High-resolution Observations of CO(3–2) in Haro 2: Cool Molecular Outflows of a Ly α Emitter

Abstract Haro 2 is a blue compact dwarf galaxy and the closest (at 21 Mpc) known Lyα emitter. UV and optical observations have found Haro 2 to be immersed in shells of partly ionized gas expanding at ∼200 km s −1 . Observations of CO(2–1) with moderate (2″) resolution discovered a large-scale one-sided outflow associated with a soft X-ray bubble and apparently driven by the young star clusters created in the recent starburst. We present here Submillimeter Array observations of CO(3–2) with 1 . ″ 1 resolution in Haro 2. The opposite-side component of the large molecular outflow is detected lying in the direction of the fast ionized outflow; it is very confined in area. An additional outflow is apparent in the CO(3–2); it is southeast of the galaxy in a region holding weak star formation and a moderate-luminosity hard X-ray source. All the molecular outflow and filament velocities are within ≲±50 km s −1 of the systemic velocity of the galaxy.