Searching for molecular outflows in hyperluminous infrared galaxies

Abstract

We present constraints on the molecular outflows in a sample of five hyperluminous infrared galaxies using Herschel observations of the OH doublet at 119 mu m. We have detected the OH doublet in three cases: one purely in emission and two purely in absorption. The observed emission profile has a significant blueshifted wing suggesting the possibility of tracing an outflow. Out of the two absorption profiles, one seems to be consistent with the systemic velocity while the other clearly indicates the presence of a molecular outflow whose maximum velocity is about similar to 1500 km s(-1). Our analysis shows that this system is in general agreement with previous results on ultraluminous infrared galaxies and QSOs, whose outflow velocities do not seem to correlate with stellar masses or starburst luminosities (star formation rates). Instead, the galaxy outflow likely arises from an embedded active galactic nuclei.