The ALMA-ALPINE [CII] survey: Kennicutt-Schmidt relation in four massive main-sequence galaxies at z ~ 4.5
Journal article, 2023
Aims. The Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation between the gas and the star formation rate (SFR) surface density (Σgas - ΣSFR) is essential to understand star formation processes in galaxies. To date, it has been measured up to z ~ 2.5 in main-sequence galaxies. In this Letter our aim is to put constraints at z ~ 4.5 using a sample of four massive main-sequence galaxies observed by ALMA at high resolution. Methods. We obtained ~0.3″-resolution [CII] and continuum maps of our objects, which we then converted into gas and obscured SFR surface density maps. In addition, we produced unobscured SFR surface density maps by convolving Hubble ancillary data in the rest-frame UV. We then derived the average ΣSFR in various Σgas bins, and estimated the uncertainties using a Monte Carlo sampling. Results. Our galaxy sample follows the KS relation measured in main-sequence galaxies at lower redshift, and is slightly lower than the predictions from simulations. Our data points probe the high end both in terms of Σgas and ΣSFR, and gas depletion timescales (285-843 Myr) remain similar to z ~ 2 objects. However, three of our objects are clearly morphologically disturbed, and we could have expected shorter gas depletion timescales (≲100 Myr) similar to merger-driven starbursts at lower redshifts. This suggests that the mechanisms triggering starbursts at high redshift may be different than in the low- and intermediate-z Universe.
galaxies: star formation
galaxies: ISM
submillimeter: galaxies
galaxies: high-redshift
Author
Matthieu Béthermin
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg
C. Accard
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg
C. Guillaume
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg
M. Dessauges-Zavadsky
University of Geneva
E. Ibar
University of Valparaíso
P. Cassata
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
University of Padua
T. Devereaux
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
University of Padua
A. Faisst
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
J. Freundlich
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg
G. C. Jones
University of Oxford
K. Kraljic
Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg
H. Algera
Hiroshima University
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
R. O. Amorín
University of La Serena
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas
S. Bardelli
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
M. Boquien
Universidad de Tarapacá
V. Buat
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
E. Donghia
University of Wisconsin
Y. Dubois
Institut d 'Astrophysique de Paris
Andrea Ferrara
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Yoshinobu Fudamoto
Chiba University
M. Ginolfi
Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory
University of Florence
P. Guillard
Institut d 'Astrophysique de Paris
M. Giavalisco
University of Massachusetts
C. Gruppioni
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
G. Gururajan
University of Bologna
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
N. Hathi
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Christopher C. Hayward
Flatiron Institute
Anton M. Koekemoer
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Brian C. Lemaux
Gemini Observatory North
University of California
Georgios E. Magdis
Niels Bohr Institute
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
Juan Andrés Molina Tobar
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
D. Narayanan
Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
University of Florida
L. Mayer
University of Zürich
F. Pozzi
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
F. Rizzo
Niels Bohr Institute
Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
M. Romano
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Narodowe Centrum Badan Jadrowych
L. Tasca
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
Patrice Theule
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
D. Vergani
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
L. Vallini
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
G. Zamorani
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
A. Zanella
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
E. Zucca
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 680 L8Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Other Physics Topics
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202348115