Abstract
The 'Eagle' galaxy at a redshift of 0.77 is studied with the Oxford Short Wavelength Integral Field Spectrograph (SWIFT) and multiwavelength data from the All-wavelength Extended Groth strip International Survey (AEGIS). It was chosen from AEGIS because of the bright and extended emission in its slit spectrum. 3D kinematic maps of the Eagle reveal a gradient in velocity dispersion which spans 35-75 ± 10kms-1 and a rotation velocity of 25 ± 5kms-1 uncorrected for inclination. Hubble Space Telescope images suggest it is close to face-on. In comparison with galaxies from AEGIS at similar redshifts, the Eagle is extremely bright and blue in the rest-frame optical, highly star forming, dominated by unobscured star formation and has a low metallicity for its size. This is consistent with its selection. The Eagle is likely undergoing a major merger and is caught in the early stage of a starburst when it has not yet experienced metal enrichment or formed the mass of dust typically found in star-forming galaxies.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2882-2890 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
Volume | 417 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2011 |
Keywords
- Galaxies: high-redshift
- Galaxies: interactions
- Galaxies: irregular
- Galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science