Bright Submillimeter Galaxies Research Articles

The RAdio Galaxy Environment Reference Survey (RAGERS)

Context. High-redshift radio(-loud) galaxies (HzRGs) are massive galaxies with powerful radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and serve as beacons for protocluster identification. However, the interplay between HzRGs and the large-scale environment remains unclear. Aims. To understand the connection between HzRGs and the surrounding obscured star formation, we investigated the overdensity and spatial distribution of submillimeter-bright galaxies (SMGs) in the field of 4C 23.56, a well-known HzRG at z = 2.48. Methods. We used SCUBA-2 data (σ ∼ 0.6 mJy) to estimate the 850 μm source number counts and examine the radial and azimuthal overdensities of the 850 μm sources in the vicinity of the HzRG. Results. The angular distribution of SMGs is inhomogeneous around the HzRG 4C 23.56, with fewer sources oriented along the radio jet. We also find a significant overdensity of bright SMGs (S​850 μm ≥ 5 mJy). Faint and bright SMGs exhibit different spatial distributions. The former are concentrated in the core region, while the latter prefer the outskirts of the HzRG field. High-resolution observations show that the seven brightest SMGs in our sample are intrinsically bright, suggesting that the overdensity of bright SMGs is less likely due to the source multiplicity.

Circumgalactic Lyα emission around submillimeter-bright galaxies with different quasar contributions

We present VLT/MUSE observations targeting the extended Lyman-α (Lyα) emission of five high-redshift (z ∼ 3-4) submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with increasing quasi-stellar object (QSO) radiation: two SMGs; two SMGs that host a QSO; and one SMG that hosts a QSO with an SMG companion (QSO+SMG). These sources are predicted to be located in dark matter halos of comparable masses (average mass of MDM ∼ 1012.2 M⊙). We quantified the luminosity and extent of the Lyα emission, together with its kinematics, and examined four Lyα powering mechanisms: photoionization from QSOs or star formation, shocks by galactic and/or QSO outflows, gravitational cooling radiation, and Lyα photon resonant scattering. We find a variety of Lyα luminosities and extents, with the QSO+SMG system displaying the most extended and bright nebula, followed by the SMGs hosting a QSO, and finally the undetected circumgalactic medium of SMGs. This diversity implies that gravitational cooling is unlikely to be the main powering mechanism. We show that photoionization from the QSO and QSO outflows can contribute to power the emission for average densities nH > 0.5 cm−3. Moreover, the observed Lyα luminosities scale with the QSO’s budget of Lyα photons modulo the dust content in each galaxy, highlighting a possible contribution from resonant scattering of QSO radiation in powering the nebulae. We find larger Lyα linewidths (FWHM ≳ 1200 km s−1) than usually reported around radio-quiet systems, pointing to large-scale outflows. A statistical survey targeting similar high-redshift massive systems with known host properties is needed to confirm our findings.

Characterizing CO Emitters in the SSA22-AzTEC26 Field

We report the physical characterization of four CO emitters detected near the bright submillimeter galaxy (SMG) SSA22-AzTEC26. We analyze the data from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array band 3, 4, and 7 observations of the SSA22-AzTEC26 field. In addition to the targeted SMG, we detect four line emitters with signal-to-noise ratio >5.2 in the cube smoothed with a 300 km s−1 FWHM Gaussian filter. All four sources have NIR counterparts within 1″. We perform UV-to-FIR spectral energy distribution modeling to derive the photometric redshifts and physical properties. Based on the photometric redshifts, we reveal that two of them are CO(2–1) at redshifts of 1.113 and 1.146 and one is CO(3–2) at z = 2.124. The three sources are massive galaxies with a stellar mass ≳1010.5 M ⊙, but have different levels of star formation. Two lie within the scatter of the main sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1–2, and the most massive galaxy lies significantly below the MS. However, all three sources have a gas fraction within the scatter of the MS scaling relation. This shows that a blind CO line search can detect massive galaxies with low specific star formation rates that still host large gas reservoirs and that it also complements targeted surveys, suggesting later gas acquisition and the need for other mechanisms in addition to gas consumption to suppress star formation.

The JCMT SCUBA-2 Survey of the James Webb Space Telescope North Ecliptic Pole Time-Domain Field

The James Webb Space Telescope Time-Domain Field (JWST-TDF) is an ∼14′ diameter field near the North Ecliptic Pole that will be targeted by one of the JWST Guaranteed Time Observations programs. Here, we describe our James Clerk Maxwell Telescope SCUBA-2 850 μm imaging of the JWST-TDF and present the submillimeter source catalog and properties. We also present a catalog of radio sources from Karl J. Jansky Very Large Array 3 GHz observations of the field. These observations were obtained to aid JWST's study of dust-obscured galaxies that contribute significantly to cosmic star formation at high redshifts. Our deep 850 μm map covers the JWST-TDF at a noise level of σ 850µm = 1.0 mJy beam−1, detecting 83/31 sources in the main/supplementary signal-to-noise ratio (S/N > 4 / S/N = 3.5–4) sample, respectively. The 3 GHz observations cover a 24′ diameter field with a 1σ noise of 1 μJy beam−1 at a 0.″7 FWHM. We identified eighty-five 3 GHz counterparts to sixty-six 850 μm sources and then matched these with multiwavelength data from the optical to the mid-infrared wave bands. We performed spectral energy distribution fitting for 61 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) matched with optical/near-infrared data, and found that SMGs at S/N > 4 have a median value of z phot = 2.22 ± 0.12, star formation rates of 300 ± 40 M ⊙ yr−1 (Chabrier initial mass function), and typical cold dust masses of 5.9 ± 0.7 × 108 M ⊙, in line with bright SMGs from other surveys. The large cold dust masses indicate correspondingly large cool gas masses, which we suggest are a key factor necessary to drive the high star formation rates seen in this population.

The ALPINE–ALMA [C ii] Survey: The Infrared–Radio Correlation and Active Galactic Nucleus Fraction of Star-forming Galaxies at z ∼ 4.4–5.9

We present the radio properties of 66 spectroscopically confirmed normal star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 4.4 < z < 5.9 in the COSMOS field that were [C ii]-detected in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Large Program to INvestigate [C ii] at Early times (ALPINE). We separate these galaxies (“C ii-detected-all”) into lower-redshift (“C ii-detected-lz”; 〈z〉 = 4.5) and higher-redshift (“C ii-detected-hz”; 〈z〉 = 5.6) subsamples, and stack multiwavelength imaging for each subsample from X-ray to radio bands. A radio signal is detected in the stacked 3 GHz images of the C ii-detected-all and lz samples at ≳3σ. We find that the infrared–radio correlation of our sample, quantified by q TIR, is lower than the local relation for normal SFGs at a ∼3σ significance level, and is instead broadly consistent with that of bright submillimeter galaxies at 2 < z < 5. Neither of these samples show evidence of dominant active galactic nucleus activity in their stacked spectral energy distributions (SEDs), UV spectra, or stacked X-ray images. Although we cannot rule out the possible effects of the assumed spectral index and applied infrared SED templates in causing these differences, at least partially, the lower obscured fraction of star formation than at lower redshift can alleviate the tension between our stacked q TIRs and those of local normal SFGs. It is possible that the dust buildup, which primarily governs the infrared emission, in addition to older stellar populations, has not had enough time to occur fully in these galaxies, whereas the radio emission can respond on a more rapid timescale. Therefore, we might expect a lower q TIR to be a general property of high-redshift SFGs.

The Einstein Ring GAL-CLUS-022058s: a Lensed Ultrabright Submillimeter Galaxy at z = 1.4796

Abstract We report an ultrabright lensed submillimeter galaxy at z spec = 1.4796, identified as a result of a full-sky cross-correlation of the AllWISE and Planck compact source catalogs aimed at searching for bright submillimeter galaxies at z ∼ 1.5–2.8. Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX)/LABOCA observations of the candidate galaxy reveal a source with flux S 870μ m = 54 ± 8 mJy. The position of the APEX source coincides with the position of the AllWISE mid-IR source and with the Einstein ring GAL-CLUS-022058s, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. Archival VLT/FORS observations reveal the redshift of this Einstein ring, z spec = 1.4796, and the detection of the CO(5–4) line at z spec = 1.4802 with APEX/nFLASH230 confirms the redshift of the submillimeter emission. The lensed source appears to be gravitationally magnified by a massive foreground galaxy cluster lens at z = 0.36. We use Lenstool to model the gravitational lensing, which is close to a “fold arc” configuration for an elliptical mass distribution of the central halo, where four images of the lensed galaxy are seen; the mean magnification is μ L = 18 ± 4. We have determined an intrinsic rest-frame infrared luminosity of L IR ≈1012 L ⊙ and a likely star formation rate of ∼70–170 M ⊙yr−1. The molecular gas mass is M mol ∼ 2.6 × 1010 M ⊙ and the gas fraction is f = 0.34 ± 0.07. We also obtain a stellar mass log (M */M ⊙) = 10.7 ± 0.1 and a specific star formation rate log (sSFR/Gyr−1) = 0.15 ± 0.03. This galaxy lies on the so-called main sequence of star-forming galaxies at this redshift.

NOEMA Redshift Measurements of Extremely Bright Submillimeter Galaxies near the GOODS-N

Abstract We report spectroscopic redshift measurements for three bright submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) near the GOODS-N field, each with SCUBA-2 850 μm fluxes &gt;10 mJy, using the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA). Our molecular line-scan observations of these sources, which occupy an ∼7 arcmin2 area outside of the Hubble Space Telescope coverage of the field, reveal that two lie at z ∼ 3.14. In the remaining object, we detect line emission consistent with CO(7–6), [C i], and H2O at z = 4.42. The far-infrared spectral energy distributions of these galaxies, constrained by SCUBA-2, NOEMA, and Herschel/SPIRE, indicate instantaneous star formation rates ∼4000 M ⊙ yr−1 in the z = 4.42 galaxy and ∼2500 M ⊙ yr−1 in the two z ∼ 3.14 galaxies. Based on the sources’ CO line luminosities, we estimate M gas ∼ 1011 M ⊙ and find gas depletion timescales of τ depl ∼ 50 Myr, consistent with findings in other high-redshift SMGs. Finally, we show that the two z ∼ 3.14 sources, which alone occupy a volume ∼10 Mpc3, very likely mark the location of a protocluster of bright SMGs and less-dusty optical sources.

The nature of sub-millimetre galaxies I: a comparison of AGN and star-forming galaxy SED fits

ABSTRACT High-redshift sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) are usually assumed to be powered by star formation. However, it has been clear for some time that &amp;gt;20 per cent of such sourcesbrighter than ≈3 mJy host quasars. Here, we analyse a complete sample of 12 sub-mm LABOCA/ALMA 870-μm sources in the centre of the William Herschel Deep Field (WHDF) with multiwavelength data available from the X-ray to the radio bands. Previously, two sources were identified as X-ray-absorbed quasars at z = 1.32 and z = 2.12. By comparing their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with unabsorbed quasars in the same field, we confirm that they are dust reddened although at a level significantly lower than implied by their X-ray absorption. Then, we compare the SEDs of all the sources to dust-reddened AGN and star-forming galaxy models. This optical/NIR comparison combined with Spitzer MIR colours and faint Chandra X-ray detections shows that 7/12 SMGs are best fitted with an obscured quasar model, a further 3/12 show no preference between AGN and star-forming templates, leaving only a z = 0.046 spiral galaxy and one unidentified source. So in our complete sample, the majority (10/12) of bright SMGs are at least as likely to fit an AGN as a star-forming galaxy template, although no claim is made to rule out the latter as SMG power sources. We then suggest modifications to a previous SMG number count model and conclude that obscured AGN in SMGs may still provide the dominant contribution to both the hard X-ray and sub-millimetre backgrounds.

ALMA Deep Field in SSA22

Deep surveys with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) have uncovered a population of dusty star-forming galaxies which are faint or even undetected at optical to near-infrared wavelengths. Their faintness at short wavelengths makes the detailed characterization of the population challenging. Here we present a spectroscopic redshift identification and a characterization of one of these near-infrared-dark galaxies discovered by an ALMA deep survey. The detection of [C I](1–0) and CO(4–3) emission lines determines the precise redshift of the galaxy, ADF22.A2, to be z = 3.9913 ± 0.0008. On the basis of a multi-wavelength analysis, ADF22.A2 is found to be a massive, star-forming galaxy with a stellar mass of M∗ = 1.1−0.6+1.3 × 1011 M⊙ and SFR = 430−150+230 M⊙ yr−1. The molecular gas mass was derived to be M(H2)[CI] = (5.9 ± 1.5)×1010 M⊙, indicating a gas fraction of ≈35%, and the ratios of L[CI](1−0)/LIR and L[CI](1−0)/LCO(4−3) suggest that the nature of the interstellar medium in ADF22.A2 is in accordance with those of other bright submillimeter galaxies. The properties of ADF22.A2, including the redshift, star-formation rate, stellar mass, and depletion time scale (τdep ≈ 0.1−0.2 Gyr), also suggest that ADF22.A2 has the characteristics expected for the progenitors of quiescent galaxies at z ≳ 3. Our results demonstrate the power of ALMA contiguous mapping and line scan, which help us to obtain an unbiased view of galaxy formation in the early Universe.

IRAM 30-m-EMIR redshift search of z = 3–4 lensed dusty starbursts selected from the HerBS sample

ABSTRACT Using the Eight MIxer Receiver (EMIR) instrument on the Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope, we conducted a spectroscopic redshift search of seven zphot ∼ 4 submillimetre bright galaxies selected from the Herschel Bright Sources sample with fluxes at 500 μm greater than 80 mJy. For four sources, we obtained spectroscopic redshifts between 3.4 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 4.1 through the detection of multiple CO-spectral lines with J ≥ 3. Later, we detected low-J transitions for two of these sources with the Green Bank Telescope including the CO(1–0) transition. For the remaining three sources, more data are needed to determine the spectroscopic redshift unambiguously. The measured CO luminosities and line widths suggest that all these sources are gravitationally lensed. These observations demonstrate that the 2 mm window is indispensable to confirm robust spectroscopic redshifts for z &amp;lt; 4 sources. Finally, we present an efficient graphical method to correctly identify spectroscopic redshifts.

High-z Dusty Star-forming Galaxies: A Top-heavy Initial Mass Function?

Abstract Recent estimates point to abundances of z &gt; 4 submillimeter galaxies far above model predictions. The matter is still debated. According to some analyses the excess may be substantially lower than initially thought and perhaps accounted for by flux boosting and source blending. However, there is no general agreement on this conclusion. An excess of z &gt; 6 dusty galaxies has also been reported albeit with poor statistics. On the other hand, evidence of a top-heavy initial mass function (IMF) in high-z starburst galaxies has been reported in the past decades. This would translate into a higher submillimeter luminosity of dusty galaxies at fixed star formation rate, i.e., into a higher abundance of bright high-z submillimeter galaxies than expected for a universal Chabrier IMF. Exploiting our physical model for high-z protospheroidal galaxies, we find that part of the excess can be understood in terms of an IMF somewhat top-heavier than Chabrier. Such an IMF is consistent with that recently proposed to account for the low 13C/18O abundance ratio in four dusty starburst galaxies at z = 2–3. However, extreme top-heavy IMFs are inconsistent with the submillimeter counts at z &gt; 4.

A Noncorotating Gas Component in an Extreme Starburst at z = 4.3

Abstract We report the detection of a noncorotating gas component in a bright unlensed submillimeter galaxy at z = 4.3, hosting a compact starburst. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 0.″17 and 0.″09 resolution observations of [C ii] emission clearly demonstrate that the gas kinematics are characterized by an ordered rotation. After subtracting the best-fit model of a rotating disk, we kinematically identify two residual components in the channel maps. Both observing simulations and analysis of dirty images confirm that these two subcomponents are not artificially created by noise fluctuations and beam deconvolution. One of the two has a velocity offset of 200 km s−1 and a physical separation of 2 kpc from the primary disk and is located along the kinematic minor axis of disk rotation. We conclude that this gas component is falling into the galaxy from a direction perpendicular to the disk rotation. The accretion of such small noncorotating gas components could stimulate violent disk instability, driving radial gas inflows into the center of galaxies and leading to formation of in situ clumps such as identified in dust continuum and CO. We require more theoretical studies on high gas fraction mergers with mass ratio of 1: &gt; 10 to verify this process.

Quiescent Galaxies 1.5 Billion Years after the Big Bang and Their Progenitors

Abstract We report two secure ( ) and one tentative (z ≈ 3.767) spectroscopic confirmations of massive and quiescent galaxies through K-band observations with Keck/MOSFIRE and Very Large Telescope/X-Shooter. The stellar continuum emission, absence of strong nebular emission lines, and lack of significant far-infrared detections confirm the passive nature of these objects, disfavoring the alternative solution of low-redshift dusty star-forming interlopers. We derive stellar masses of log(M ⋆/M ⊙) ∼ 11 and ongoing star formation rates placing these galaxies ≳1–2 dex below the main sequence at their redshifts. The adopted parameterization of the star formation history suggests that these sources experienced a strong ( M ⊙ yr−1) and short (∼50 Myr) burst of star formation, peaking ∼150–500 Myr before the time of observation, all properties reminiscent of the characteristics of submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at z &gt; 4. We investigate this connection by comparing the comoving number densities and the properties of these two populations. We find a fair agreement only with the deepest submillimeter surveys detecting not only the most extreme starbursts but also more normal galaxies. We support these findings by further exploring the Illustris TNG cosmological simulation, retrieving populations of both fully quenched massive galaxies at z ∼ 3–4 and SMGs at z ∼ 4−5, with number densities and properties in agreement with the observations at z ∼ 3 but in increasing tension at higher redshift. Nevertheless, as suggested by the observations, not all of the progenitors of quiescent galaxies at these redshifts shine as bright SMGs in their past, and, similarly, not all bright SMGs quench by z ∼ 3, both fractions depending on the threshold assumed to define the SMGs themselves.

Panchromatic study of the first galaxies with large ALMA programs

AbstractThanks to deep optical to near-IR imaging and spectroscopy, significant progress is made in characterizing the rest-frame UV to optical properties of galaxies in the early universe (z &gt; 4. Surveys with Hubble, Spitzer, and ground-based facilities (Keck, Subaru, and VLT) provide spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, measurements of the spatial structure, stellar masses, and optical emission lines for large samples of galaxies. Recently, the Atacama Large (Sub) Millimeter Array (ALMA) has become a major player in pushing studies of high redshift galaxies to far-infrared wavelengths, hence making panchromatic surveys over many orders of frequencies possible. While past studies focused mostly on bright sub-millimeter galaxies, the sensitivity of ALMA now enables surveys like ALPINE, which focuses on measuring the gas and dust properties of a large sample of normal main-sequence galaxies at z &gt; 4. Combining observations across different wavelengths into a single, panchromatic picture of galaxy formation and evolution is currently and in the future an important focus of the astronomical community.

An ALMA survey of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey UKIDSS/UDS field: high-resolution dust continuum morphologies and the link between sub-millimetre galaxies and spheroid formation

ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the morphology and profiles of the dust continuum emission in 153 bright sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) detected with ALMA at signal-to-noise ratios of &gt;8 in high-resolution 0.18 arcsec (∼1 kpc) 870 $\mu$m maps. We measure sizes, shapes, and light profiles for the rest-frame far-infrared emission from these luminous star-forming systems and derive a median effective radius (Re) of 0.10 ± 0.04 arcsec for our sample with a median flux of S870 = 5.6 ± 0.2 mJy. We find that the apparent axial ratio (b/a) distribution of the SMGs peaks at b/a ∼ 0.63 ± 0.02 and is best described by triaxial morphologies, while their emission profiles are best fitted by a Sérsic model with n ≃ 1.0 ± 0.1, similar to exponential discs. This combination of triaxiality and n ∼ 1 Sérsic index are characteristic of bars and we suggest that the bulk of the 870 $\mu$m dust continuum emission in the central ∼2 kpc of these galaxies arises from bar-like structures. As such we caution against using the orientation of shape of the bright dust continuum emission at $\eqsim$ resolution to assess either the orientation of any disc on the sky or tits inclination. By stacking our 870 $\mu$m maps we recover faint extended dust continuum emission on ∼4 kpc scales which contributes 13 ± 1 per cent of the total 870 $\mu$m emission. The scale of this extended emission is similar to that seen for the molecular gas and rest-frame optical light in these systems, suggesting that it represents an extended dust and gas disc at radii larger than the more active bar component. Including this component in our estimated size of the sources we derive a typical effective radius of ≃0.15 ± 0.05 arcsec or 1.2 ± 0.4 kpc. Our results suggest that kpc-scale bars are ubiquitous features of high star-formation rate systems at $z$ ≫ 1, while these systems also contain fainter and more extended gas and stellar envelopes. We suggest that these features, seen some 10–12 Gyr ago, represent the formation phase of the earliest galactic-scale components: stellar bulges.

Predictions for the spatial distribution of the dust continuum emission in $\boldsymbol {1\,\lt\, z\,\lt\, 5}$ star-forming galaxies

ABSTRACT We present the first detailed study of the spatially resolved dust continuum emission of simulated galaxies at 1 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 5. We run the radiative transfer code skirt on a sample of submillimetre-bright galaxies drawn from the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. These simulated galaxies reach Milky Way masses by z = 2. Our modelling provides predictions for the full rest-frame far-ultraviolet-to-far-infrared spectral energy distributions of these simulated galaxies, as well as 25-pc resolution maps of their emission across the wavelength spectrum. The derived morphologies are notably different in different wavebands, with the same galaxy often appearing clumpy and extended in the far-ultraviolet yet an ordered spiral at far-infrared wavelengths. The observed-frame 870-$\mu$m half-light radii of our FIRE-2 galaxies are ${\sim} 0.5\rm {-}4\, \rm {kpc}$, consistent with existing ALMA observations of galaxies with similarly high redshifts and stellar masses. In both simulated and observed galaxies, the dust continuum emission is generally more compact than the cold gas and the dust mass, but more extended than the stellar component. The most extreme cases of compact dust emission seem to be driven by particularly compact recent star formation, which generates steep dust temperature gradients. Our results confirm that the spatial extent of the dust continuum emission is sensitive to both the dust mass and star formation rate distributions.

ALMA 26 arcmin2 Survey of GOODS-S at 1 mm (ASAGAO): Near-infrared-dark Faint ALMA Sources

Abstract We report detections of two 1.2 mm continuum sources (S 1.2 mm ∼ 0.6 mJy) without any counterparts in the deep H- and/or K-band image (i.e., K-band magnitude ≳26 mag). These near-infrared-dark faint millimeter sources are uncovered by ASAGAO, a deep and wide-field (≃26 arcmin2) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.2 mm survey. One has a red IRAC (3.6 and 4.5 μm) counterpart, and the other has been independently detected at 850 and 870 μm using SCUBA2 and ALMA Band 7, respectively. Their optical-to-radio spectral energy distributions indicate that they can lie at z ≳ 3–5 and can be in the early phase of massive galaxy formation. Their contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density is estimated to be ∼1 × 10−3 M ⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 if they lie somewhere in the redshift range of z ∼ 3–5. This value can be consistent with, or greater than, that of bright submillimeter galaxies (S 870 μm &gt; 4.2 mJy) at z ∼ 3–5. We also uncover three more candidate near-infrared-dark faint ALMA sources without any counterparts (S 1.2 mm ∼ 0.45–0.86 mJy). These results show that an unbiased ALMA survey can reveal the dust-obscured star formation activities, which were missed in previous deep optical/near-infrared surveys.

Uncovering the spatial distribution of stars and dust in z ∼ 2 Submillimeter Galaxies

AbstractThe spatial distribution of the dust and stars contains crucial information about the evolutionary pathways of galaxies. We present results of our study combing high-resolution ALMA and HST observations of z ∼ 2 bright sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs). We have developed a two-dimensional extinction and age correction technique to obtain accurate stellar mass distributions from HST/CANDELS. For the first time, we can directly compare the spatial distribution of assembled stellar mass and ongoing star formation on kpc scales for distant SMGs, shedding light on their highly debated formation mechanisms. We find that the dust distribution is more compact than the stellar component, regardless if the SMG lies on the main sequence or at the starburst regime. Taking the dust emission as a proxy for dust-obscured star formation, our results imply that high-redshift SMGs are experiencing centrally enhanced star formation. These findings suggests that major galaxy interactions are not necessarily the main formation channel for SMGs with secular disk formation remaining a viable option as suggested by state-of-the-art cosmological simulations. The sizes and stellar densities of our z ∼ 2 SMGs agree well with the most compact early-type galaxies in the local Universe, strongly supporting the idea that the latter systems are indeed the descendants of massive SMGs at z ∼ 2.

Multiband Optical and Near-Infrared Properties of Faint Submillimeter Galaxies with Serendipitous ALMA Detections

Abstract We present a catalog of 26 faint submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) in the XMM Large Scale Structure (XMM-LSS) field identified by cross-matching serendipitously detected sources in archival pre–Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) band 6 and 7 data with multiband near-infrared (NIR) and optical data from the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey, the VISTA Deep Extragalactic Survey, the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope Legacy Large Survey, and the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program. Of the 26 SMGs in our sample, 15 are identified here for the first time. The majority of the sources in our sample (16/26) have faint submillimeter fluxes (0.1 mJy &lt; S 1mm &lt; 1 mJy). In addition to the 26 SMGs with multiband optical and NIR detections, there are 60 highly reliable (&gt;5σ) ALMA sources with no counterpart in any other band down to an Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) [4.5] AB magnitude of ≈23.7. To further characterize the 26 galaxies with both ALMA and optical/NIR counterparts, we provide 13-band forced photometry for the entire catalog using the Tractor and calculate photometric redshifts and rest-frame colors. The median redshift of our sample is . We find that our sample galaxies have bluer colors compared to bright SMGs, and the UVJ color plot indicates that their colors are consistent with main-sequence star-forming galaxies. Our results provide new insights into the nature of the faint population of SMGs and also highlight opportunities for galaxy evolution studies based on archival ALMA data.

Constraints on the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate in the z ∼ 2.3 Lensed Galaxies SMM J2135–0102 and SDP 17b from Observations of OH+ and H2O+

Abstract Cosmic rays are predominantly accelerated in shocks associated with star formation such as supernova remnants and stellar wind bubbles, so the cosmic-ray flux and thus cosmic-ray ionization rate, ζ H, should correlate with the star formation rate in a galaxy. Submillimeter bright galaxies (SMGs) are some of the most prolific star-forming galaxies in the universe, and gravitationally lensed SMGs provide bright continuum sources suitable for absorption line studies. Abundances of OH+ and H2O+ are useful for inferring ζ H when combined with chemical models, and have been used for this purpose within the Milky Way. At redshifts z ≳ 2 transitions out of the ground rotational states of OH+ and H2O+ are observable with ALMA, and we present observations of both molecules in absorption toward the lensed SMGs SMM J2135−0102 and SDP 17b. These detections enable an exploration of ζ H in galaxies with extreme star formation and high supernova rates, both of which should significantly enhance cosmic-ray production. The observed OH+ and H2O+ absorption is thought to arise in massive, extended halos of cool, diffuse gas that surround these galaxies. Using a chemical model designed to focus on the reaction network important to both species, we infer cosmic-ray ionization rates of ζ H ∼ 10−16–10−14 s−1 in these extended gaseous halos. Because our estimates come from gas that is far away from the sites of cosmic-ray acceleration, they imply that cosmic-ray ionization rates in the compact regions where star formation occurs in these galaxies are orders of magnitude higher.