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Giant galaxy growing from recycled gas: ALMA maps the circumgalactic molecular medium of the Spiderweb in [C i]

Emonts, BHC; Lehnert, MD; Dannerbauer, H; De Breuck, C; Villar-Martín, M; Miley, GK; Allison, JR; Gullberg, B; Hatch, NA; Guillard, P; Mao, MY; Norris, RP

Giant galaxy growing from recycled gas: ALMA maps the circumgalactic molecular medium of the Spiderweb in [C i] Thumbnail


Authors

BHC Emonts

MD Lehnert

H Dannerbauer

C De Breuck

M Villar-Martín

GK Miley

JR Allison

B Gullberg

NA Hatch

P Guillard

MY Mao

RP Norris



Abstract

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the massive Spiderweb Galaxy, a conglomerate of merging proto-cluster galaxies at z = 2.2, forms an enriched interface where feedback and recycling act on accreted gas. This is shown by observations of [CI], CO(1-0), and CO(4-3) performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Australia Telescope Compact Array. [CI] and CO(4-3) are detected across ∼50 kpc, following the distribution of previously detected low-surface-brightness CO(1-0) across the CGM. This confirms our previous results on the presence of a cold molecular halo. The central radio galaxy MRC 1138-262 shows a very high global L CO(4−3)/L CO(1−0) ∼ 1, suggesting that mechanisms other than FUVheating by star formation prevail at the heart of the Spiderweb Galaxy. Contrary, the CGM has L CO(4−3)/L CO(1−0) and L [C I]/L CO(1−0) similar to the ISM of five galaxies in the wider proto-cluster, and its carbon abundance, X[C I]/XH2 , resembles that of the Milky Way and star-forming galaxies. The molecular CGM is thus metal-rich and not diffuse, confirming a link between the cold gas and in situ star formation. Thus, the Spiderweb Galaxy grows not directly through accretion of gas from the cosmic web, but from recycled gas in the CGM.

Citation

Emonts, B., Lehnert, M., Dannerbauer, H., De Breuck, C., Villar-Martín, M., Miley, G., …Norris, R. (2018). Giant galaxy growing from recycled gas: ALMA maps the circumgalactic molecular medium of the Spiderweb in [C i]. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 477(1), L60-L65. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/sly034

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 23, 2018
Online Publication Date Mar 3, 2018
Publication Date Mar 3, 2018
Deposit Date Jan 9, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Electronic ISSN 1745-3933
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 477
Issue 1
Pages L60-L65
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/sly034

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Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.





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