Previous | Session 129 | Next
C. W. Churchill, G. G. Kacprzak (NMSU), C. C. Steidel (Caltech)
We describe recent efforts to quantify the morphologies and orientations of galaxies and explore how these relate to the gas kinematics in their extended halos. We have quantified the gas kinematics from MgII absorption using Keck/HIRES quasar spectra and have obtained WFPC2/HST images of 26 of the absorbing galaxies. We find no clear connection between the orientation of the quasar line of sight through the galaxy and the velocity spread of the gas. However, it appears that the quantity of gas ``stirred up'' in the halo may be correlated to asymmetry in the galaxy morphology. Since the galaxies have fairly normal morphologies, this connection may suggest that galaxies with extended halos experienced an interaction or merging event a few dynamical times prior to the epoch of observation.
This research is supported in parts by NASA, the AAS, and NSF.
Previous | Session 129 | Next
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.