Interstellar Medium in Extremely High Star-Formation Regions: A Prospect of Observations on the Millimetron Space Observatory

TL;DR

This paper explores how the Millimetron Space Observatory can observe the interstellar medium in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies with extreme star-formation rates, focusing on atomic, molecular lines, and dust emission in the far infrared.

Contribution

It assesses the potential of Millimetron for studying the transformed interstellar medium in extreme star-forming environments at redshifts 0-3.

Findings

Potential to detect high ionic and molecular transitions in dense gas

Ability to observe dust continuum at high temperatures

Feasibility of studying extreme star-forming regions across redshifts 0-3

Abstract

High star-formation rate and active galactic nucleus' emission can significantly transform the interstellar medium. In ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, in which the star-formation rate reaches thousands of solar masses per year, the gas and dust are considerably affected by the ionizing radiation, cosmic rays and shock waves, that can be about a factor of 100--1000 larger than typical values in quiet star-forming galaxies. In these conditions, the emissivity of the gas and dust changes: in dense gas, high ionic and molecular transitions become excited, while dust grains are heated to high temperatures. In this paper, we analyze the possibilities for studying the interstellar medium in extreme conditions of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies at redshifts of $\sim 0-3$, utilizing the atomic and molecular lines, and dust continuum in far infrared range of $100-500\mu$m. We discuss the prospect of observations using the instruments of the Millimetron Space Observatory.