The AURORA Survey: Tracing Galactic Outflows at z ≳ 2.5 with JWST/NIRSpec Near-ultraviolet Absorption Lines

We probe galactic-scale outflows in star-forming galaxies at z ≳ 2.5 drawn from the JWST/NIRSpec AURORA program. For the first time, we directly compare outflow properties from the early Universe to the present day using near-UV absorption lines. We measure interstellar medium (ISM) kinematics from Fe ii and Mg ii absorption features in 41 and 43 galaxies, respectively, and examine how these kinematics correlate with galaxy properties. We find that galaxies with outflows tend to have higher stellar masses and that maximum outflow velocities increase with stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), UV slope β, E(B − V), and A_V . We also find that Mg ii emission is more common in galaxies with lower masses, higher specific SFRs, and less dust. These trends are consistent with those in star-forming galaxies at z < 2 when using the same outflow tracers, suggesting that the feedback from star formation has played a persistent role in shaping galaxy evolution over cosmic time. We also directly compare near-UV and far-UV features in the same NIRSpec spectrum for a z = 5.19 galaxy, finding consistent ISM kinematics and demonstrating that different tracers yield comparable measurements. We also detect Na D absorption in 10 galaxies, which have higher stellar mass, SFR, and dust attenuation compared to galaxies without Na D absorption, which is consistent with z ∼ 0 studies. The broad continuum coverage and sensitivity of NIRSpec will enable future studies with larger samples, allowing for robust tests of these trends across a wider dynamic range of galaxy properties.