Molecular gas in the halo fuels the growth of a massive cluster galaxy at high redshift

Autor(en)
B. H. C. Emonts, M. D. Lehnert, M. Villar-Martin, R. P. Norris, G. A. van Moorsel, Helmut Dannerbauer
Abstrakt

The largest galaxies in the universe reside in galaxy clusters. Using sensitive observations of carbon monoxide, we show that the Spiderweb galaxy — a massive galaxy in a distant protocluster — is forming from a large reservoir of molecular gas. Most of this molecular gas lies between the protocluster galaxies and has low velocity dispersion, indicating that it is part of an enriched intergalactic medium. This may constitute the reservoir of gas that fuels the widespread star formation seen in earlier ultraviolet observations of the Spiderweb galaxy. Our results support the notion that giant galaxies in clusters formed from extended regions of recycled gas at high redshift.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Astrophysik
Externe Organisation(en)
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Université Paris VI - Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Journal
Science
Band
354
Seiten
1128 - 1130
Anzahl der Seiten
3
ISSN
0036-8075
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aag0512
Publikationsdatum
12-2016
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
103003 Astronomie, 103004 Astrophysik
Schlagwörter
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/0ed70c7a-686c-4183-b8a0-d10a2751c585