A search for H alpha emission in high-metallicity damped Lyman alpha systems at z similar to 2.4

We report on a sensitive search for redshifted Ha line-emission from three high-metallicity damped Ly alpha absorbers (DLAs) at z approximate to 2.4 with the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS) on the Gemini-North telescope, assisted by the ALTtitude conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed (ALTAIR) system with a laser guide star. Within the NIFS field-of-view, approximate to 3.22 arcsec x 2.92 arcsec corresponding to approximate to 25 kpc x 23 kpc at z = 2.4, we detect no statistically significant line-emission at the expected redshifted Ha wavelengths. The measured root-mean-square noise fluctuations in 0.4 arcsec apertures are 1-3 x 10(-18) erg s(-1) cm(-2). Our analysis of simulated, compact, line-emitting sources yields stringent limits on the star formation rates (SFRs) of the three DLAs, <2.2M(circle dot) yr(-1) (3 sigma) for two absorbers, and <11M(circle dot) yr(-1) (3 sigma) for the third, at all impact parameters within approximate to 12.5 kpc to the quasar sightline at the DLA redshift. For the third absorber, the SFR limit is <4.4 M-circle dot yr(-1) for locations away from the quasar sightline. These results demonstrate the potential of adaptive optics-assisted, integral field unit searches for galaxies associated with high-z DLAs.