Kavli Affiliate: Roberto Maiolino
| First 5 Authors: Francesco D’Eugenio, Pablo Perez-Gonzalez, Roberto Maiolino, Jan Scholtz, Michele Perna
| Summary:
There is compelling evidence that the most massive galaxies in the Universe
stopped forming stars due to the time-integrated feedback from their central
super-massive black holes (SMBHs). However, the exact quenching mechanism is
not yet understood, because local massive galaxies were quenched billions of
years ago. We present JWST/NIRSpec integral-field spectroscopy observations of
GS-10578, a massive, quiescent galaxy at redshift z=3.064. From the spectrum we
infer that the galaxy has a stellar mass of $M_*=1.6pm0.2 times 10^{11}$ MSun
and a dynamical mass $M_{rm dyn}=2.0pm0.5 times 10^{11}$ MSun. Half of its
stellar mass formed at z=3.7-4.6, and the system is now quiescent, with the
current star-formation rate SFR<9 MSun/yr. We detect ionised- and neutral-gas
outflows traced by [OIII] emission and NaI absorption. Outflow velocities reach
$v_{rm out}approx$1,000 km/s, comparable to the galaxy escape velocity and
too high to be explained by star formation alone. GS-10578 hosts an Active
Galactic Nucleus (AGN), evidence that these outflows are due to SMBH feedback.
The outflow rates are 0.14-2.9 and 30-300 MSun/yr for the ionised and neutral
phases, respectively. The neutral outflow rate is ten times higher than the
SFR, hence this is direct evidence for ejective SMBH feedback, with
mass-loading capable of interrupting star formation by rapidly removing its
fuel. Stellar kinematics show ordered rotation, with spin parameter
$lambda_{Re}=0.62pm0.07$, meaning GS-10578 is rotation supported. This study
shows direct evidence for ejective AGN feedback in a massive, recently quenched
galaxy, thus clarifying how SMBHs quench their hosts. Quenching can occur
without destroying the stellar disc.
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