Measuring the Average Molecular Gas Content of Star-forming Galaxies at <i>z</i>=3-4

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dc.contributor.authorBoogaard, Leindert A.
dc.contributor.authorBouwens, Rychard J.
dc.contributor.authorRiechers, Dominik
dc.contributor.authorvan der Werf, Paul
dc.contributor.authorBacon, Roland
dc.contributor.authorMatthee, Jorryt
dc.contributor.authorStefanon, Mauro
dc.contributor.authorFeltre, Anna
dc.contributor.authorMaseda, Michael
dc.contributor.authorInami, Hanae
dc.contributor.authorAravena, Manuel
dc.contributor.authorBrinchmann, Jarle
dc.contributor.authorCarilli, Chris
dc.contributor.authorContini, Thierry
dc.contributor.authorDecarli, Roberto
dc.contributor.authorGonzalez-Lopez, Jorge
dc.contributor.authorNanayakkara, Themiya
dc.contributor.authorWalter, Fabian
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-20T22:13:23Z
dc.date.available2025-01-20T22:13:23Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractWe study the molecular gas content of 24 star-forming galaxies at z = 3-4, with a median stellar mass of 10(9.1) M-circle dot, from the MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) Survey. Selected by their Ly alpha lambda 1216 emission and H (F160W)-band magnitude, the galaxies show an average < EWLy alpha 0 > approximate to 20 angstrom, below the typical selection threshold for Ly alpha emitters (EWLy alpha 0 > 25 angstrom), and a rest-frame UV spectrum similar to Lyman-break galaxies. We use rest-frame optical spectroscopy from KMOS and MOSFIRE, and the UV features observed with MUSE, to determine the systemic redshifts, which are offset from Ly alpha by <Delta v(Ly alpha)> = 346 km s(-1), with a 100 to 600 km s(-1) range. Stacking (CO)-C-12 J = 4 -> 3 and [C I]P-3(1) -> P-3(0) (and higher-J CO lines) from the ALMA Spectroscopic Survey of the HUDF, we determine 3 sigma upper limits on the line luminosities of 4.0 x 10(8) K km s(-1)pc(2) and 5.6 x 10(8) K km s(-1)pc(2), respectively (for a 300 km s(-1) line width). Stacking the 1.2 mm and 3 mm dust-continuum flux densities, we find a 3 sigma upper limits of 9 mu Jy and 1.2 mu Jy, respectively. The inferred gas fractions, under the assumption of a "Galactic" CO-to-H-2 conversion factor and gas-to-dust ratio, are in tension with previously determined scaling relations. This implies a substantially higher alpha(CO) >= 10 and delta(GDR) >= 1200, consistent with the subsolar metallicity estimated for these galaxies (12 + log(O/H) approximate to 7.8 +/- 0.2). The low metallicity of z >= 3 star-forming galaxies may thus make it very challenging to unveil their cold gas through CO or dust emission, warranting further exploration of alternative tracers, such as [C II].
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.3847/1538-4357/ac01d7
dc.identifier.eissn1538-4357
dc.identifier.issn0004-637X
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac01d7
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/94448
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000674712300001
dc.issue.numero1
dc.language.isoen
dc.revistaAstrophysical journal
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.titleMeasuring the Average Molecular Gas Content of Star-forming Galaxies at <i>z</i>=3-4
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen916
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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