CO Spectral Line Energy Distributions Research Articles

A possible relation between global CO excitation and massive molecular outflows in local ULIRGs

Local ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) have been observed to host ubiquitous molecular outflows, including the most massive and powerful ever detected. These sources have also exceptionally excited global, galaxy-integrated CO ladders. A connection between outflows and molecular gas excitation has however never been established, since previous multi-$J$ CO surveys were limited in spectral resolution and sensitivity and so they could only probe the global molecular gas conditions. In this work, we address this question using new, ground-based, sensitive heterodyne spectroscopy of multiple CO rotational lines (up to CO(7--6)) in a sample of 17 local ULIRGs. We used the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope to survey the CO($J_ up lines at a high signal-to-noise ratio, and complemented these data with up APEX and Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA and ACA) observations presented in Montoya Arroyave et al. (2023). We detected a total of 74 (out of 75) CO lines, with up to six transitions per source. The resulting CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs) show a wide range in gas excitation, in agreement with previous studies on ULIRGs. Some CO SLEDs peak at up which we classify as ``lower excitation'', while others plateau or keep increasing up to the highest-$J$ CO transition probed, and we classify these as ``higher excitation''. Our analysis includes for completeness the results of CO SLED fits performed with a single large velocity gradient component, but our main focus is the investigation of possible links between global CO excitation and the presence of broad and/or high-velocity CO spectral components that can contain outflowing gas. We discovered an increasing trend of line width as a function of up $ of the CO transition, which is significant at the $4 level and appears to be driven by the eight sources that we classified as higher excitation. We further analyzed such higher-excitation ULIRGs, by performing a decomposition of their CO spectral profiles into multiple components and we derived CO ladders that are clearly more excited for the spectral components characterized by higher velocities and/or velocity dispersion. Because these sources are known to host widespread molecular outflows, we favor an interpretation whereby the highly excited CO-emitting gas in ULIRGs resides in galactic-scale massive molecular outflows whose emission fills a large fraction of the beam of our APEX high-$J$ CO observations. On the other hand, our results challenge alternative scenarios for which the high CO excitation in ULIRGs can be explained by classical component of the interstellar medium, such as photon- or X-ray dominated regions around the nuclear sources

Diverse Molecular Gas Excitations in Quasar Host Galaxies at z ∼ 6

We present observations using the Northern Extended Millimetre Array (NOEMA) of CO and H2O emission lines and the underlying dust continuum in two quasars at z ∼ 6, i.e., P215−16 at z = 5.78 and J1429+5447 at z = 6.18. Notably, among all published CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs) of quasars at z ∼ 6, the two systems reveal the highest and the lowest CO levels of excitation, respectively. Our radiative transfer modeling of the CO SLED of P215−16 suggests that the molecular gas heated by active galactic nuclei could be a plausible origin for the high CO excitation. For J1429+5447, we obtain the first well-sampled CO SLED (from transitions from 2−1 to 10−9) of a radio-loud quasar at z ≳ 6. Analysis of the CO SLED suggests that a component from a single photodissociation region could explain the CO excitation in the radio-loud quasar J1429+5447. This work highlights the utility of the CO SLED in uncovering the properties of the interstellar medium in these young quasar–starburst systems at the highest redshift. The diversity of the CO SLEDs reveals the complexities in gas conditions and excitation mechanisms at their early evolutionary stage.

First Constraints on Dense Molecular Gas at z = 7.5149 from the Quasar Pōniuā‘ena

We report the detection of CO(6–5) and CO(7–6) and their underlying continua from the host galaxy of quasar J100758.264+211529.207 (Pōniuā‘ena) at z = 7.5149, obtained with the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array. Pōniuā‘ena belongs to the HYPerluminous quasars at the Epoch of ReionizatION sample of 18 z > 6 quasars selected to be powered by supermassive black holes, which experienced the fastest mass growth in the first cosmic gigayear. The one reported here is the highest-redshift measurement of the cold and dense molecular gas to date. The host galaxy is unresolved, and the line luminosity implies a molecular reservoir of M(H2) = (2.2 ± 0.2) × 1010 M ⊙, assuming a CO spectral line energy distribution typical of high-redshift quasars and a conversion factor α = 0.8 . We model the cold dust spectral energy distribution to derive a dust mass of M dust = (1.7 ± 0.6) × 108 M ⊙ and thus, a gas-to-dust ratio ∼130. Both the gas and dust mass are remarkably similar to the reservoirs found for luminous quasars at z ∼ 6–7. We use the CO detection to derive an estimate of the cosmic mass density of H2, . This value is in line with the general trend suggested by literature estimates at z < 7 and agrees fairly well with the latest theoretical expectations of nonequilibrium molecular-chemistry cosmological simulations of cold gas at early times.

Resolved CO(1–0) Emission and Gas Properties in Luminous Dusty Star-forming Galaxies at z = 2–4

We present the results of a survey of CO(1−0) emission in 14 infrared luminous dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at 2 < z < 4 with the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. All sources are detected in 12CO(1−0), with an angular resolution of ∼1″. Seven sources show extended and complex structure. We measure CO luminosities of K km s−1 pc2, and molecular gas masses of M ⊙, where (μ) is the magnification factor. The derived molecular gas depletion times of t dep = 40–460 Myr, cover the expected range of both normal star-forming galaxies and starbursts. Compared to the higher −J CO transitions previously observed for the same sources, we find CO temperature brightness ratios of r 32/10 = 0.4–1.4, r 43/10 = 0.4–1.7, and r 54/10 = 0.3–1.3. We find a wide range of CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs), in agreement with other high-z DSFGs, with the exception of three sources that are most comparable to Cloverleaf and APM08279+5255. Based on radiative transfer modeling of the CO SLEDs we determine densities of cm−3 and temperatures of T K = 100–200 K. Lastly, four sources are detected in the continuum, three have radio emission consistent with their infrared-derived star formation rates, while HerBS-70E requires an additional synchrotron radiation component from an active galactic nucleus. Overall, we find that even though the sample is similarly luminous in the infrared, by tracing the CO(1−0) emission a diversity of galaxy and excitation properties are revealed, demonstrating the importance of CO(1−0) observations in combination to higher-J transitions.

The State of the Molecular Gas in Post-starburst Galaxies

The molecular gas in galaxies traces both the fuel for star formation and the processes that can enhance or suppress star formation. Observations of the molecular gas state can thus point to when and why galaxies stop forming stars. In this study, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the molecular gas in galaxies evolving through the post-starburst phase. These galaxies have low current star formation rates (SFRs), regardless of the SFR tracer used, with recent starbursts ending within the last 600 Myr. We present CO (3–2) observations for three post-starburst galaxies, and dense gas HCN/HCO+/HNC (1–0) observations for six (four new) post-starburst galaxies. The post-starbursts have low excitation traced by the CO spectral-line energy distribution up to CO (3–2), more similar to early-type than starburst galaxies. The low excitation indicates that lower density rather than high temperatures may suppress star formation during the post-starburst phase. One galaxy displays a blueshifted outflow traced by CO (3–2). MaNGA observations show that the ionized gas velocity is disturbed relative to the stellar velocity field, with a blueshifted component aligned with the molecular gas outflow, suggestive of a multiphase outflow. Low ratios of HCO+/CO, indicating low fractions of dense molecular gas relative to the total molecular gas, are seen throughout post-starburst phase, except for the youngest post-starburst galaxy considered here. These observations indicate that the impact of any feedback or quenching processes may be limited to low excitation and weak outflows in the cold molecular gas during the post-starburst phase.

The Unusual AGN Host NGC 1266: Evidence for Shocks in a Molecular Gas Rich S0 Galaxy with a Low Luminosity Nucleus

NGC 1266 is a lenticular galaxy (S0) hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and known to contain a large amount of shocked gas. We compare the luminosity ratio of mid-J CO lines to IR continuum with star-forming galaxies (SFGs), and then model the CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED). We confirm that in the mid- and high-J regions (J up = 4–13), the C-type shock (v s = 25 km s−1, n H = 5 × 104 cm−3) can reproduce the CO observations well. The galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) is constructed and modeled by the code X-CIGALE and obtains a set of physical parameters including the star formation rate (SFR, 1.17 ± 0.47 M ⊙ yr−1). Also, our work provides SFR derivation of [C ii] from the neutral hydrogen regions only (1.38 ± 0.14 M ⊙yr−1). Previous studies have illusive conclusions on the AGN or starburst nature of the NGC 1266 nucleus. Our SED model shows that the hidden AGN in the system is intrinsically low-luminosity, consequently the infrared luminosity of the AGN does not reach the expected level. Archival data from NuSTAR hard X-ray observations in the 3–79 keV band shows a marginal detection, disfavoring presence of an obscured luminous AGN and implying that a compact starburst is more likely dominant for the NGC 1266 nucleus.

Central concentration of warm and dense molecular gas in a strongly lensed submillimeter galaxy at z = 6

Abstract We report the detection of the CO(12–11) line emission toward G09-83808 (or H-ATLAS J090045.4+004125), a strongly-lensed submillimeter galaxy at z = 6.02, with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations. Combining previously detected [O iii] 88 μm, [N ii] 205 μm, and dust continuum at 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm, we investigate the physical properties of the multi-phase interstellar medium in G09-83808. A source-plane reconstruction reveals that the region of the CO(12–11) emission is compact ($R_\mathrm{{e, CO}}=0.49^{+0.29}_{-0.19}\:\mbox{kpc}$) and roughly coincides with that of the dust continuum. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer modeling of CO spectral-line energy distribution reveals that most of the CO(12–11) emission comes from a warm (kinetic temperature of Tkin = 320 ± 170 K) and dense [log (nH2/cm−3) = 5.4 ± 0.6] gas, indicating that the warm and dense molecular gas is concentrated in the central 0.5 kpc region. The luminosity ratio in G09-83808 is estimated to be LCO(12-11)/LCO(6-5) = 1.1 ± 0.2. The high ratio is consistent with those in local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and 6 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 7 quasars, the fact of which implies that G09-83808 would be a good target to explore dust-obscured AGNs in the epoch of reionization. In the reconstructed [O iii] 88 μm and [N ii] 205 μm cubes, we also find that a monotonic velocity gradient is extending over the central starburst region by a factor of 2 and that star-forming sub-components exist. High-resolution observations of bright [C ii] 158 μm line emissions will enable us to characterize the kinematics of a possible rotating disk and the nature of the sub-components.

A CO isotopologue Line Atlas within the Whirlpool galaxy Survey (CLAWS)

We present the CO isotopologue Line Atlas within the Whirpool galaxy Survey (CLAWS), which is based on an IRAM 30 m large programme that provides a benchmark study of numerous faint CO isotopologues in the millimetre-wavelength regime across the full disc of the nearby grand-design spiral galaxy M 51 (NGC 5194). The survey’s core goal is to use the low-J CO isotopologue lines to constrain CO excitation and chemistry, and therefrom the local physical conditions of the gas. In this survey paper, we describe the CLAWS observing and data reduction strategies. We map the J = 1 → 0 and 2 → 1 transitions of the CO isotopologues 12CO, 13CO, C18O, and C17O, as well as several supplementary lines within the 1 mm and 3 mm window (CN(1-0), CS (2-1), CH3OH(2-1), N2H+ (1–0), and HC3N (10–9)) at ~1 kpc resolution. A total observation time of 149 h offers unprecedented sensitivity. We use these data to explore several CO isotopologue line ratios in detail, study their radial (and azimuthal) trends, and investigate whether changes in line ratios stem from changes in interstellar medium properties such as gas temperatures, densities, or chemical abundances. For example, we find negative radial trends for the 13CO/12CO, C18O/12CO, and C18O/13CO line ratios in their J = 1 → 0 transitions. We also find variations with the local environment, such as higher 12CO (2–1)/(1–0) or 13CO/12CO (1-0) line ratios in interarm regions compared to spiral arm regions. We propose that these aforementioned variations in CO line ratios are most likely due to a variation in the optical depth, though abundance variations due to selective nucleosynthesis on a galaxy-wide scale could also play a role. We also study the CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) using archival JCMT 12CO (3–2) data and find a variation in the SLED shape with local environmental parameters, suggesting changes in the optical depth, gas temperatures, or densities.

Molecular gas properties of Planck-selected protocluster candidates at z ≃ 1.3–3

We report on IRAM 30-m/EMIR observations of 38 Herschel sources chosen as the brightest red submillimeter (submm) sources in 18 Planck-selected fields drawn from the Planck high-z (PHz) sample of protocluster candidates. These fields host overdensities of red Herschel sources, with high star formation rates (∼10 000 M⊙ yr−1), as obtained from the Planck measurements. The goals of these observations are to measure the spectroscopic redshifts of the Herschel sources in the PHz fields, investigate the origin of their bright submm emission, and find evidence of their association with high-z protoclusters. We detected 40 CO lines on a total of 24 bright (S​350 μm &gt; 40 mJy) Herschel sources in 14 of the 18 PHz fields. The measured average redshift is ⟨zCO⟩ = 2.25 ± 0.09, spanning a range from 1.32 to 2.75. We measured the redshifts for multiple Herschel sources in projected proximity in eight PHz fields. In half of those fields, we detected between two and three objects at similar redshifts, supporting the idea that the PHz fields contain high-z protoclusters. The detection of sources at different redshifts in the same field demonstrates that foreground and background sources also contribute to the total submm emission. We compared the properties of the molecular gas and of the star formation activity of our sources with samples of normal star-forming galaxies (SFGs), submm galaxies (SMGs), and CO-detected cluster and protocluster galaxies drawn from the literature at similar redshifts. We find that the PHz-IRAM sources are mainly normal SFGs, with only ∼20% undergoing a starburst phase. The PHz-IRAM sources are characterized by star formation rates (⟨SFR⟩ = 1043 ± 157 M⊙ yr−1) and gas masses (⟨Mgas⟩ = (4.0 ± 0.7) × 1011 M⊙) that are, on average, eight and five times higher than those typical of normal SFGs at similar redshifts. Their dust temperatures (⟨Tdust⟩ = 29.2 ± 0.9 K) and depletion timescales (⟨τdep⟩ = 0.47 ± 0.07 Gyr) are instead consistent with those of normal SFGs. The analysis of the CO spectral line energy distribution, available for ten PHz-IRAM sources, peaks at a low quantum rotation number (Jup = 3) in most of the cases, implying low gas excitation. These properties imply that a significant number of PHz-IRAM sources contain extended and cold molecular gas reservoirs at low excitation and that their star formation is driven by secular processes. Multiplicity and moderate gravitational lensing might also play a role in producing the observed properties. Some of these properties are also observed in other CO-detected infrared-luminous protocluster galaxies at z ≃ 1.3 − 3. We find that the protoclusters with the highest level of star formation, drawn from the largest volume simulations available to date, exhibit similar SFRs as compared to the PHz protoclusters; however, they separate out into a higher number of star-forming galaxies. Millimeter and CO observations at higher spatial resolution than those presented here would be necessary to further elucidate the properties of our PHz-IRAM sources and determine which mechanisms drive star formation in infrared-luminous protocluster galaxies.

CO excitation and line energy distributions in gas-selected galaxies

ABSTRACT While emission-selected galaxy surveys are biased towards the most luminous part of the galaxy population, absorption selection is a potentially unbiased galaxy selection technique with respect to luminosity. However, the physical properties of absorption-selected galaxies are not well characterized. Here, we study the excitation conditions in the interstellar medium (ISM) in damped Ly α (DLA) absorption-selected galaxies. We present a study of the CO spectral-line energy distribution (SLED) in four high-metallicity absorption-selected galaxies with previously reported CO detections at intermediate (z ∼ 0.7) and high (z ∼ 2) redshifts. We find further evidence for a wide variety of ISM conditions in these galaxies. Two out of the four galaxies show CO SLEDs consistent with that of the Milky Way inner disc. Interestingly, one of these galaxies is at z ∼ 2 and has a CO SLED below that of main-sequence galaxies at similar redshifts. The other two galaxies at z &amp;gt; 2 show more excited ISM conditions, with one of them showing thermal excitation of the mid-J (J = 3, 4) levels, similar to that seen in two massive main-sequence galaxies at these redshifts. Overall, we find that absorption selection traces a diverse population of galaxies.

Massive Molecular Gas Reservoir in a Luminous Submillimeter Galaxy during Cosmic Noon

Abstract We present multiband observations of an extremely dusty star-forming lensed galaxy (HERS1) at z = 2.553. High-resolution maps of HST/WFC3, SMA, and ALMA show a partial Einstein ring with a radius of ∼3″. The deeper HST observations also show the presence of a lensing arc feature associated with a second lens source, identified to be at the same redshift as the bright arc based on a detection of the [N ii] 205 μm emission line with ALMA. A detailed model of the lensing system is constructed using the high-resolution HST/WFC3 image, which allows us to study the source-plane properties and connect rest-frame optical emission with properties of the galaxy as seen in submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. Corrected for lensing magnification, the spectral energy distribution fitting results yield an intrinsic star formation rate of about 1000 ± 260 M ⊙ yr−1, a stellar mass M * = 4.3 − 1.0 + 2.2 × 10 11 M ⊙ , and a dust temperature T d = 35 − 1 + 2 K. The intrinsic CO emission line (J up = 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) flux densities and CO spectral line energy distribution are derived based on the velocity-dependent magnification factors. We apply a radiative transfer model using the large velocity gradient method with two excitation components to study the gas properties. The low-excitation component has a gas density n H 2 = 10 3.8 ± 0.6 cm−3 and kinetic temperature T k = 18 − 5 + 7 K, and the high-excitation component has n H 2 = 10 3.1 ± 0.4 cm−3 and T k = 480 − 220 + 260 K. Additionally, HERS1 has a gas fraction of about 0.19 ± 0.14 and is expected to last 100 Myr. These properties offer a detailed view of a typical submillimeter galaxy during the peak epoch of star formation activity.

Molecular Line Observations in Two Dusty Star-forming Galaxies at z = 6.9

Abstract SPT0311-58 is the most massive infrared luminous system discovered so far during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the molecular interstellar medium at z = 6.9, through high resolution observations of the CO(6–5), CO(7–6), CO(10–9), [C i](2–1), and p‐H2O(21,1 −20,2) lines and dust continuum emissions with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The system consists of a pair of intensely star-forming, gravitationally lensed galaxies (labeled West and East). The intrinsic far-infrared luminosity is (16 ± 4) × 1012 L ⊙ in West and (27 ± 4) × 1011 L ⊙ in East. We model the dust, CO, and [C i] using non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer models and estimate the intrinsic gas mass to be (5.4 ± 3.4) × 1011 M ⊙ in West and (3.1 ± 2.7) × 1010 M ⊙ in East. We find that the CO spectral line energy distribution in West and East are typical of high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). The CO-to-H2 conversion factor (α CO) and the gas depletion timescales estimated from the model are consistent with the high-redshift SMGs in the literature within the uncertainties. We find no evidence of evolution of depletion time with redshift in SMGs at z &gt; 3. This is the most detailed study of molecular gas content of a galaxy in the EoR to date, with the most distant detection of H2O in a galaxy without any evidence for active galactic nuclei in the literature.

ALMA multiline survey of the ISM in two quasar host-companion galaxy pairs at z &gt; 6

We present a multiline survey of the interstellar medium (ISM) in two z &gt; 6 quasar host galaxies, PJ231−20 (z = 6.59) and PJ308−21 (z = 6.23), and their two companion galaxies. Observations were carried out using the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array (ALMA). We targeted 11 transitions including atomic fine-structure lines (FSLs) and molecular lines: [NII]205 μm, [CI]369 μm, CO (Jup = 7, 10, 15, 16), H2O 312 − 221, 321 − 312, 303 − 212, and the OH163 μm doublet. The underlying far-infrared (FIR) continuum samples the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the respective dust emission. By combining this information with our earlier ALMA [CII]158 μm observations, we explored the effects of star formation and black hole feedback on the ISM of the galaxies using the CLOUDY radiative transfer models. We estimated dust masses, spectral indexes, IR luminosities, and star-formation rates from the FIR continuum. The analysis of the FSLs indicates that the [CII]158 μm and [CI]369 μm emission arises predominantly from the neutral medium in photodissociation regions (PDRs). We find that line deficits agree with those of local luminous IR galaxies. The CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs) reveal significant high-J CO excitation in both quasar hosts. Our CO SLED modeling of the quasar PJ231−20 shows that PDRs dominate the molecular mass and CO luminosities for Jup ≤ 7, while the Jup ≥ 10 CO emission is likely driven by X-ray dissociation regions produced by the active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the very center of the quasar host. The Jup &gt; 10 lines are undetected in the other galaxies in our study. The H2O 321 − 312 line detection in the same quasar places this object on the LH2O − LTIR relation found for low-z sources, thus suggesting that this water vapor transition is predominantly excited by IR pumping. Models of the H2O SLED and of the H2O-to-OH163 μm ratio point to PDR contributions with high volume and column density (nH ∼ 0.8 × 105 cm−3, NH = 1024 cm−2) in an intense radiation field. Our analysis suggests a less highly excited medium in the companion galaxies. However, the current data do not allow us to definitively rule out an AGN in these sources, as suggested by previous studies of the same objects. This work demonstrates the power of multiline studies of FIR diagnostics in order to dissect the physical conditions in the first massive galaxies emerging from cosmic dawn.

Herschel and Odin observations of H2O, CO, CH, CH+, and [N II] in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365

Context. The Odin satellite is now into its twentieth year of operation, much surpassing its design life of two years. One of its major astronomical pursuits was the search for and study of water vapor in diverse regions of the Solar System and the Milky Way galaxy. The Herschel space observatory was needed to detect water vapor in external galaxies. Aims. Our goal is to study the distribution and excitation of water vapor and other molecules in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365. Methods. Herschel has observed the central region of NGC 1365 in two positions, and both its SPIRE and PACS observations are available in the Herschel Science Archive. Herschel PACS images have been produced of the 70 and 160 μm infrared emission from the whole galaxy, and also of the cold dust distribution as obtained from the ratio of the 160 to 70 μm images. The Herschel SPIRE observations have been used to produce simultaneously observed maps of the 557 GHz o-H2O, 752 GHz p-H2O, 691 GHz CO(6−5), 1037 GHz CO(9−8), 537 GHz CH, 835 GHz CH+, and the 1461 GHz [N II] lines (efficiently probing the warm ionized medium) in the inner bar and circumnuclear torus region; – however, these observations have no effective velocity resolution. For this reason Odin has recently observed the 557 GHz ortho-H2O ground state line in the central region with high (5 km s−1) spectral resolution. Results. The emission and absorption of H2O at 557 GHz, with a velocity resolution of 5 km s−1, has been marginally detected in NGC 1365 with Odin. The water vapor is predominantly located in a shocked 15″ (1.3 kpc) region near some central compact radio sources and hot-spot H II regions, close to the northeast component of the molecular torus surrounding the nucleus. An analysis of the H2O line intensities and velocities indicates that a shock-region is located here. This is corroborated by a statistical image deconvolution of our SEST CO(3−2) observations, yielding 5″ resolution, and a study of our Very Large Array H I absorption observations, as well as comparisons with published interferometric CO observations. Additionally, an enticing 20″ H I ridge is found to extend south-southeast from the nucleus, coinciding in position with the southern edge of an O III outflow cone, emanating from the nucleus. The molecular chemistry of the shocked central region of NGC 1365 is analyzed with special emphasis on the CO, H2O and CH, CH+ results. Conclusions. The dominating activity near the northeast (NE) torus component may have been triggered by the rapid bar-driven inflow into the circumnuclear torus causing cloud-cloud collisions and shocks, leading to the formation of stellar superclusters and, hence, also to more efficient PDR chemistry, which, here, may also benefit from cosmic ray focusing caused by the observed aligned magnetic field. The very high activity near the NE torus component may reflect the fact that the eastern bar-driven gas inflow into the NE region is much more massive than the corresponding western gas inflow into the southwest region. The H2O and CH+ emissions peak in the NE torus region, but the CO and CH emissions are more evenly distributed across the whole circumnuclear torus. The higher energy CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) is nicely modeled by a low velocity (10 km s−1) shock, which may as well explain the required CH excitation and its high abundance in denser gas. The higher velocity (40 km s−1) shock required to model the H2O SLED in the NE torus region, paired with the intense UV radiation from the observed massive young stellar superclusters, may also explain the high abundance of CH+ in this region. The nuclear H I ridge may have been created by the action of outflow-driving X-ray photons colliding with ice-covered dust grains. A precessing nuclear engine, as is suggested by the tilted massive inner gas torus, may be necessary to explain the various nuclear outflows encountered.

An ALMA/NOEMA survey of the molecular gas properties of high-redshift star-forming galaxies

ABSTRACT We have used ALMA and NOEMA to study the molecular gas reservoirs in 61 ALMA-identified submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the COSMOS, UDS, and ECDFS fields. We detect 12CO ($J_{\rm up} =$ 2–5) emission lines in 50 sources, and [C i](3P1 − 3P0) emission in eight, at $z =$ 1.2–4.8 and with a median redshift of 2.9 ± 0.2. By supplementing our data with literature sources, we construct a statistical CO spectral line energy distribution and find that the 12CO line luminosities in SMGs peak at Jup ∼ 6, consistent with similar studies. We also test the correlations of the CO, [C i], and dust as tracers of the gas mass, finding the three to correlate well, although the CO and dust mass as estimated from the 3-mm continuum are preferable. We estimate that SMGs lie mostly on or just above the star-forming main sequence, with a median gas depletion timescale, tdep = Mgas/SFR, of 210 ± 40 Myr for our sample. Additionally, tdep declines with redshift across z ∼ 1–5, while the molecular gas fraction, μgas = Mgas/M*, increases across the same redshift range. Finally, we demonstrate that the distribution of total baryonic mass and dynamical line width, Mbaryon–σ, for our SMGs is consistent with that followed by early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster, providing strong support to the suggestion that SMGs are progenitors of massive local spheroidal galaxies. On the basis of this, we suggest that the SMG populations above and below an 870-μm flux limit of S870 ∼ 5 mJy may correspond to the division between slow and fast rotators seen in local early-type galaxies.

CO emission in distant galaxies on and above the main sequence

We present the detection of multiple carbon monoxide CO line transitions with ALMA in a few tens of infrared-selected galaxies on and above the main sequence atz = 1.1−1.7. We reliably detected the emission of CO (5 − 4), CO (2 − 1), and CO (7 − 6)+[C I](3P2 − 3P1) in 50, 33, and 13 galaxies, respectively, and we complemented this information with available CO (4 − 3) and [C I](3P1 − 3P0) fluxes for part of the sample, and by modeling of the optical-to-millimeter spectral energy distribution. We retrieve a quasi-linear relation betweenLIRand CO (5 − 4) or CO (7 − 6) for main-sequence galaxies and starbursts, corroborating the hypothesis that these transitions can be used as star formation rate (SFR) tracers. We find the CO excitation to steadily increase as a function of the star formation efficiency, the mean intensity of the radiation field warming the dust (⟨U⟩), the surface density of SFR (ΣSFR), and, less distinctly, with the distance from the main sequence (ΔMS). This adds to the tentative evidence for higher excitation of the CO+[C I] spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of starburst galaxies relative to that for main-sequence objects, where the dust opacities play a minor role in shaping the high-JCO transitions in our sample. However, the distinction between the average SLED of upper main-sequence and starburst galaxies is blurred, driven by a wide variety of intrinsic shapes. Large velocity gradient radiative transfer modeling demonstrates the existence of a highly excited component that elevates the CO SLED of high-redshift main-sequence and starbursting galaxies above the typical values observed in the disk of the Milky Way. This excited component is dense and it encloses ∼50% of the total molecular gas mass in main-sequence objects. We interpret the observed trends involving the CO excitation as to be mainly determined by a combination of large SFRs and compact sizes, as a large ΣSFRis naturally connected with enhanced dense molecular gas fractions and higher dust and gas temperatures, due to increasing ultraviolet radiation fields, cosmic ray rates, as well as dust and gas coupling. We release the full data compilation and the ancillary information to the community.

Probing the Full CO Spectral Line Energy Distribution (SLED) in the Nuclear Region of a Quasar-starburst System at z = 6.003

Abstract We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of CO(8–7), (9–8), , and and NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array observations of CO(5–4), (6–5), (12–11), and (13–12) toward the z = 6.003 quasar SDSS J231038.88+185519.7, aiming to probe the physical conditions of the molecular gas content of this source. We present the best sampled CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) at z = 6.003, and analyzed it with the radiative transfer code MOLPOP-CEP. Fitting the CO SLED to a one-component model indicates a kinetic temperature T kin = 228 K, molecular gas density ) = 4.75, and CO column density ; although, a two-component model better fits the data. In either case, the CO SLED is dominated by a “warm” and “dense” component. Compared to samples of local (Ultra) Luminous Infrared Galaxies, starburst galaxies, and high-redshift submillimeter galaxies, J2310+1855 exhibits higher CO excitation at (J ≥ 8), like other high-redshift quasars. The high CO excitation, together with the enhanced , , and ratios, suggests that besides the UV radiation from young massive stars, other mechanisms such as shocks, cosmic-rays, and X-rays might also be responsible for the heating and ionization of the molecular gas. In the nuclear region probed by the molecular emissions lines, any of these mechanisms might be present due to the powerful quasar and the starburst activity.

Impact of X-rays on CO emission from high-z galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the impact of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) on the CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of high-z galaxies. In particular, we want to assess if the CO SLED can be used as a probe of AGN activity. To this purpose, we develop a semi-analytical model that takes into account the radiative transfer and the clumpy structure of giant molecular clouds where the CO lines are excited, their distribution in the galaxy disc, and the torus obscuration of the AGN radiation. We study the joint effect on the CO SLED excitation of (i) the X-ray luminosity from the AGNs (LX), (ii) the size of the molecular disc, (iii) the inclination angle (Ω) of the torus with respect to the molecular disc, and (iv) the Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) mean density. We also discuss the possibility of an enhanced cosmic ray ionization rate (CRIR). We find that the X-ray-dominated region (XDR) generated by the AGNs in every case enhances the CO SLED for J &gt; 5, with increasing excitation of high-J CO lines for increasing X-ray luminosity. Because high-z galaxies are compact, the XDR typically encloses the whole disc, thus its effect can be more important with respect to lower redshift objects. The impact of the XDR can be disentangled from an enhanced CRIR either if $L_\mathrm{ X}\,\gt\, 10^{44} \rm \, erg\, s^{-1}$, or if Ω ≥ 60°. We finally provide predictions on the CO(7–6)/[C ii] and CO(17–16)/[C ii] ratios as a function of LX, which can be relevant for ALMA follow-up of galaxies and quasars previously detected in [C ii].

Radiative and mechanical feedback into the molecular gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud

With an aim of probing the physical conditions and excitation mechanisms of warm molecular gas in individual star-forming regions, we performed Herschel SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) observations of 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In our FTS observations, important far-infrared (FIR) cooling lines in the interstellar medium, including CO J = 4–3 to J = 13–12, [C I] 370 μm, and [N II] 205 μm, were clearly detected. In combination with ground-based CO J = 1–0 and J = 3–2 data, we then constructed CO spectral line energy distributions (SLEDs) on ~10 pc scales over a ~60 pc × 60 pc area and found that the shape of the observed CO SLEDs considerably changes across 30 Doradus. For example, the peak transition Jp varies from J = 6–5 to J = 10–9, while the slope characterized by the high-to-intermediate J ratio α ranges from ~0.4 to ~1.8. To examine the source(s) of these variations in CO transitions, we analyzed the CO observations, along with [C II] 158 μm, [C I] 370 μm, [O I] 145 μm, H2 0–0 S(3), and FIR luminosity data, using state-of-the-art models of photodissociation regions and shocks. Our detailed modeling showed that the observed CO emission likely originates from highly compressed (thermal pressure P∕kB ~ 107–109 K cm−3) clumps on ~0.7–2 pc scales, which could be produced by either ultraviolet (UV) photons (UV radiation field GUV ~ 103–105 Mathis fields) or low-velocity C-type shocks (pre-shock medium density npre ~ 104–106 cm−3 and shock velocity vs ~ 5–10 km s−1). Considering the stellar content in 30 Doradus, however, we tentatively excluded the stellar origin of CO excitation and concluded that low-velocity shocks driven by kiloparsec-scale processes (e.g., interaction between the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds) are likely the dominant source of heating for CO. The shocked CO-bright medium was then found to be warm (temperature T ~ 100–500 K) and surrounded by a UV-regulated low-pressure component (P∕kB ~ a few (104 –105) K cm−3) that is bright in [C II] 158 μm, [C I] 370 μm, [O I] 145 μm, and FIR dust continuum emission.

Far-infrared Properties of the Bright, Gravitationally Lensed Quasar J0439+1634 at z = 6.5

Abstract We present IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope/Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array-2 and Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the most distant known gravitationally lensed quasar, J0439+1634 at z = 6.5. We detect strong dust emission, [C ii] 158 μm, [C i] 369 μm, [O i] 146 μm, CO(6–5), CO(7–6), CO(9–8), CO(10–9), H2O 31,2−22,1, and H2O 32,1−31,2 lines, as well as a weak radio continuum. The strong [C ii] line yields a systemic redshift of the host galaxy to be z = 6.5188 ± 0.0002. The magnification makes J0439+1634 the far-infrared (FIR) brightest quasar at z &gt; 6 known, with the brightest [C ii] line yet detected at this redshift. The FIR luminosity is (3.4 ± 0.2) × 1013 μ −1 L ⊙, where μ ∼2.6–6.6 is the magnification of the host galaxy, estimated based on the lensing configuration from HST imaging. We estimate the dust mass to be (2.2 ± 0.1) × 109 μ −1 . The CO spectral line energy distribution using four CO lines are best fit by a two-component model of the molecular gas excitation. The estimates of molecular gas mass derived from CO lines, and atomic carbon mass are consistent, in the range of (3.9–8.9) × 1010 μ −1 . The [C ii]/[C i], [C ii]/CO, and [O i]/[C ii] line luminosity ratios suggest a photodissociation region model with more than one component. The ratio of H2O 32,1−31,2 line luminosity to L TIR is consistent with values in local and high-redshift ultra-/hyper-luminous infrared galaxies. The VLA observations reveal an unresolved radio continuum source, and indicate that J0439+1634 is a radio-quiet quasar with R = 0.05–0.17.