The 300 pc Resolution Imaging of a z = 8.31 Galaxy: Turbulent Ionized Gas and Potential Stellar Feedback 600 Million Years after the Big Bang

Abstract

We present the results of 300 pc resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array imaging of the [O iii ] 88 μm line and dust continuum emission from a z = 8.312 Lyman-break galaxy MACS0416_Y1. The velocity-integrated [O iii ] emission has three peaks that are likely associated with three young stellar clumps of MACS0416_Y1, while the channel map shows a complicated velocity structure with little indication of a global velocity gradient unlike what was found in [C ii ] 158 μm at a larger scale, suggesting random bulk motion of ionized gas clouds inside the galaxy. In contrast, dust emission appears as two individual clumps apparently separating or bridging the [O iii ]/stellar clumps. The cross-correlation coefficient between dust and ultraviolet-related emission (i.e., [O iii ] and ultraviolet continuum) is unity on a galactic scale, while it drops at <1 kpc, suggesting well-mixed geometry of multiphase interstellar media on subkiloparsec scales. If the cutoff scale characterizes different stages of star formation, the cutoff scale can be explained by gravitational instability of turbulent gas. We also report on a kiloparsec-scale off-center cavity embedded in the dust continuum image. This could be a superbubble producing galactic-scale outflows, since the energy injection from the 4 Myr starburst suggested by a spectral energy distribution analysis is large enough to push the surrounding media creating a kiloparsec-scale cavity.

Keywords

• Galaxy formation
• Interstellar medium
• Superbubbles
• Stellar feedback
• Galaxy evolution