Fabry-Perot Survey of Emission-Line Galaxies

Abstract

The recent results from a deep Fabry-Perot survey of nearby active and star-forming galaxies are presented. Line-emitting material is detected over two orders of magnitude in galactocentric radius, from the 100-pc scale of the active or starbursting nucleus out to several 10s of kpc, sometimes well beyond the optical confines of the host galaxies. The excitation and dynamical properties of the nuclear gas are studied to constrain the impact of galactic winds on the host galaxies and their environment. The properties of the warm ionized material on the outskirts of galaxies provide important clues for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. A new technique to search for starburst-driven wind galaxy candidates is discussed. The next generation of Fabry-Perot instruments on large telescopes promises to improve the sensitivity of emission-line galaxy surveys at least tenfold.