On the [CII]-SFR relation in high redshift galaxies

Abstract

After two ALMA observing cycles, only a handful of [CII] $158\,\mu m$ emission line searches in z>6 galaxies have reported a positive detection, questioning the applicability of the local [CII]-SFR relation to high-z systems. To investigate this issue we use the Vallini et al. 2013 (V13) model, based on high-resolution, radiative transfer cosmological simulations to predict the [CII] emission from the interstellar medium of a z~7 (halo mass $M_h=1.17\times10^{11}M_{\odot}$) galaxy. We improve the V13 model by including (a) a physically-motivated metallicity (Z) distribution of the gas, (b) the contribution of Photo-Dissociation Regions (PDRs), (c) the effects of Cosmic Microwave Background on the [CII] line luminosity. We study the relative contribution of diffuse neutral gas to the total [CII] emission ($F _{diff}/F_{tot}$) for different SFR and Z values. We find that the [CII] emission arises predominantly from PDRs: regardless of the galaxy properties, $F _{diff}/F_{tot}\leq 10$% since, at these early epochs, the CMB temperature approaches the spin temperature of the [CII] transition in the cold neutral medium ($T_{CMB}\sim T_s^{CNM}\sim 20$ K). Our model predicts a high-z [CII]-SFR relation consistent with observations of local dwarf galaxies ($0.02<Z/Z_{\odot}<0.5$). The [CII] deficit suggested by actual data ($L_{CII}<2.0\times 10^7 L_{\odot}$ in BDF3299 at z~7.1) if confirmed by deeper ALMA observations, can be ascribed to negative stellar feedback disrupting molecular clouds around star formation sites. The deviation from the local [CII]-SFR would then imply a modified Kennicutt-Schmidt relation in z>6 galaxies. Alternatively/in addition, the deficit might be explained by low gas metallicities ($Z<0.1 Z_{\odot}$).