[en] We present high-resolution CO(1-0) observations of the lensed submillimeter galaxy (SMG) SMM J14011+0252 at z = 2.6. Comparison to the previously detected CO(3-2) line gives an intensity ratio of r _3,1 = 0.97 ± 0.16 in temperature units, larger than is typical for SMGs but within the range seen in the low-z ultraluminous infrared galaxy population. Combining our new data with previous mid-J CO observations, we perform a single-phase large velocity gradient (LVG) analysis to constrain the physical conditions of the molecular gas. Acceptable models have significant degeneracies between parameters, even when we rule out all models that produce optically thin emission, but we find that the bulk of the molecular gas has T _kin = 20-60 K, n_H2∼10⁴-10⁵ cm^–3, and N _CO/Δv = 10^17.00±0.25 cm^–2 km^–1 s. For our best-fit models to self-consistently recover a typical CO-to-H₂ abundance and a plausible degree of virialization, the local velocity gradient in the molecular gas must be substantially larger than its galaxy-wide average. This conclusion is consistent with a scenario in which SMM J14011+0252 has a fairly face-on orientation and a molecular interstellar medium composed of many unresolved clouds. Using previous Hα observations, we find that SMM J14011+0252 has a spatially resolved star formation rate versus molecular gas surface density relation inconsistent with those of 'normal' local star-forming galaxies, even if we adopt a local 'disk-like' CO-to-H₂ conversion factor as motivated by our LVG analysis. This discrepancy supports the inference of a star formation relation for high-z starbursts distinct from the local relation that is not solely due to differing choices of gas mass conversion factor.

[en] We present multiline CO observations of the complex submillimeter galaxy SMM J00266+1708. Using the Zpectrometer on the Green Bank Telescope, we provide the first precise spectroscopic measurement of its redshift (z = 2.742). Based on followup CO(1-0), CO(3-2), and CO(5-4) mapping, SMM J00266+1708 appears to have two distinct components separated by ∼500 km s^–1 that are nearly coincident along our line of sight. The two components show hints of different kinematics, with the blueshifted component dispersion-dominated and the redshifted component showing a clear velocity gradient. CO line ratios differ slightly between the two components, indicating that the physical conditions in their molecular gas may not be alike. We tentatively infer that SMM J00266+1708 is an ongoing merger with a mass ratio of (7.8 ± 4.0)/sin ²(i), with its overall size and surface brightness closely resembling that of other merging systems. We perform large velocity gradient modeling of the CO emission from both components and find that each component's properties are consistent with a single phase of molecular gas (i.e., a single temperatures and density); additional multi-phase modeling of the redshifted component, although motivated by a CO(1-0) size larger than the CO(3-2) size, is inconclusive. SMM J00266+1708 provides evidence of early stage mergers within the submillimeter galaxy population. Continuum observations of J00266 at the ∼1'' resolution of our observations could not have distinguished between the two components due to their separation (0.''73 ± 0.''06), illustrating that the additional velocity information provided by spectral line studies is important for addressing the prevalence of unresolved galaxy pairs in low-resolution submillimeter surveys

[en] We report interferometric measurements of [N ii] 205 μm fine-structure line emission from a representative sample of three galaxies at z = 5–6 using the Atacama Large (sub)Millimeter Array (ALMA). These galaxies were previously detected in [C ii] and far-infrared continuum emission and span almost two orders of magnitude in star formation rate (SFR). Our results show at least two different regimes of ionized interstellar medium properties for galaxies in the first billion years of cosmic time, separated by their $L_{[\mathrm{C}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}/L_{[\mathrm{N}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}$ ratio. We find extremely low [N ii] emission compared to [C ii] ($L_{[\mathrm{C}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}/L_{[\mathrm{N}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}={68}_{-<!--\; ???\; -->28}^{+200}$) from a “typical” $\sim <!--\; ???\; -->L_{\mathrm{U}\mathrm{V}}^{\ast <!--\; ???\; -->}$ star-forming galaxy, likely directly or indirectly (by its effect on the radiation field) related to low dust abundance and low metallicity. The infrared-luminous modestly star-forming Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) in our sample is characterized by an ionized-gas fraction ($L_{[\mathrm{C}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}/L_{[\mathrm{N}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}\lesssim <!--\; ???\; -->20)$ typical of local star-forming galaxies and shows evidence for spatial variations in its ionized-gas fraction across an extended gas reservoir. The extreme SFR, warm and compact dusty starburst AzTEC-3 shows an ionized fraction higher than expected given its SFR surface density ($L_{[\mathrm{C}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}/L_{[\mathrm{N}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}]}=22\pm <!--\; ??\; -->8$) suggesting that [N ii] dominantly traces a diffuse ionized medium rather than star-forming H ii regions in this type of galaxy. This highest redshift sample of [N ii] detections provides some of the first constraints on ionized and neutral gas modeling attempts and on the structure of the interstellar medium at z = 5–6 in “normal” galaxies and starbursts.

[en] We report the detection of CO(J = 1→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→0) line luminosities of L'_CO = (0.34-18.4) x 10¹⁰ K km s^-1 pc² and total molecular gas masses of M(H₂) = (0.27-14.7) x 10¹⁰ M_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→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→0) observations. These findings stand in contrast to recent CO(J = 1→0) observations of z ≅ 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.

[en] We report the detection of CO(J = 2 → 1) emission from three massive dusty starburst galaxies at z > 5 through molecular line scans in the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) CO Luminosity Density at High Redshift (COLDz) survey. Redshifts for two of the sources, HDF 850.1 (z = 5.183) and AzTEC-3 (z = 5.298), were previously known. We revise a previous redshift estimate for the third source GN10 (z = 5.303), which we have independently confirmed through detections of CO J = 1 → 0, 5 → 4, 6 → 5, and [C ii] 158 μm emission with the VLA and the NOrthern Extended Milllimeter Array. We find that two currently independently confirmed CO sources in COLDz are “optically dark”, and that three of them are dust-obscured galaxies at z > 5. Given our survey area of ∼60 arcmin², our results appear to imply a ∼6–55 times higher space density of such distant dusty systems within the first billion years after the Big Bang than previously thought. At least two of these z > 5 galaxies show star formation rate surface densities consistent with so-called “maximum” starbursts, but we find significant differences in CO excitation between them. This result may suggest that different fractions of the massive gas reservoirs are located in the dense, star-forming nuclear regions—consistent with the more extended sizes of the [C ii] emission compared to the dust continuum and higher [C ii]-to-far-infrared luminosity ratios in those galaxies with lower gas excitation. We thus find substantial variations in the conditions for star formation between z > 5 dusty starbursts, which typically have dust temperatures that are ∼57% ± 25% warmer than starbursts at z = 2–3 due to their enhanced star formation activity.