Star formation shut down by multiphase gas outflow in a galaxy at a redshift of 2.45

Sirio Belli (), Minjung Park, Rebecca L. Davies, J. Trevor Mendel, Benjamin D. Johnson, Charlie Conroy, Chloë Benton, Letizia Bugiani, Razieh Emami, Joel Leja, Yijia Li, Gabriel Maheson, Elijah P. Mathews, Rohan P. Naidu, Erica J. Nelson, Sandro Tacchella, Bryan A. Terrazas and Rainer Weinberger
Additional contact information
Sirio Belli: Università di Bologna
Minjung Park: Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
Rebecca L. Davies: Swinburne University of Technology
J. Trevor Mendel: ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D)
Benjamin D. Johnson: Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
Charlie Conroy: Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
Chloë Benton: University of Colorado
Letizia Bugiani: Università di Bologna
Razieh Emami: Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
Joel Leja: The Pennsylvania State University
Yijia Li: The Pennsylvania State University
Gabriel Maheson: University of Cambridge
Elijah P. Mathews: The Pennsylvania State University
Rohan P. Naidu: MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Erica J. Nelson: University of Colorado
Sandro Tacchella: University of Cambridge
Bryan A. Terrazas: Columbia University
Rainer Weinberger: Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics

Nature, 2024, vol. 630, issue 8015, 54-58

Abstract: Abstract Large-scale outflows driven by supermassive black holes are thought to have a fundamental role in suppressing star formation in massive galaxies. However, direct observational evidence for this hypothesis is still lacking, particularly in the young universe where star-formation quenching is remarkably rapid1–3, thus requiring effective removal of gas4 as opposed to slow gas heating5,6. Although outflows of ionized gas are frequently detected in massive distant galaxies7, the amount of ejected mass is too small to be able to suppress star formation8,9. Gas ejection is expected to be more efficient in the neutral and molecular phases10, but at high redshift these have only been observed in starbursts and quasars11,12. Here we report JWST spectroscopy of a massive galaxy experiencing rapid quenching at a redshift of 2.445. We detect a weak outflow of ionized gas and a powerful outflow of neutral gas, with a mass outflow rate that is sufficient to quench the star formation. Neither X-ray nor radio activity is detected; however, the presence of a supermassive black hole is suggested by the properties of the ionized gas emission lines. We thus conclude that supermassive black holes are able to rapidly suppress star formation in massive galaxies by efficiently ejecting neutral gas.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07412-1

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