Physics
Scientific paper
Feb 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999noao.prop..257m&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #1999A-0257
Physics
Scientific paper
Until recently, narrow-band imaging of nearby galaxies was limited to flux levels of 10^-17 erg s^-1 cm^-2 arcsec^- 2. These studies have revealed filaments and plumes of ionized gas that extend a few kpc above the disks of a few edge-on spiral galaxies. With the use of revolutionary new techniques and the KPNO Burrell- Schmidt telescope, Donahue et al. (1995) have been able to reach surface brightnesses nearly two orders of magnitude fainter than previous studies, and have argued for the existence of ionized gas halos out to distances of about 15 kpc around the edge-on galaxies NGC 4631 and NGC 4656. This exciting new result has direct bearing on the nature of the z ≲ 1 Ly(alpha) absorption systems detected in the spectra of distant quasars. We propose to extend Donahue et al.'s study to 8 additional non- interacting edge-on spiral galaxies. The goal of this study is to reach flux limits of 1 × 10^-18 erg s^-1 cm^-2 arcsec^- 2 at H(alpha). The results of this spring survey, along with previous results from a similar study of targets at KPNO and CTIO (fall 97 and spring 98 semesters), will be instrumental in allowing us to make statistically meaningful statements about the vertical extent of normal galaxies and its relevance to Ly(alpha) absorption systems. Based on the overall distribution of the high-\vertz\vert gas, we will be able to place constraints on its origin, and comment on the chemical and thermal evolution of galaxies. We will also be able to estimate the amount of energy necessary to ionize the diffuse gas halo, and provide constraints on the sources of ionization of the high-\vertz\vert material.
Miller Scott
Veilleux Sylvain
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