JWST+ALMA reveal the ISM kinematics and stellar structure of MAMBO-9, a merging pair of DSFGs in an overdense environment at $z=5.85$

TL;DR

This study uses JWST and ALMA observations to analyze the kinematics, stellar structure, and environment of MAMBO-9, a massive, merging pair of dusty star-forming galaxies at redshift 5.85, revealing insights into early galaxy formation.

Contribution

First detailed high-resolution multi-wavelength analysis of a massive galaxy pair at z=5.85, combining kinematics, stellar structure, and environment in one study.

Findings

MAMBO-9 shows velocity gradients indicating rotation and tidal interactions.

The pair is embedded in a large overdensity with 39 galaxies within 25 cMpc.

Mass estimates suggest a CO-to-H2 conversion factor of about unity.

Abstract

We present high-resolution ALMA [CII] 158 micron observations and JWST/NIRCam+MIRI imaging of MAMBO-9, a pair of optically-dark, dusty star-forming galaxies at $z=5.85$. MAMBO-9 is among the most massive, gas-rich, and actively star-forming galaxies at this epoch, when the Universe was less than 1 Gyr old. The new, 400 pc-resolution [CII] observations reveal velocity gradients in both objects; we estimate dynamical masses and find a relative mass ratio of 1:5. The kinematics of both objects suggest both rotation and strong tidal interaction, suggesting that the pair has already experienced a close encounter. Indeed, the new JWST imaging reveals a continuous bridge of moderately dust-obscured material between the two. We perform spatially-resolved SED fitting using the high-resolution ALMA+JWST imaging, finding that the majority of recent star-formation is concentrated in extremely obscured ($A_V > 10$) clouds, while the majority of rest-optical light (stellar continuum and H$\alpha$ emission) is emergent from moderate-to-highly obscured ($A_V\sim 1$-$5$) regions on the outskirts. Combining our new stellar and dynamical mass measurements with previous CO observations, we find that the mass budget of MAMBO-9 requires a CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor ($\alpha_{\rm CO}$) of roughly unity, indicative of a highly metal-enriched ISM. Finally, we show that MAMBO-9 resides in a large overdensity spanning the PRIMER-COSMOS field, with 39 galaxies spectroscopically confirmed within $\sim 25$ cMpc. With a total baryonic mass $\sim 10^{11}\,M_\odot$, MAMBO-9 can be considered a prototype of massive galaxy formation and likely progenitor of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the lower-redshift Universe.