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| Paper: |
Constraints on the Star-Forming Interstellar Medium in Galaxies Back to the First Billion Years of Cosmic Time |
| Volume: |
446, Galaxy Evolution: Infrared to Millimeter Wavelength Perspective |
| Page: |
355 |
| Authors: |
Riechers, D. A. |
| Abstract: |
Constraints on the molecular gas content of galaxies at high
redshift are crucial to further our understanding of star formation
and galaxy evolution through cosmic times, as molecular gas is the
fuel for star formation. Since its initial detection at large cosmic
distances almost two decades ago, studies of molecular gas in the
early universe have come a long way. We have detected CO emission
from >100 galaxies, covering a range of galaxy populations at
z>1, reaching out to z>6, down to sub-kpc scale resolution,
and spanning ∼2 orders of magnitude in gas mass (aided by
gravitational lensing). Recently, it has even become possible to
directly identify distant galaxies through their molecular emission
lines without prior knowledge of their redshifts. The new
generation of powerful long wavelength interferometers such as the
Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) and Atacama Large (sub)Millimeter
Array (ALMA) thus hold the promise to liberate studies of molecular
gas in high redshift galaxies from their heavy pre-selection. This
will enable more systematic studies of the molecular gas content in
star-forming galaxies back to the earliest cosmic times. |
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