Radio observations of the cool gas, dust, and star formation in the first galaxies
Abstract
We summarize cm through submm observations of the host galaxies of z ~ 6 quasars. These observations reveal the cool molecular gas (the fuel for star formation), the warm dust (heated by star formation), the fine structure line emission (tracing the CNM and PDRs), and the synchrotron emission. Our results imply active star formation in ~ 30% of the host galaxies, with star formation rates ~ 103 Msun/year, and molecular gas masses ~ 1010 Msun. Imaging of the [CII] emission from the most distant quasar reveals a 'maximal starburst disk' on a scale ~ 1.5 kpc. Gas dynamical studies suggest a departure of these galaxies from the low-z MBH -- Mbulge relation, with the black holes being, on average, 15 times more massive than expected. Overall, we are witnessing the co-eval formation of massive galaxies and supermassive black holes within 1 Gyr of the Big Bang.
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