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arXiv · 1304.0795

Outflow vs. Infall in Spiral Galaxies: Metal Absorption in the Halo of NGC 891

Joel N. Bregman·Eric D. Miller·Patrick Seitzer·C. R. Cowley·Matthew J. Miller
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Abstract

Gas accreting onto a galaxy will be of low metallicity while halo gas due to a galactic fountain will be of near-solar metallicity. We test these predictions by measuring the metal absorption line properties of halo gas 5 kpc above the plane of the edge-on galaxy NGC 891, using observations taken with HST/STIS toward a bright background quasar. Metal absorption lines of Fe II, Mg II, and Mg I in the halo of NGC 891 are clearly seen, and when combined with recent deep H I observations, we are able to place constraints on the metallicity of the halo gas for the first time. The H I line width defines the line broadening, from which we model opacity effects in these metal lines, assuming the absorbing gas is continuously distributed in the halo. The gas-phase metallicities are [Fe/H] = -1.18 +/- 0.07 and [Mg/H] = -0.23 +0.36/-0.27 (statistical errors) and this difference is probably due to differential depletion onto grains. When corrected for such depletion using Galactic gas as a guide, both elements have approximately solar or even supersolar abundances. This suggests that the gas is from the galaxy disk, probably expelled into the halo by a galactic fountain, rather than from accretion of intergalactic gas, which would have a low metallicity. The abundances would be raised by significant amounts if the absorbing gas lies in a few clouds with thermal widths smaller than the rotational velocity of the halo. If this is the case, both the abundances and [Mg/Fe] would be supersolar.

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Joel N. Bregman, Eric D. Miller, Patrick Seitzer, C. R. Cowley, Matthew J. Miller. 2013-04-02. Outflow vs. Infall in Spiral Galaxies: Metal Absorption in the Halo of NGC 891. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x%2F766%2F1%2F57

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