ALPINE: A Large Survey to Understand Teenage Galaxies

TL;DR

The ALPINE survey uses ALMA to study high-redshift galaxies, providing extensive multiwavelength data that enhances understanding of early galaxy formation, gas content, and evolution during the post-reionization era.

Contribution

This study presents the largest multiwavelength dataset of galaxies at z=4-6, offering new insights into their gas, star formation, and kinematic properties compared to previous smaller samples.

Findings

Demographics of C+ emission in early galaxies

Relationship between star formation and C+ emission

Insights into gas content and galaxy kinematics at high redshift

Abstract

A multiwavelength study of galaxies is important to understand their formation and evolution. Only in the recent past, thanks to the Atacama Large (Sub) Millimeter Array (ALMA), were we able to study the far-infrared (IR) properties of galaxies at high redshifts. In this article, we summarize recent research highlights and their significance to our understanding of early galaxy evolution from the ALPINE survey, a large program with ALMA to observe the dust continuum and 158um C+ emission of normal star-forming galaxies at z = 4-6. Combined with ancillary data at UV through near-IR wavelengths, ALPINE provides the currently largest multiwavelength sample of post-reionization galaxies and has advanced our understanding of (i) the demographics of C+ emission; (ii) the relation of star formation and C+ emission; (iii) the gas content; (iv) outflows and enrichment of the intergalactic medium; and (v) the kinematics, emergence of disks, and merger rates in galaxies at z > 4. ALPINE builds the basis for more detailed measurements with the next generation of telescopes, and places itself as an important post-reionization baseline sample to allow a continuous study of galaxies over 13 billion years of cosmic time.