Low star formation efficiency in typical galaxies at z=5-6


Abstract in English

Using the VLA and ALMA, we have obtained CO(2-1), [C II], [N II] line emission and multiple dust continuum measurements in a sample of normal galaxies at $z=5-6$. We report the highest redshift detection of low-$J$ CO emission from a Lyman Break Galaxy, at $zsim5.7$. The CO line luminosity implies a massive molecular gas reservoir of $(1.3pm0.3)(alpha_{rm CO}/4.5,M_odot$ (K km s$^{-1}$ pc$^2)^{-1})times10^{11},M_odot$, suggesting low star formation efficiency, with a gas depletion timescale of order $sim$1 Gyr. This efficiency is much lower than traditionally observed in $zgtrsim5$ starbursts, indicating that star forming conditions in Main Sequence galaxies at $zsim6$ may be comparable to those of normal galaxies probed up to $zsim3$ to-date, but with rising gas fractions across the entire redshift range. We also obtain a deep CO upper limit for a Main Sequence galaxy at $zsim5.3$ with $sim3$ times lower SFR, perhaps implying a high $alpha_{rm CO}$ conversion factor, as typically found in low metallicity galaxies. For a sample including both CO targets, we also find faint [N II] 205$,mu$m emission relative to [C II] in all but the most IR-luminous normal galaxies at $z=5-6$, implying more intense or harder radiation fields in the ionized gas relative to lower redshift. These radiation properties suggest that low metallicity may be common in typical $sim$10$^{10},M_odot$ galaxies at $z=5-6$. While a fraction of Main Sequence star formation in the first billion years may take place in conditions not dissimilar to lower redshift, lower metallicity may affect the remainder of the population.

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