A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34

Dominik A. Riechers; C. M. Bradford; D. L. Clements; C. D. Dowell; I. Pérez-Fournon; R. J. Ivison; C. Bridge; A. Conley; Hai Fu; J. D. Vieira; J. Wardlow; J. Calanog; A. Cooray; P. Hurley; R. Neri; J. Kamenetzky; J. E. Aguirre; B. Altieri; V. Arumugam; D. J. Benford; M. Béthermin; J. Bock; D. Burgarella; A. Cabrera-Lavers; S. C. Chapman; P. Cox; J. S. Dunlop; L. Earle; D. Farrah; P. Ferrero; A. Franceschini; R. Gavazzi; J. Glenn; E. A. Gonzalez Solares; M. A. Gurwell; M. Halpern; E. Hatziminaoglou; A. Hyde; E. Ibar; A. Kovács; M. Krips; R. E. Lupu; P. R. Maloney; P. Martinez-Navajas; H. Matsuhara; E. J. Murphy; B. J. Naylor; H. T. Nguyen; S. J. Oliver; A. Omont; M. J. Page; G. Petitpas; N. Rangwala; I. G. Roseboom; D. Scott; A. J. Smith; J. G. Staguhn; A. Streblyanska; A. P. Thomson; I. Valtchanov; M. Viero; L. Wang; M. Zemcov; J. Zmuidzinas

A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34

Dominik A. Riechers, C. M. Bradford, D. L. Clements, C. D. Dowell, I. Pérez-Fournon, R. J. Ivison, C. Bridge, A. Conley, Hai Fu, J. D. Vieira, J. Wardlow, J. Calanog, A. Cooray, P. Hurley, R. Neri, J. Kamenetzky, J. E. Aguirre, B. Altieri, V. Arumugam, D. J. BenfordM. Béthermin, J. Bock, D. Burgarella, A. Cabrera-Lavers, S. C. Chapman, P. Cox, J. S. Dunlop, L. Earle, D. Farrah, P. Ferrero, A. Franceschini, R. Gavazzi, J. Glenn, E. A. Gonzalez Solares, M. A. Gurwell, M. Halpern, E. Hatziminaoglou, A. Hyde, E. Ibar, A. Kovács, M. Krips, R. E. Lupu, P. R. Maloney, P. Martinez-Navajas, H. Matsuhara, E. J. Murphy, B. J. Naylor, H. T. Nguyen, S. J. Oliver, A. Omont, M. J. Page, G. Petitpas, N. Rangwala, I. G. Roseboom, D. Scott, A. J. Smith, J. G. Staguhn, A. Streblyanska, A. P. Thomson, I. Valtchanov, M. Viero, L. Wang, M. Zemcov, J. Zmuidzinas

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A `maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	329-333
Journal	Nature
Volume	496
Issue number	7445
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2013

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http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013Natur.496..329R

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Riechers, D. A., Bradford, C. M., Clements, D. L., Dowell, C. D., Pérez-Fournon, I., Ivison, R. J., Bridge, C., Conley, A., Fu, H., Vieira, J. D., Wardlow, J., Calanog, J., Cooray, A., Hurley, P., Neri, R., Kamenetzky, J., Aguirre, J. E., Altieri, B., Arumugam, V., ... Zmuidzinas, J. (2013). A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34. Nature, 496(7445), 329-333. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013Natur.496..329R

@article{6dc242d06d46486cba68e4cc1ce751dd,

title = "A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34",

abstract = "Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A `maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.",

author = "Riechers, {Dominik A.} and Bradford, {C. M.} and Clements, {D. L.} and Dowell, {C. D.} and I. P{\'e}rez-Fournon and Ivison, {R. J.} and C. Bridge and A. Conley and Hai Fu and Vieira, {J. D.} and J. Wardlow and J. Calanog and A. Cooray and P. Hurley and R. Neri and J. Kamenetzky and Aguirre, {J. E.} and B. Altieri and V. Arumugam and Benford, {D. J.} and M. B{\'e}thermin and J. Bock and D. Burgarella and A. Cabrera-Lavers and Chapman, {S. C.} and P. Cox and Dunlop, {J. S.} and L. Earle and D. Farrah and P. Ferrero and A. Franceschini and R. Gavazzi and J. Glenn and Solares, {E. A. Gonzalez} and Gurwell, {M. A.} and M. Halpern and E. Hatziminaoglou and A. Hyde and E. Ibar and A. Kov{\'a}cs and M. Krips and Lupu, {R. E.} and Maloney, {P. R.} and P. Martinez-Navajas and H. Matsuhara and Murphy, {E. J.} and Naylor, {B. J.} and Nguyen, {H. T.} and Oliver, {S. J.} and A. Omont and Page, {M. J.} and G. Petitpas and N. Rangwala and Roseboom, {I. G.} and D. Scott and Smith, {A. J.} and Staguhn, {J. G.} and A. Streblyanska and Thomson, {A. P.} and I. Valtchanov and M. Viero and L. Wang and M. Zemcov and J. Zmuidzinas",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

day = "1",

language = "English",

volume = "496",

pages = "329--333",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "7445",

}

Riechers, DA, Bradford, CM, Clements, DL, Dowell, CD, Pérez-Fournon, I, Ivison, RJ, Bridge, C, Conley, A, Fu, H, Vieira, JD, Wardlow, J, Calanog, J, Cooray, A, Hurley, P, Neri, R, Kamenetzky, J, Aguirre, JE, Altieri, B, Arumugam, V, Benford, DJ, Béthermin, M, Bock, J, Burgarella, D, Cabrera-Lavers, A, Chapman, SC, Cox, P, Dunlop, JS, Earle, L, Farrah, D, Ferrero, P, Franceschini, A, Gavazzi, R, Glenn, J, Solares, EAG, Gurwell, MA, Halpern, M, Hatziminaoglou, E, Hyde, A, Ibar, E, Kovács, A, Krips, M, Lupu, RE, Maloney, PR, Martinez-Navajas, P, Matsuhara, H, Murphy, EJ, Naylor, BJ, Nguyen, HT, Oliver, SJ, Omont, A, Page, MJ, Petitpas, G, Rangwala, N, Roseboom, IG, Scott, D, Smith, AJ, Staguhn, JG, Streblyanska, A, Thomson, AP, Valtchanov, I, Viero, M, Wang, L, Zemcov, M & Zmuidzinas, J 2013, 'A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34', Nature, vol. 496, no. 7445, pp. 329-333. <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013Natur.496..329R>

TY - JOUR

T1 - A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34

AU - Riechers, Dominik A.

AU - Bradford, C. M.

AU - Clements, D. L.

AU - Dowell, C. D.

AU - Pérez-Fournon, I.

AU - Ivison, R. J.

AU - Bridge, C.

AU - Conley, A.

AU - Fu, Hai

AU - Vieira, J. D.

AU - Wardlow, J.

AU - Calanog, J.

AU - Cooray, A.

AU - Hurley, P.

AU - Neri, R.

AU - Kamenetzky, J.

AU - Aguirre, J. E.

AU - Altieri, B.

AU - Arumugam, V.

AU - Benford, D. J.

AU - Béthermin, M.

AU - Bock, J.

AU - Burgarella, D.

AU - Cabrera-Lavers, A.

AU - Chapman, S. C.

AU - Cox, P.

AU - Dunlop, J. S.

AU - Earle, L.

AU - Farrah, D.

AU - Ferrero, P.

AU - Franceschini, A.

AU - Gavazzi, R.

AU - Glenn, J.

AU - Solares, E. A. Gonzalez

AU - Gurwell, M. A.

AU - Halpern, M.

AU - Hatziminaoglou, E.

AU - Hyde, A.

AU - Ibar, E.

AU - Kovács, A.

AU - Krips, M.

AU - Lupu, R. E.

AU - Maloney, P. R.

AU - Martinez-Navajas, P.

AU - Matsuhara, H.

AU - Murphy, E. J.

AU - Naylor, B. J.

AU - Nguyen, H. T.

AU - Oliver, S. J.

AU - Omont, A.

AU - Page, M. J.

AU - Petitpas, G.

AU - Rangwala, N.

AU - Roseboom, I. G.

AU - Scott, D.

AU - Smith, A. J.

AU - Staguhn, J. G.

AU - Streblyanska, A.

AU - Thomson, A. P.

AU - Valtchanov, I.

AU - Viero, M.

AU - Wang, L.

AU - Zemcov, M.

AU - Zmuidzinas, J.

PY - 2013/4/1

Y1 - 2013/4/1

N2 - Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A `maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.

AB - Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A `maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.

M3 - Article

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 496

SP - 329

EP - 333

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7445

ER -

A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34

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