@robertdjone

Measurement of rotation in two galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization from ALMA-detected CII emission

, , , , , , , , , , , and . (2017)cite arxiv:1706.04614Comment: 13 pages, 5 figues, 1 table, submitted.

Abstract

The earliest galaxies are expected to emerge in the first billion years of the Universe during the Epoch of Reionization. However, both the spectroscopic confirmation of photometrically-selected galaxies at this epoch and the characterization of their early dynamical state has been hindered by the lack of bright, accessible lines to probe the velocity structure of their interstellar medium. We present the first ALMA spectroscopic confirmation of such sources at z > 6 using the far-infrared C IIłambda157.74\mum emission line, and, for the first time, measurement of the velocity structure, for two galaxies at z = 6.8540+/-0.0003 and z = 6.8076+/-0.0002. Remarkably, the C II line luminosity from these galaxies is higher than previously found in `normal' star-forming galaxies at z > 6.5. This suggests that we are sampling a part of the galaxy population different from the galaxies found through detection of the Ly\alpha line. The luminous and extended C II detections reveal clear velocity gradients that, if interpreted as rotation, would suggest these galaxies have turbulent, yet rotation-dominated disks, with similar stellar-to-dynamical mass fractions as observed for H\alpha emitting galaxies 2 Gyr later at cosmic noon. Our novel approach for confirming galaxies during Reionization paves the way for larger studies of distant galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts from ALMA. Particularly important, this opens up opportunities for high angular-resolution C II dynamics in galaxies less than one billion years after the Big Bang.

Description

[1706.04614] Measurement of rotation in two galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization from ALMA-detected [CII] emission

Links and resources

Tags

community

  • @miki
  • @robertdjone
@robertdjone's tags highlighted