VLA-ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (VLASPECS): Total Cold Gas Masses and CO Line Ratios for z=2-3 "Main Sequence" Galaxies

TL;DR

This study uses VLA and ALMA data to measure cold gas masses and CO line ratios in z=2-3 galaxies, revealing higher excitation than previously assumed and suggesting revisions to cosmic cold gas density estimates.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of CO line ratios and cold gas masses in high-redshift galaxies, highlighting the need to revise previous estimates of cosmic cold gas density.

Findings

CO(J=1-0) detections in z=2-3 galaxies

Higher CO excitation in CO(J=3-2) selected galaxies

Revised estimates of cosmic cold gas density

Abstract

Using the NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), we report six detections of CO(J=1-0) emission and one upper limit in z=2-3 galaxies originally detected in higher-J CO emission in the Atacama Large submillimeter/Millimeter Array (ALMA) Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (ASPECS). From the CO(J=1-0) line strengths, we measure total cold molecular gas masses of M_gas = 2.4-11.6 x 10^10 (alpha_CO/3.6) Msun. We also measure a median CO(J=3-2) to CO(J=1-0) line brightness temperature ratio of r_31 = 0.84 +/- 0.26, and a CO(J=7-6) to CO(J=1-0) ratio range of r_71 <0.05 to 0.17. These results suggest that CO(J=3-2) selected galaxies may have a higher CO line excitation on average than CO(J=1-0) selected galaxies, based on the limited, currently available samples from the ASPECS and VLA CO Luminosity Density at High Redshift (COLDz) surveys. This implies that previous estimates of the cosmic density of cold gas in galaxies based on CO(J=3-2) measurements should be revised down by a factor of ~=2 on average based on assumptions regarding CO excitation alone. This correction further improves the agreement between the best currently existing constraints on the cold gas density evolution across cosmic history from line scan surveys, and the implied characteristic gas depletion times.