Molecular gas on large circumgalactic scales at z=3.47

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA observations to reveal a massive, extended molecular gas structure around a high-redshift galaxy, supporting models of clumpy, star-forming accretion streams feeding galaxy growth.

Contribution

First detection of a large, elongated molecular gas structure around a z=3.47 galaxy, providing direct evidence of large-scale accretion streams in galaxy formation.

Findings

Extended CO structure over 40 kpc with mass ~2-6x10^11 Msun

Detection of nine additional CO systems within 250 kpc forming stars

Gas-rich streams are consistent with models of clumpy accretion in galaxy formation

Abstract

We report ALMA observations of the most massive (star forming) galaxy in the redshift range 3<z<4 within the whole GOODS-S field. We detect a large elongated structure of molecular gas around the massive primeval galaxy, traced by the CO(4-3) emission, and extended over 40 kpc. We infer a mass of the large gaseous structure of Mgas~2-6x10^11 Msun. About 60% of this mass is not directly associated with either the central galaxy or its two lower mass satellites. The CO extended structure is also detected in continuum thermal emission. The kinematics of the molecular gas shows the presence of different components, which cannot be ascribed to simple rotation. Furthermore, on even larger scales, we detect nine additional CO systems within a radius of 250 kpc from the massive galaxy and mostly distributed in the same direction as the CO elongated structure found in the central 40 kpc. The stacked images of these CO systems show detections in the thermal continuum and in the X-rays, suggesting that these systems are forming stars at a rate of 30-120 Msun/yr. We suggest that the extended gas structure, combined with its kinematic properties, and the gas rich star forming systems detected on larger scales, are tracing the inner and densest regions of large scale accreting streams, feeding the central massive galaxy. These results corroborate models of galaxy formation, in which accreting streams are clumpy and undergo some star formation (hence enriching the streams with metals) even before accreting onto the central galaxy.