CO(J = 1{yields}0) IN z > 2 QUASAR HOST GALAXIES: NO EVIDENCE FOR EXTENDED MOLECULAR GAS RESERVOIRS

Journal Article · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/739/1/L32· OSTI ID:21565467

Riechers, Dominik A ^[1]; Carilli, Christopher L ^[2]; Maddalena, Ronald J ^[3]; Hodge, Jacqueline; Walter, Fabian ^[4]; Harris, Andrew I ^[5]; Baker, Andrew J; Sharon, Chelsea E ^[6]; Wagg, Jeff ^[7]; Vanden Bout, Paul A ^[8]; Weiss, Axel ^[9]

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1. Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
2. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)
3. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944 (United States)
4. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
5. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States)
6. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019 (United States)
7. European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19 (Chile)
8. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 (United States)
9. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

We report the detection of CO(J = 1{yields}0) emission in the strongly lensed high-redshift quasars IRAS F10214+4724 (z = 2.286), the Cloverleaf (z = 2.558), RX J0911+0551 (z = 2.796), SMM J04135+10277 (z = 2.846), and MG 0751+2716 (z = 3.200), using the Expanded Very Large Array and the Green Bank Telescope. We report lensing-corrected CO(J = 1{yields}0) line luminosities of L'{sub CO} = (0.34-18.4) x 10{sup 10} K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2} and total molecular gas masses of M(H{sub 2}) = (0.27-14.7) x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} for the sources in our sample. Based on CO line ratios relative to previously reported observations in J {>=} 3 rotational transitions and line excitation modeling, we find that the CO(J = 1{yields}0) line strengths in our targets are consistent with single, highly excited gas components with constant brightness temperature up to mid-J levels. We thus do not find any evidence for luminous-extended, low-excitation, low surface brightness molecular gas components. These properties are comparable to those found in z > 4 quasars with existing CO(J = 1{yields}0) observations. These findings stand in contrast to recent CO(J = 1{yields}0) observations of z {approx_equal} 2-4 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs), which have lower CO excitation and show evidence for multiple excitation components, including some low-excitation gas. These findings are consistent with the picture that gas-rich quasars and SMGs represent different stages in the early evolution of massive galaxies.

• OSTI ID: 21565467
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 739; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BRIGHTNESS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EVOLUTION
EXCITATION
GALAXIES
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASARS