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arXiv · 1106.2553

CO(1-0) in z>2 Quasar Host Galaxies: No Evidence for Extended Molecular Gas Reservoirs

Dominik A. Riechers·Christopher L. Carilli·Ronald J. Maddalena·Jacqueline Hodge·Andrew I. Harris·Andrew J. Baker·Fabian Walter·Jeff Wagg·Paul A. Vanden Bout·Axel Weiss·Chelsea E. Sharon
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Abstract

We report the detection of CO(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(1-0) line luminosities of L'(CO) = 0.34-18.4 x 10^10 K km/s pc^2 and total molecular gas masses of M(H2) = 0.27-14.7 x 10^10 Msun 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(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(1-0) observations. These findings stand in contrast to recent CO(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.

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Dominik A. Riechers, Christopher L. Carilli, Ronald J. Maddalena, Jacqueline Hodge, Andrew I. Harris, Andrew J. Baker, Fabian Walter, Jeff Wagg, Paul A. Vanden Bout, Axel Weiss, Chelsea E. Sharon. 2011-06-13. CO(1-0) in z>2 Quasar Host Galaxies: No Evidence for Extended Molecular Gas Reservoirs. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205%2F739%2F1%2Fl32

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