Morphology and dynamics of high z radio galaxies and quasars

Abstract

The continuum morphologies of high redshift radio galaxies and quasars can be modeled as enormous bipolar reflection nebulae from shells of dust swept up by bipolar outflows. If the observed shape of a particular object is fit with an analytic function, then the velocity of the shell is specified by the equations of motion. The predicted kinematics can be compared with the observed emission line velocity field, and the resulting fit is excellent. The implications for massive galaxies at high redshift include the requirement of an initial epoch of star formation that creates dust distributed throughout a very large, diffuse, nearly virialized halo.