MOLECULAR GAS IN LENSED z >2 QUASAR HOST GALAXIES AND THE STAR FORMATION LAW FOR GALAXIES WITH LUMINOUS ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/108· OSTI ID:21574838

We report the detection of luminous CO(J = 2{yields}1), CO(J = 3{yields}2), and CO(J = 4{yields}3) emission in the strongly lensed high-redshift quasars B1938+666 (z = 2.059), HE 0230-2130 (z = 2.166), HE 1104-1805 (z = 2.322), and B1359+154 (z = 3.240), using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. B1938+666 was identified in a 'blind' CO redshift search, demonstrating the feasibility of such investigations with millimeter interferometers. These galaxies are lensing-amplified by factors of {mu}{sub L} {approx_equal} 11-170, and thus allow us to probe the molecular gas in intrinsically fainter galaxies than currently possible without the aid of gravitational lensing. We report lensing-corrected intrinsic CO line luminosities of L'{sub CO} = 0.65-21x10{sup 9} K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2}, translating to H{sub 2} masses of M(H{sub 2}) = 0.52-17 x 10{sup 9} ({alpha}{sub CO}/0.8) M{sub sun}. To investigate whether or not the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in luminous quasars substantially contributes to L{sub FIR}, we study the L'{sub CO}-L{sub FIR} relation for quasars relative to galaxies without a luminous AGN as a function of redshift. We find no substantial differences between submillimeter galaxies and high-z quasars, but marginal evidence for an excess in L{sub FIR} in nearby low-L{sub FIR} AGN galaxies. This may suggest that an AGN contribution to L{sub FIR} is significant in systems with relatively low gas and dust content, but only minor in the most far-infrared-luminous galaxies (in which L{sub FIR} is dominated by star formation).

• OSTI ID: 21574838
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 730; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
EMISSION
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
LUMINOSITY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASARS