Massive molecular gas companions uncovered by VLA CO(1-0) observations of the $z$ = 5.2 radio galaxy TN J0924$-$2201

TL;DR

This study uses VLA CO(1-0) observations to discover three massive molecular gas clumps around a high-redshift radio galaxy, revealing complex gas structures and potential interactions like mergers or jet effects.

Contribution

First detection of multiple massive molecular gas reservoirs around a $z=5.2$ radio galaxy using VLA CO(1-0) observations, revealing off-center gas clumps and their possible origins.

Findings

Three massive molecular gas reservoirs detected with $M_{H_2} = (2.5-3.7) imes 10^{10} M_\\odot$

Clumps located 12-33 kpc from the host galaxy, aligned with radio jet axis

Host galaxy has high IR luminosity and SFR but low current star formation activity

Abstract

We present Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) K-band (19 GHz) observations of the redshifted CO(1-0) line emission toward the radio galaxy TN J0924$-$2201 at $z=5.2$, which is one of the most distant CO-detected radio galaxies. With the angular resolution of $\sim2''$, the CO(1-0) line emission is resolved into three clumps, within $\pm500$ km\,s$^{-1}$ relative to its redshift, where is determined by Ly$\alpha$. We find that they locate off-center and 12-33 kpc away from the center of the host galaxy, which has counterparts in $HST$ $i$-band, $Spitzer$/IRAC and ALMA Band-6 (230 GHz; 1.3 mm). With the ALMA detection, we estimate $L_{\rm IR}$ and SFR of the host galaxy to be $(9.3\pm1.7)\times10^{11} L_{\odot}$ and $110\pm20$ $M_{\odot}\,\rm yr^{-1}$, respectively. We also derive the $3\sigma$ upper limit of $M_{\rm H_{2}}<1.3\times10^{10}$ $M_{\odot}$ at the host galaxy. The detected CO(1-0) line luminosities of three clumps, $L'_{\rm CO(1-0)}$ = (3.2-4.7)$\times10^{10}$ $\rm\,K\,km\,s^{-1}pc^{2}$, indicate the presence of three massive molecular gas reservoirs with $M_{\rm H_{2}}$ = (2.5-3.7)$\times10^{10}$ $M_{\odot}$, by assuming the CO-to-H$_{2}$ conversion factor $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 0.8$ $M_{\rm \odot}\rm\,(K\,km\,s^{-1}pc^{2})^{-1}$, although the star formation rate (SFR) is not elevated because of the non-detection of ALMA 1.3 mm continuum (SFR $<$ 40 $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$). From the host galaxy, the nearest molecular gas clump labeled as clump A, is apparently aligning with the radio jet axis, showing the radio-CO alignment. The possible origin of these three clumps around TN J0924$-$2201 can be interpreted as merger, jet-induced metal enrichment and outflow.