Fabry-Perot Imaging Spectroscopy of Starburst and AGN Winds

Abstract

To date, the most detailed studies of galactic winds have come from 3-D spectrophotometric observations with radio and Fabry-Perot interferometers. Here, we report the latest results from a long-term optical survey of nearby active and starburst galaxies with the Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI) at Mauna Kea and the TAURUS-2 system in Australia. These data reveal that the outflows are highly complex, highly energetic (> 10^{53} ergs in most cases), and the brightest emission often appears to be associated with strong shocks. The outflowing material in the starburst galaxies generally lies on the surface of bubbles or along the walls of funnel-shaped winds rapidly accelerating out of the galactic plane. These winds are sometimes lop-sided and tilted with respect to the polar axis of the host galaxy. Evidence for entrainment of (rotating) disk material is seen in some objects. Our results are combined with HST, radio and X-ray data and discussed in the context of future surveys of distant galaxies on 8-meter class telescopes.