Physical Conditions of the Gas in an ALMA [CII]-identified Submillimetre Galaxy at z = 4.44

TL;DR

This study investigates the gas conditions in a high-redshift submillimetre galaxy using ALMA and ATCA observations, providing insights into its gas content, star formation activity, and physical environment.

Contribution

First CO(2-1) upper limit for a z=4.44 submillimetre galaxy, linking gas properties with star formation and metallicity at high redshift.

Findings

Cold gas mass < 1.7 x 10^10 M_sun

Gas depletion timescale < 50 Myr

High FUV radiation field G_0 > 10^3

Abstract

We present CO(2-1) observations of the submillimetre galaxy ALESS65.1 performed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array at 42.3 GHz. A previous ALMA study of submillimetre galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South detected [CII] 157.74 micron emission from this galaxy at a redshift of z = 4.44. No CO(2-1) emission was detected but we derive a firm upper limit to the cold gas mass in ALESS65.1 of M_gas < 1.7 x 10^10 M_odot. The estimated gas depletion timescale is <50 Myr, which is similar to other high redshift SMGs, and consistent with z > 4 SMGs being the likely progenitors of massive red-and-dead galaxies at z > 2. The ratio of the [CII], CO and far-infrared luminosities implies a strong far-ultraviolet field of G_0 > 10^3, as seen in Galactic star forming regions or local ULIRGs. The observed L_[CII]/L_FIR = 2.3 x 10^{-3} is high compared to local ULIRGs and, combined with L_[CII]/L_CO > 2700, it is consistent with ALESS65.1 either having an extended (several kpc) [CII] emitting region or lower than solar metallicity.