Molecular Gas in the Z = 2.8 Submillimeter Galaxy SMM 02399-0136

We report the detection of CO (3→2) emission from the submillimeter-selected hyperluminous galaxy SMM 02399-0136. This galaxy is the brightest source detected in the recent Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array surveys of the submillimeter sky. The optical counterpart of the submillimeter source has been identified as a narrow-line active galactic nucleus/starburst galaxy at z=2.8. The CO emission is unresolved, θ5'', and is coincident in redshift and position with the optical counterpart. The molecular gas mass derived from the CO observations is 8×1010 h−275 M, after correcting for a lensing amplification factor of 2.5. The large CO luminosity suggests that a significant fraction of the infrared luminosity of SMM 02399-0136 arises from star formation. The high inferred star formation rate of 103 M☉ yr-1 and the large gaseous reservoir may suggest that we are seeing the formation phase of a massive galaxy. Future CO observations of other galaxies detected in deep submillimeter surveys will test the generality of these conclusions for the bulk of the faint submillimeter population.

[1]  N. Devereux,et al.  THE GAS DUST RATIO IN SPIRAL GALAXIES , 1990 .

[2]  Simon J. E. Radford,et al.  The Molecular Interstellar Medium in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies , 1996, astro-ph/9610166.

[3]  C. D. Wilson,et al.  The Metallicity Dependence of the CO-to-H2 Conversion Factor from Observations of Local Group Galaxies , 1995, astro-ph/9506103.

[4]  Simon J. E. Radford,et al.  Warm Molecular Gas in the Primeval Galaxy IRAS 10214+4724 , 1992 .

[5]  D. Sanders,et al.  LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES , 1996 .

[6]  T. Heckman,et al.  The Nature of Starburst Galaxies , 1996 .

[7]  G. Helou,et al.  IRAS observations of galaxies in the Virgo cluster area , 1988 .

[8]  Simon J. E. Radford,et al.  Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and a Search for CO Emission in Three Extremely Luminous IRAS Sources: IRAS F09105+4108, IRAS F15307+3252, and PG 1634+706 , 1998, astro-ph/9806091.

[9]  P. Solomon,et al.  Rotating Nuclear Rings and Extreme Starbursts in Ultraluminous Galaxies , 1998, astro-ph/9806377.

[10]  R. Antonucci,et al.  Extremely strong carbon monoxide emission from the Cloverleaf quasar at a redshift of 2.5 , 1994, Nature.

[11]  D. Kunze,et al.  What Powers Ultraluminous IRAS Galaxies? , 1997, astro-ph/9711255.

[12]  Rob Ivison,et al.  A hyperluminous galaxy at z = 2.8 found in a deep submillimetre survey , 1997, astro-ph/9712161.

[13]  K. Kohno,et al.  Detection of molecular gas in the quasar BR1202 – 0725 at redshift z = 4.69 , 1996, Nature.

[14]  Evolution of the Abundance of CO, O 2 , and Dust in the Early Universe , 1997, astro-ph/9707235.

[15]  A. Fruchter,et al.  HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES IN THE HUBBLE DEEP FIELD : COLOUR SELECTION AND STAR FORMATION HISTORY TO Z 4 , 1996, astro-ph/9607172.

[16]  N. Scoville,et al.  Arcsecond Imaging of CO Emission in the Nucleus of Arp 220 , 1997 .

[17]  L. Cowie,et al.  Submillimetre-wavelength detection of dusty star-forming galaxies at high redshift , 1998, Nature.

[18]  Patrick Petitjean,et al.  Molecular gas and dust around a radio-quiet quasar at redshift 4.69 , 1996, Nature.

[19]  D. Frayer,et al.  UGC galaxies stronger than 25 mJy at 4.85 GHz , 1991 .

[20]  I. Smail,et al.  A Deep Submillimeter Survey of Lensing Clusters: A New Window on Galaxy Formation and Evolution , 1997, astro-ph/9708135.

[21]  James J. Condon,et al.  Radio Emission from Normal Galaxies , 1992 .

[22]  Y. Taniguchi,et al.  (12)CO (3-2) & (1-0) emission line observations of nearby starburst galaxy nuclei , 1994 .

[23]  R. L. Brown,et al.  CO emission at z=2.2867 in the galaxy iras F10214-4724 , 1991 .

[24]  J. Dunlop,et al.  High-redshift star formation in the Hubble Deep Field revealed by a submillimetre-wavelength survey , 1998, Nature.

[25]  D. Sanders,et al.  21 centimeter survey of luminous infrared galaxies , 1988 .

[26]  B. Soifer,et al.  Molecular gas in luminous infrared galaxies , 1991 .

[27]  A. R. Rivolo,et al.  A Face-on View of the First Galactic Quadrant in Molecular Clouds , 1989 .