No Arabic abstract
We present new Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the [CII] 158 $mu$m transition and the dust continuum in HZ4, a typical star-forming galaxy when the Universe was only $sim1$ Gyr old ($zapprox5.5$). Our high $approx0.3$ spatial resolution allow us to study the relationships between [CII] line emission, star formation rate (SFR), and far-infrared (FIR) emission on spatial scales of $sim2$ kpc. In the central $sim$4 kpc of HZ4, the [CII]/FIR ratio is $sim3times10^{-3}$ on global scales as well as on spatially-resolved scales of $sim$2 kpc, comparable to the ratio observed in local moderate starburst galaxies such as M82 or M83. For the first time in an individual normal galaxy at this redshift, we find evidence for outflowing gas from the central star-forming region in the direction of the minor-axis of the galaxy. The projected velocity of the outflow is $sim400$ km s$^{-1}$, and the neutral gas mass outflow rate is $sim3-6$ times higher than the SFR in the central region. Finally, we detect a diffuse component of [CII] emission, or [CII]-halo, that extends beyond the star-forming disk and has a size of $sim12$ kpc in diameter. Most likely the outflow, which has a velocity approximately half the escape velocity of the system, is in part responsible for fueling the [CII] extended emission. Together with the kinematic analysis of HZ4 (presented in a forthcoming paper), the analysis supports that HZ4 is a typical star-forming disk at $zsim5$ with interstellar medium (ISM) conditions similar to present-day galaxies forming stars at a similar level, driving a galactic outflow that may already play a role in its evolution.
The early Universe at redshift zsim6-11 marks the reionization of the intergalactic medium, following the formation of the first generation of stars. However, those young galaxies at a cosmic age of lesssim 500 million years (Myr, at z gtrsim 10) remain largely unexplored as they are at or beyond the sensitivity limits of current large telescopes. Gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters enables the detection of high-redshift galaxies that are fainter than what otherwise could be found in the deepest images of the sky. We report the discovery of an object found in the multi-band observations of the cluster MACS1149+22 that has a high probability of being a gravitationally magnified object from the early universe. The object is firmly detected (12 sigma) in the two reddest bands of HST/WFC3, and not detected below 1.2 {mu}m, matching the characteristics of zsim9 objects. We derive a robust photometric redshift of z = 9.6 pm 0.2, corresponding to a cosmic age of 490 pm 15Myr (i.e., 3.6% of the age of the Universe). The large number of bands used to derive the redshift estimate make it one of the most accurate estimates ever obtained for such a distant object. The significant magnification by cluster lensing (a factor of sim15) allows us to analyze the objects ultra-violet and optical luminosity in its rest-frame, thus enabling us to constrain on its stellar mass, star-formation rate and age. If the galaxy is indeed at such a large redshift, then its age is less than 200 Myr (at the 95% confidence level), implying a formation redshift of zf lesssim 14. The object is the first z>9 candidate that is bright enough for detailed spectroscopic studies with JWST, demonstrating the unique potential of galaxy cluster fields for finding highly magnified, intrinsically faint galaxies at the highest redshifts.
We present an analysis of the molecular and atomic gas emission in the rest-frame far-infrared and sub-millimetre, from the lensed z=2.3 sub-millimetre galaxy SMM J2135-0102. We obtain very high signal-to-noise detections of 11 transitions from 3 species and limits on a further 20 transitions from 9 species. We use the 12CO, [CI] and HCN line strengths to investigate the gas mass, kinematic structure and interstellar medium (ISM) chemistry, and find strong evidence for a two-phase medium comprising a hot, dense, luminous component and an underlying extended cool, low-excitation massive component. Employing photo-dissociation region models we show that on average the molecular gas is exposed to a UV radiation field that is ~1000 x more intense than the Milky Way, with star-forming regions having a characteristic density of n~10^4 /cm^3. These conditions are similar to those found in local ULIRGs and in the central regions of typical starburst galaxies, even though the star formation rate is far higher in this system. The 12CO spectral line energy distribution and line profiles give strong evidence that the system comprises multiple kinematic components with different conditions, including temperature, and line ratios suggestive of high cosmic ray flux within clouds. We show that, when integrated over the galaxy, the gas and star-formation surface densities appear to follow the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation, although when compared to high-resolution sub-mm imaging, our data suggest that this relation breaks down on scales of <100pc. By virtue of the lens amplification, these observations uncover a wealth of information on the star formation and ISM at z~2.3 at a level of detail that has only recently become possible at z<0.1, and show the potential physical properties that will be studied in unlensed galaxies when ALMA is in full operation. (Abridged).
Galaxies grow inefficiently, with only a few percent of the available gas converted into stars each free-fall time. Feedback processes, such as outflowing winds driven by radiation pressure, supernovae or supermassive black hole accretion, can act to halt star formation if they heat or expel the gas supply. We report a molecular outflow launched from a dust-rich star-forming galaxy at redshift 5.3, one billion years after the Big Bang. The outflow reaches velocities up to 800 km/s relative to the galaxy, is resolved into multiple clumps, and carries mass at a rate within a factor of two of the star formation rate. Our results show that molecular outflows can remove a large fraction of the gas available for star formation from galaxies at high redshift.
We present VLT/SINFONI near-infrared (NIR) integral field spectroscopy of six $z sim 0.2$ Lyman break galaxy analogs (LBAs), from which we detect HI, HeI, and [FeII] recombination lines, and multiple H$_2$ ro-vibrational lines in emission. Pa$alpha$ kinematics reveal high velocity dispersions and low rotational velocities relative to random motions ($langle v/sigma rangle = 1.2 pm 0.8$). Matched-aperture comparisons of H$beta$, H$alpha$, and Pa$alpha$ reveal that the nebular color excesses are lower relative to the continuum color excesses than is the case for typical local star-forming systems. We compare observed HeI/HI recombination line ratios to photoionization models to gauge the effective temperatures (T$_{rm eff}$) of massive ionizing stars, finding the properties of at least one LBA are consistent with extra heating from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and/or an overabundance of massive stars. We use H$_2$ 1-0 S($cdot$) ro-vibrational spectra to determine rotational excitation temperature $T_{rm ex} sim 2000$ K for warm molecular gas, which we attribute to UV heating in dense photon-dominated regions. Spatially resolved NIR line ratios favor excitation by massive, young stars, rather than supernovae or AGN feedback. Our results suggest that the local analogs of Lyman break galaxies are primarily subject to strong feedback from recent star formation, with evidence for AGN and outflows in some cases.
We present high signal-to-noise ratio Gemini and MMT spectroscopy of the optical afterglow of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) 130606A at redshift z=5.913, discovered by Swift. This is the first high-redshift GRB afterglow to have spectra of comparable quality to those of z~6 quasars. The data exhibit a smooth continuum at near-infrared wavelengths that is sharply cut off blueward of 8410 Angs due to absorption from Ly-alpha at redshift z~5.91, with some flux transmitted through the Ly-alpha forest between 7000-7800 Angs. We use column densities inferred from metal absorption lines to constrain the metallicity of the host galaxy between a lower limit of [Si/H]>-1.7 and an upper limit of [S/H]<-0.5 set by the non-detection of S II absorption. We demonstrate consistency between the dramatic evolution in the transmission fraction of Ly-alpha seen in this spectrum over the redshift range z=4.9 to 5.85 with that previously measured from observations of high-redshift quasars. There is an extended redshift interval of Delta-z=0.12 in the Ly-alpha forest at z=5.77 with no detected transmission, leading to a 3-sigma upper limit on the mean Ly-alpha transmission fraction of <0.2% (or tau_eff(Ly-alpha) > 6.4). This is comparable to the lowest-redshift Gunn-Peterson troughs found in quasar spectra. We set a 2-sigma upper limit of 0.11 on the neutral fraction of the IGM at the redshift of the GRB from the lack of a Ly-alpha red damping wing, assuming a model with a constant neutral density. Some Ly-beta and Ly-gamma transmission is detected in this redshift window, indicating that it is not completely opaque, and hence that the IGM is nonetheless mostly ionized at these redshifts. GRB 130606A thus for the first time realizes the promise of GRBs as probes of the first galaxies and cosmic reionization.