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Paper: The First Detection of Molecular Gas in a Lyman Break Galaxy
Volume: 320, The Neutral ISM in Starburst Galaxies
Page: 338
Authors: Baker, A.; Tacconi, L.; Genzel, R.; Lehnert, M.; Lutz, D.
Abstract: Using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, we have mapped CO(3−2) emission from the z = 2.73 gravitationally lensed Lyman break galaxy MS1512−cB58. The molecular gas mass we infer from the line intensity (6.6 × 109 h−2 0.7 MSolar) and the dynamical mass we estimate from the line width (1.0 × 1010 csc2i h−1 0.7 MSolar) are in good agreement with parameters of the galaxy measured at other wavelengths. In particular, we find that the age and remaining lifetime of the current star formation episode are likely to be similar; the surface densities of star formation and molecular gas mass are related by a Schmidt law; and the fraction of baryonic mass already converted into stars is sufficient to account for the observed enrichment of the ISM to 0.4 ZSolar.
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