CO excitation and line energy distributions in gas-selected galaxies
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CO excitation and line energy distributions in gas-selected galaxies. / Klitsch, A.; Christensen, L.; Valentino, F.; Kanekar, N.; Møller, P.; Zwaan, M. A.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Neeleman, M.; Prochaska, J. X.
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 514, No. 2, 17.06.2022, p. 2346-2355.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - CO excitation and line energy distributions in gas-selected galaxies
AU - Klitsch, A.
AU - Christensen, L.
AU - Valentino, F.
AU - Kanekar, N.
AU - Møller, P.
AU - Zwaan, M. A.
AU - Fynbo, J. P. U.
AU - Neeleman, M.
AU - Prochaska, J. X.
PY - 2022/6/17
Y1 - 2022/6/17
N2 - While emission-selected galaxy surveys are biased towards the most luminous part of the galaxy population, absorption selection is a potentially unbiased galaxy selection technique with respect to luminosity. However, the physical properties of absorption-selected galaxies are not well characterized. Here, we study the excitation conditions in the interstellar medium (ISM) in damped Ly alpha (DLA) absorption-selected galaxies. We present a study of the CO spectral-line energy distribution (SLED) in four high-metallicity absorption-selected galaxies with previously reported CO detections at intermediate (z similar to 0.7) and high (z similar to 2) redshifts. We find further evidence for a wide variety of ISM conditions in these galaxies. Two out of the four galaxies show CO SLEDs consistent with that of the Milky Way inner disc. Interestingly, one of these galaxies is at z similar to 2 and has a CO SLED below that of main-sequence galaxies at similar redshifts. The other two galaxies at z > 2 show more excited ISM conditions, with one of them showing thermal excitation of the mid-J (J = 3, 4) levels, similar to that seen in two massive main-sequence galaxies at these redshifts. Overall, we find that absorption selection traces a diverse population of galaxies.
AB - While emission-selected galaxy surveys are biased towards the most luminous part of the galaxy population, absorption selection is a potentially unbiased galaxy selection technique with respect to luminosity. However, the physical properties of absorption-selected galaxies are not well characterized. Here, we study the excitation conditions in the interstellar medium (ISM) in damped Ly alpha (DLA) absorption-selected galaxies. We present a study of the CO spectral-line energy distribution (SLED) in four high-metallicity absorption-selected galaxies with previously reported CO detections at intermediate (z similar to 0.7) and high (z similar to 2) redshifts. We find further evidence for a wide variety of ISM conditions in these galaxies. Two out of the four galaxies show CO SLEDs consistent with that of the Milky Way inner disc. Interestingly, one of these galaxies is at z similar to 2 and has a CO SLED below that of main-sequence galaxies at similar redshifts. The other two galaxies at z > 2 show more excited ISM conditions, with one of them showing thermal excitation of the mid-J (J = 3, 4) levels, similar to that seen in two massive main-sequence galaxies at these redshifts. Overall, we find that absorption selection traces a diverse population of galaxies.
KW - galaxies: evolution
KW - galaxies: formation
KW - galaxies: high redshift
KW - galaxies: ISM
KW - ABSORPTION-SELECTED GALAXIES
KW - ALMA SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY
KW - ULTRA DEEP FIELD
KW - MASS-METALLICITY RELATION
KW - MOLECULAR GAS
KW - SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES
KW - DAMPED LYMAN
KW - EMISSION
KW - DUST
KW - MUSE
U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stac1190
DO - 10.1093/mnras/stac1190
M3 - Journal article
VL - 514
SP - 2346
EP - 2355
JO - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices
JF - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices
SN - 0035-8711
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 315468890