Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We analyze JWST/NIRSpec IFU spectroscopy of MRG-M0150, a gravitationally lensed, massive quiescent galaxy at $z=2.6$ from the INQUEST-JWST survey. Thanks to the combination of lensing magnification with JWST's angular resolution, we are able to build spatially resolved maps of the ionized gas spatial distribution, kinematics, and ionization properties in this system. We detect ionized gas emission throughout the galaxy: the lack of residual star formation inferred from line-ratio diagnostic diagrams, together with the decoupling between the gas and stellar kinematics, suggest that the ionized gas is in a wind. We use the 3D gas kinematics modeling code \texttt{MOKA3D} to constrain the geometry and physical properties of the ionized gas wind. We find that the observations are consistent with a biconical wind driven by the low-luminosity AGN at the center of the galaxy, which is detected in X-rays. The wind reaches high velocities of $1000-1400$ km/s, implying that part of the gas may escape the halo. The ionized gas mass outflow rate, $(0.6 \pm 0.2)$~${\rm M}_{\odot}$~yr${}^{-1}$, is modest but exceeds the upper limit on the residual star formation rate, and it is likely that the wind is multiphase and carries more mass. We show that typical unresolved observations would not detect the wind, suggesting that the incidence of such outflows may be higher than previously recognized. Simple geometric arguments show that the observed outflow must have been launched $\approx 0.45$~Myr ago from the time of observation. This evidence suggests that low-level AGN activity is an important mechanism for maintaining quiescence in massive galaxies at cosmic noon, potentially over cosmological timescales.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institutions: University of Bologna, Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, National Institute for Astrophysics, University of Milan, Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio, University of Southern California, Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Observatories, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, University of Copenhagen, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Princeton University, University College London
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G103270039, G256731684
OpenAlex ID: W7223927627