Discovery of an extremely bright submillimeter galaxy at z=3.93

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and detailed characterization of a rare, extremely bright submillimeter galaxy at redshift 3.93, revealing its high star formation rate, molecular gas content, and starburst nature through multi-line spectral analysis.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed spectral energy distribution and molecular line analysis of a bright SMG at z=3.93, including redshift measurement and physical property estimation.

Findings

Redshift z=3.92960 determined from CO lines.

Star-formation rate estimated at 8.3 x 10^4 M_sun/yr.

H2 mass between 1.9 x 10^11 and 1.1 x 10^12 M_sun.

Abstract

Serendipitously we have discovered a rare, bright submillimeter galaxy (SMG) with a flux density of 30 +/- 2 mJy at lambda=1.2mm, using MAMBO2 at the IRAM 30-meter millimeter telescope. Although no optical counterpart is known for MM18423+5938, we were able to measure the redshift z=3.92960 +/- 0.00013 from the detection of CO lines using the IRAM Eight MIxer Receiver (EMIR). In addition, by collecting all available photometric data in the far-infrared and radio to constrain its spectral energy distribution, we derive the FIR luminosity 4.8 10^14/m Lsol and mass 6.0 10^9/m Msol for its dust, allowing for a magnification factor m caused by a probable gravitational lens. The corresponding star-formation rate is 8.3 10^4/m Msol/yr. The detection of three lines of the CO rotational ladder, and a significant upper limit for a fourth CO line, allow us to estimate an H2 mass of between 1.9 10^11/m Msol and 1.1 10^12/m Msol. The two lines CI(3p1-3p0) and CI(3p2-3p1) were clearly detected and yield a [CI]/[H2] number abundance between 1.4 10^-5 and 8.0 10^-5. Upper limits are presented for emission lines of HCN, HCO^+, HNC, H_2O and other molecules observed. The moderate excitation of the CO lines is indicative of an extended starburst, and excludes the dominance of an AGN in heating this high-redshift SMG.