR of quasar 4C 37.43. We show maps of gas kinematics measured from the [O III] 5007 line and line-ratio diagnostic diagrams comparing the data with predictions from ionization models. We find that the ionized gas shows rather complex global kinematics, while linear velocity gradients are often seen in individual clouds. Pure photoionization by the QSO continuum is the most likely ionization mechanism for most of the EELR clouds.
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