Inspiraling streams of enriched gas observed around a massive galaxy 11 billion years ago

Kavli Affiliate: Ran Wang

| First 5 Authors: Shiwu Zhang, Zheng Cai, Dandan Xu, Rhythm Shimakawa, Fabrizio Arrigoni Battaia

| Summary:

Stars form in galaxies, from gas that has been accreted from the
intergalactic medium. Simulations have shown that recycling of gas-the
reaccretion of gas that was previously ejected from a galaxy-could sustain star
formation in the early Universe. We observe the gas surrounding a massive
galaxy at redshift 2.3 and detect emission lines from neutral hydrogen, helium,
and ionized carbon that extend 100 kiloparsecs from the galaxy. The kinematics
of this circumgalactic gas is consistent with an inspiraling stream. The carbon
abundance indicates that the gas had already been enriched with elements
heavier than helium, previously ejected from a galaxy. We interpret the results
as evidence of gas recycling during high-redshift galaxy assembly.

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