GAS AND DUST IN A SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY AT z = 4.24 FROM THE HERSCHEL ATLAS

Journal Article · Thu Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/740/2/63; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21587375

Cox, P; Krips, M; Neri, R ^[1]; Omont, A ^[2]; Guesten, R; Menten, K M; Wyrowski, F; Weiss, A ^[3]; Beelen, A ^[4]; Gurwell, M A; Blundell, R ^[5]; Dannerbauer, H ^[6]; Ivison, R J ^[7]; Negrello, M ^[8]; Aretxaga, I; Hughes, D H ^[9]; Auld, R ^[10]; Baes, M ^[11]; Buttiglione, S ^[12]; Cava, A ^[13]

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1. IRAM, 300 rue de la piscine, F-38406 Saint-Martin d'Heres (France)
2. Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie and CNRS (UMR7095), 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris (France)
3. MPIfR, Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany)
4. IAS, Bat. 121, Universite Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay Cedex (France)
5. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Mail Stop 42, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
6. AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Universite de Paris Diderot, DAPNIA/Service d'Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
7. UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)
8. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)
9. Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica, Aptdo. Postal 51 y 216, 72000 Puebla (Mexico)
10. School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom)
11. Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, S9, B-9000 Gent (Belgium)
12. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy and SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste (Italy)
13. Departamento de Astrofisica, Facultad de CC. Fisicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

We report ground-based follow-up observations of the exceptional source, ID 141, one of the brightest sources detected so far in the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey cosmological survey. ID 141 was observed using the IRAM 30 m telescope and Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI), the Submillimeter Array, and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment submillimeter telescope to measure the dust continuum and emission lines of the main isotope of carbon monoxide and carbon ([C I] and [C II]). The detection of strong CO emission lines with the PdBI confirms that ID 141 is at high redshift (z = 4.243 {+-} 0.001). The strength of the continuum and emission lines suggests that ID 141 is gravitationally lensed. The width ({Delta}V{sub FWHM} {approx} 800 km s{sup -1}) and asymmetric profiles of the CO and carbon lines indicate orbital motion in a disk or a merger. The properties derived for ID 141 are compatible with an ultraluminous (L{sub FIR} {approx} (8.5 {+-} 0.3) x 10{sup 13} {mu}{sup -1}{sub L} L{sub sun}, where {mu}{sub L} is the amplification factor), dense (n {approx} 10{sup 4} cm{sup -3}), and warm (T{sub kin} {approx} 40 K) starburst galaxy, with an estimated star formation rate of (0.7-1.7) x 10{sup 4} {mu}{sup -1}{sub L} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. The carbon emission lines indicate a dense (n {approx} 10{sup 4} cm{sup -3}) photon-dominated region, illuminated by a far-UV radiation field a few thousand times more intense than that in our Galaxy. In conclusion, the physical properties of the high-z galaxy ID 141 are remarkably similar to those of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies.

• OSTI ID: 21587375
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 740; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COSMIC GASES
DUSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
EVOLUTION
FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
FLUIDS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GASES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION