Gas, dust and stars in the SCUBA galaxy, SMM J02399-0136: the EVLA reveals a colossal galactic nursery
Rob Ivison (Edinburgh), Ian Smail, Padeli P. Papadopoulos, Isak Wold,, Johan Richard, A.M. Swinbank, Jean-Paul Kneib, Frazer N. Owen

TL;DR
This study uses multi-wavelength observations, including EVLA CO mapping, to reveal the complex structure, gas content, and starburst activity in the high-redshift SMG SMM J02399-0136, challenging previous disk-based models.
Contribution
It provides the first detailed CO J=1-0 mapping of this SMG, revealing a large, complex, merger-driven system with multiple components and a dominant obscured starburst.
Findings
Molecular gas mass ~10^11 M_sun over ~25 kpc
Identification of a massive, obscured starburst coincident with a Ly-alpha cloud
Evidence for a merger involving a starburst, BAL QSO, and a faint component
Abstract
We present new multi-wavelength observations of the first submm-selected galaxy, SMM J02399-0136 at z=2.8. These observations include mapping of the CO J=1-0 emission using elements of the Expanded VLA, as well as high-resolution 1.4-GHz imaging and optical/IR data from the VLA, HST, Spitzer and Keck. Together these new data provide fundamental insights into the mass and distribution of stars, gas and dust within this archetypal SMG. The CO J=1-0 emission, with its minimal excitation and density requirements, traces the bulk of the metal-rich molecular gas, and reveals a mass of ~10^11 M(sun), extending over ~5" (~25 kpc in the source plane), although there is tentative evidence that it may be significantly larger. Our data suggest that three or more distinct structures are encompassed by this molecular gas reservoir, including the BAL quasar from which the redshift of the SMG was…
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