Ultra-bright CO and [CI] emission in a lensed z=2.04 submillimeter galaxy with extreme molecular gas properties
Abstract
We report the very bright detection of cold molecular gas with the IRAM NOEMA interferometer of the strongly lensed source WISE J132934.18+224327.3 at z=2.04, the so-called Cosmic Eyebrow. This source has a similar spectral energy distribution from optical-mid/IR to submm/radio but significantly higher fluxes than the well-known lensed SMG SMMJ 2135, the Cosmic Eyelash at z=2.3. The interferometric observations identify unambiguously the location of the molecular line emission in two components, component CO32-A with ICO(3-2)=52.2+-0.9 Jy km s-1 and component CO32-B with ICO(3-2)=15.7+-0.7 Jy km s-1. Thus, our NOEMA observations of the CO(3-2) transition confirm the SMG-nature of WISE J132934.18+224327.3, resulting in the brightest CO(3-2) detection ever of a SMG. In addition, we present follow-up observations of the brighter component with the Green Bank Telescope (CO(1-0) transition) and IRAM 30m telescope (CO(4-3) and [CI](1-0) transitions). The star-formation efficiency of ~100 Lsun (K km s-1 pc2) is at the overlap region between merger-triggered and disk-like star-formation activity and the lowest seen for lensed dusty star-forming galaxies. The determined gas depletion time ~60~Myr, intrinsic infrared star-formation SFRIR approx. 2000 Msun yr-1 and gas fraction Mmol/Mstar=0.44 indicates a starburst/merger triggered star-formation. The obtained data of the cold ISM - from CO(1-0) and dust continuum - indicates a gas mass Mmol~15x1011 Msun for component CO32-A. Its unseen brightness offers the opportunity to establish the Cosmic Eyebrow as a new reference source at z=2 for galaxy evolution.
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