Detection of 1.6 × 10¹⁰ M_solar of Molecular Gas in the Host Galaxy of the z = 5.77 SDSS Quasar J0927+2001

C. L. Carilli , R. Neri , R. Wang , P. Cox , F. Bertoldi , F. Walter , X. Fan , K. Menten , J. Wagg , R. Maiolino , A. Omont (1, 2) , Michael A. Strauss , D. Riechers , K. Y. Lo , A. Bolatto , N. Scoville

1 IAP - Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris
2 UPMC - Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6

We have detected emission by the CO(5-4) and (6-5) rotational transitions at z=5.7722+/-0.0006 from the host galaxy of the SDSS quasar J0927+2001 using the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. The peak line flux density for the CO(5-4) line is 0.72+/-0.09 mJy, with a line FWHM = 610 +/- 110 km s^-1. The implied molecular gas mass is (1.6+/-0.3)×10¹⁰ M_solar. We also detect the 90 GHz continuum at 0.12+/-0.03 mJy, consistent with a 47 K dust spectrum extrapolated from higher frequencies. J0927+2001 is the second example of a huge molecular gas reservoir within the host galaxy of a quasar within 1 Gyr of the big bang. Observations of J0927+2001 are consistent with a massive starburst coeval with a bright quasar phase in the galaxy, suggesting the rapid formation of both a supermassive black hole through accretion, and the stellar host spheroid, at a time close to the end of cosmic reionization.

Mots clés: Galaxies: Formation; Galaxies: High-Redshift; Galaxies: Quasars: General; Radio Lines: Galaxies; Submillimeter; Astrophysics

Domaines: Planète et Univers [physics]

C. L. Carilli, R. Neri, R. Wang, P. Cox, F. Bertoldi, et al.. Detection of 1.6 × 10¹⁰ M_solar of Molecular Gas in the Host Galaxy of the z = 5.77 SDSS Quasar J0927+2001. The Astrophysical Journal, 2007, 666, pp.L9-L12. ⟨10.1086/521648⟩. ⟨hal-03646571⟩