Engineering topics

Cox, P

Publications and source records attributed to Cox, P.

15 records

DOE OSTI2012

ON THE VARIATIONS OF FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK IN THE QUASI-STELLAR OBJECT HOST GALAXY RXJ0911.4+0551 at z = 2.79

We report on sensitive observations of the CO(J = 7{yields}6) and C I({sup 3}P{sub 2} {yields} {sup 3}P{sub 1}) transitions in the z = 2.79 QSO host galaxy RXJ0911.4+0551 using the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer. Our extremely high signal-to-noise spectra combined with the narrow CO line width of this source (FWHM = 120 km s{sup -1}) allows us to estimate sensitive limits on the spacetime variations of the fundamental constants using two emission lines. Our observations show that the C I and CO line shapes are in good agreement with each other but that the C I line profile is of the order of 10% narrower, presumably due to the lower opacity in the latter line. Both lines show faint wings with velocities up to {+-}250 km s{sup -1}, indicative of a molecular outflow. As such, the data provide direct evidence for negative feedback in the molecular gas phase at high redshift. Our observations allow us to determine the observed frequencies of both transitions with so far unmatched accuracy at high redshift. The redshift difference between the CO and C I lines is sensitive to variations of {Delta}F/F with F = {alpha}{sup 2}/{mu} where {alpha} is the fine structure constant and {mu} is the electron-to-proton mass ratio. We find {Delta}F/F (6.9 {+-} 3.7) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} at a look-back time of 11.3 Gyr, which, within the uncertainties, is consistent with no variations of the fundamental constants.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

CO EMISSION IN OPTICALLY OBSCURED (TYPE-2) QUASARS AT REDSHIFTS z Almost-Equal-To 0.1-0.4

We present a search for CO emission in a sample of 10 type-2 quasar host galaxies with redshifts of z Almost-Equal-To 0.1-0.4. We detect CO(J = 1-0) line emission with {>=}5{sigma} in the velocity integrated intensity maps of five sources. A sixth source shows a tentative detection at the {approx}4.5{sigma} level of its CO(J = 1-0) line emission. The CO emission of all six sources is spatially coincident with the position at optical, infrared, or radio wavelengths. The spectroscopic redshifts derived from the CO(J = 1-0) line are very close to the photometric ones for all five detections except for the tentative detection for which we find a much larger discrepancy. We derive gas masses of {approx}(2-16) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} for the CO emission in the six detected sources, while we constrain the gas masses to upper limits of M{sub gas} {<=} 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} for the four non-detections. These values are of the order or slightly lower than those derived for type-1 quasars. The line profiles of the CO(J = 1-0) emission are rather narrow ({approx}<300 km s{sup -1}) and single peaked, unveiling no typical signatures for current or recent merger activity, and are comparable to that of type-1 quasars. However, at least one of the observed sources shows a tidal-tail-like emission in the optical that is indicative of an ongoing or past merging event. We also address the problem of detecting spurious {approx}5{sigma} emission peaks within the field of view.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

EVIDENCE FOR LOW EXTINCTION IN ACTIVELY STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z > 6.5

We present a search for the [C II] 158 {mu}m fine structure line (a main cooling line of the interstellar medium) and the underlying far-infrared (FIR) continuum in three high-redshift (6.6 < z < 8.2) star-forming galaxies using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We targeted two Ly{alpha}-selected galaxies (Ly{alpha} emitters, LAEs) with moderate UV-based star formation rates (SFRs {approx} 20 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}; Himiko at z = 6.6 and IOK-1 at z = 7.0) and a gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxy (GRB 090423 at z {approx} 8.2). Based on our 3{sigma} rest-frame FIR continuum limits, previous (rest-frame) UV continuum measurements and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we rule out SED shapes similar to highly obscured galaxies (e.g., Arp 220, M 82) and less extreme dust-rich nearby spiral galaxies (e.g., M 51) for the LAEs. Conservatively assuming an SED shape typical of local spiral galaxies we derive upper limits for the FIR-based star formation rates (SFRs) of {approx}70 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, {approx}50 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, and {approx}40 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} for Himiko, IOK-1, and GRB 090423, respectively. For the LAEs these limits are only a factor {approx}3 higher than the published UV-based SFRs (uncorrected for extinction). This indicates that the dust obscuration in the z > 6 LAEs studied here is lower by a factor of a few than what has recently been found in some LAEs at lower redshift (2 < z < 3.5) with similar UV-based SFRs. A low obscuration in our z > 6 LAE sample is consistent with recent rest-frame UV studies of z {approx} 7 Lyman break galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

IONIZED NITROGEN AT HIGH REDSHIFT

We present secure [N II]{sub 205{mu}m} detections in two millimeter-bright, strongly lensed objects at high redshift, APM 08279+5255 (z = 3.911) and MM 18423+5938 (z = 3.930), using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer. Due to its ionization energy [N II]{sub 205{mu}m} is a good tracer of the ionized gas phase in the interstellar medium. The measured fluxes are S([N II]{sub 205{mu}m}) = (4.8 {+-} 0.8) Jy km s{sup -1} and (7.4 {+-} 0.5) Jy km s{sup -1}, respectively, yielding line luminosities of L([N II]{sub 205{mu}m}) = (1.8 {+-} 0.3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} {mu}{sup -1} L{sub Sun} for APM 08279+5255 and L([N II]{sub 205{mu}m}) = (2.8 {+-} 0.2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} {mu}{sup -1} L{sub Sun} for MM 18423+5938. Our high-resolution map of the [N II]{sub 205{mu}m} and 1 mm continuum emission in MM 18423+5938 clearly resolves an Einstein ring in this source and reveals a velocity gradient in the dynamics of the ionized gas. A comparison of these maps with high-resolution EVLA CO observations enables us to perform the first spatially resolved study of the dust continuum-to-molecular gas surface brightness ({Sigma}{sub FIR}{proportional_to}{Sigma}{sup N}{sub CO}, which can be interpreted as the star formation law) in a high-redshift object. We find a steep relation (N = 1.4 {+-} 0.2), consistent with a starbursting environment. We measure a [N II]{sub 205{mu}m}/FIR luminosity ratio in APM 08279+5255 and MM 18423+5938 of 9.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} and 5.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6}, respectively. This is in agreement with the decrease of the [N II]{sub 205{mu}m}/FIR ratio at high FIR luminosities observed in local galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

DETECTION OF ATOMIC CARBON [C II] 158 {mu}m AND DUST EMISSION FROM A z 7.1 QUASAR HOST GALAXY

Using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, we report the detection of the 158 {mu}m [C II] emission line and underlying dust continuum in the host galaxy of the quasar ULAS J112001.48+064124.3 (hereafter J1120+0641) at z 7.0842 {+-} 0.0004. This is the highest redshift detection of the [C II] line to date, and allows us to put the first constraints on the physical properties of the host galaxy of J1120+0641. The [C II] line luminosity is 1.2 {+-} 0.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} L{sub Sun }, which is a factor {approx}4 lower than observed in a luminous quasar at z = 6.42 (SDSS J1148+5251). The underlying far-infrared (FIR) continuum has a flux density of 0.61 {+-} 0.16 mJy, similar to the average flux density of z {approx} 6 quasars that were not individually detected in the rest-frame FIR. Assuming that the FIR luminosity of L{sub FIR} = 5.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11}-1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} L{sub Sun} is mainly powered by star formation, we derive a star formation rate in the range 160-440 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} and a total dust mass in the host galaxy of 6.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7}-5.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} (both numbers have significant uncertainties given the unknown nature of dust at these redshifts). The [C II] line width of {sigma}{sub V} = 100 {+-} 15 km s{sup -1} is among the smallest observed when compared to the molecular line widths detected in z {approx} 6 quasars. Both the [C II] and dust continuum emission are spatially unresolved at the current angular resolution of 2.0 Multiplication-Sign 1.7 arcsec{sup 2} (corresponding to 10 Multiplication-Sign 9 kpc{sup 2} at the redshift of J1120+0641).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

MOLECULAR GAS IN INFRARED ULTRALUMINOUS QSO HOSTS

We report CO detections in 17 out of 19 infrared ultraluminous QSO (IR QSO) hosts observed with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The cold molecular gas reservoir in these objects is in a range of (0.2-2.1) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} (adopting a CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor {alpha}{sub CO} = 0.8 M{sub Sun} (K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2}){sup -1}). We find that the molecular gas properties of IR QSOs, such as the molecular gas mass, star formation efficiency (L{sub FIR}/L'{sub CO}), and CO (1-0) line widths, are indistinguishable from those of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). A comparison of low- and high-redshift CO-detected QSOs reveals a tight correlation between L{sub FIR} and L'{sub CO(1-0)} for all QSOs. This suggests that, similar to ULIRGs, the far-infrared emissions of all QSOs are mainly from dust heated by star formation rather than by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), confirming similar findings from mid-infrared spectroscopic observations by Spitzer. A correlation between the AGN-associated bolometric luminosities and the CO line luminosities suggests that star formation and AGNs draw from the same reservoir of gas and there is a link between star formation on {approx}kpc scale and the central black hole accretion process on much smaller scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

THE METALLICITY DEPENDENCE OF THE CO {yields} H{sub 2} CONVERSION FACTOR IN z {>=} 1 STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

We use the first systematic samples of CO millimeter emission in z {>=} 1 'main-sequence' star-forming galaxies to study the metallicity dependence of the conversion factor {alpha}{sub CO,} from CO line luminosity to molecular gas mass. The molecular gas depletion rate inferred from the ratio of the star formation rate (SFR) to CO luminosity, is {approx}1 Gyr{sup -1} for near-solar metallicity galaxies with stellar masses above M{sub S} {approx} 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }. In this regime, the depletion rate does not vary more than a factor of two to three as a function of molecular gas surface density or redshift between z {approx} 0 and 2. Below M{sub S} the depletion rate increases rapidly with decreasing metallicity. We argue that this trend is not caused by starburst events, by changes in the physical parameters of the molecular clouds, or by the impact of the fundamental-metallicity-SFR-stellar mass relation. A more probable explanation is that the conversion factor is metallicity dependent and that star formation can occur in 'CO-dark' gas. The trend is also expected theoretically from the effect of enhanced photodissociation of CO by ultraviolet radiation at low metallicity. From the available z {approx} 0 and z {approx} 1-3 samples we constrain the slope of the log({alpha}{sub CO})-log (metallicity) relation to range between -1 and -2, fairly insensitive to the assumed slope of the gas-SFR relation. Because of the lower metallicities near the peak of the galaxy formation activity at z {approx} 1-2 compared to z {approx} 0, we suggest that molecular gas masses estimated from CO luminosities have to be substantially corrected upward for galaxies below M{sub S}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN DISTANT STAR-FORMING GALAXIES: TURBULENT PRESSURE, FRAGMENTATION, AND CLOUD SCALING RELATIONS IN A DENSE GAS DISK AT z = 2.3

We have used the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique (IRAM) Plateau de Bure Interferometer and the Expanded Very Large Array to obtain a high-resolution map of the CO(6-5) and CO(1-0) emission in the lensed, star-forming galaxy SMM J2135-0102 at z = 2.32. The kinematics of the gas are well described by a model of a rotationally supported disk with an inclination-corrected rotation speed, v{sub rot} = 320 {+-} 25 km s{sup -1}, a ratio of rotational-to-dispersion support of v/{sigma} = 3.5 {+-} 0.2, and a dynamical mass of (6.0 {+-} 0.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} within a radius of 2.5 kpc. The disk has a Toomre parameter, Q = 0.50 {+-} 0.15, suggesting that the gas will rapidly fragment into massive clumps on scales of L{sub J} {approx} 400 pc. We identify star-forming regions on these scales and show that they are {approx}10 Multiplication-Sign denser than those in quiescent environments in local galaxies, and significantly offset from the local molecular cloud scaling relations (Larson's relations). The large offset compared to local molecular cloud line-width-size scaling relations implies that supersonic turbulence should remain dominant on scales {approx}100 Multiplication-Sign smaller than in the kinematically quiescent interstellar medium (ISM) of the Milky Way, while the molecular gas in SMM J2135 is expected to be {approx}50 Multiplication-Sign denser than that in the Milky Way on all scales. This is most likely due to the high external hydrostatic pressure we measure for the ISM, P{sub tot}/k{sub B} {approx} (2 {+-} 1) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} K cm{sup -3}. In such highly turbulent ISM, the subsonic regions of gravitational collapse (and star formation) will be characterized by much higher critical densities, n{sub crit} > = 10{sup 8} cm{sup -3}, a factor {approx}>1000 Multiplication-Sign more than the quiescent ISM of the Milky Way.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

WATER VAPOR EMISSION REVEALS A HIGHLY OBSCURED, STAR-FORMING NUCLEAR REGION IN THE QSO HOST GALAXY APM 08279+5255 AT z = 3.9

We present the detection of four rotational emission lines of water vapor, from energy levels E{sub u}/k = 101-454 K, in the gravitationally lensed z = 3.9 QSO host galaxy APM 08279+5255. While the lowest H{sub 2} O lines are collisionally excited in clumps of warm, dense gas (density of hydrogen nuclei n{sub H} = (3.1 {+-} 1.2) x 10{sup 6} cm{sup -3}, gas temperature T{sub g} {approx} 105 {+-} 21 K), we find that the excitation of the higher lines is dominated by the intense local infrared radiation field. Since only collisionally excited emission contributes to gas cooling, we conclude that H{sub 2} O is not a significant coolant of the warm molecular gas. Our excitation model requires the radiatively excited gas to be located in an extended region of high 100 {mu} m opacity ({tau}{sub 100} = 0.9 {+-} 0.2). Locally, such extended infrared-opaque regions are found only in the nuclei of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. We propose a model where the infrared-opaque circumnuclear cloud, which is penetrated by the X-ray radiation field of the QSO nucleus, contains clumps of massive star formation where the H{sub 2} O emission originates. The radiation pressure from the intense local infrared radiation field exceeds the thermal gas pressure by about an order of magnitude, suggesting close to Eddington-limited star formation in these clumps.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

GAS AND DUST IN A SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY AT z = 4.24 FROM THE HERSCHEL ATLAS

We report ground-based follow-up observations of the exceptional source, ID 141, one of the brightest sources detected so far in the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey cosmological survey. ID 141 was observed using the IRAM 30 m telescope and Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI), the Submillimeter Array, and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment submillimeter telescope to measure the dust continuum and emission lines of the main isotope of carbon monoxide and carbon ([C I] and [C II]). The detection of strong CO emission lines with the PdBI confirms that ID 141 is at high redshift (z = 4.243 {+-} 0.001). The strength of the continuum and emission lines suggests that ID 141 is gravitationally lensed. The width ({Delta}V{sub FWHM} {approx} 800 km s{sup -1}) and asymmetric profiles of the CO and carbon lines indicate orbital motion in a disk or a merger. The properties derived for ID 141 are compatible with an ultraluminous (L{sub FIR} {approx} (8.5 {+-} 0.3) x 10{sup 13} {mu}{sup -1}{sub L} L{sub sun}, where {mu}{sub L} is the amplification factor), dense (n {approx} 10{sup 4} cm{sup -3}), and warm (T{sub kin} {approx} 40 K) starburst galaxy, with an estimated star formation rate of (0.7-1.7) x 10{sup 4} {mu}{sup -1}{sub L} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. The carbon emission lines indicate a dense (n {approx} 10{sup 4} cm{sup -3}) photon-dominated region, illuminated by a far-UV radiation field a few thousand times more intense than that in our Galaxy. In conclusion, the physical properties of the high-z galaxy ID 141 are remarkably similar to those of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

MODELING OF THE HERMES SUBMILLIMETER SOURCE LENSED BY A DARK MATTER DOMINATED FOREGROUND GROUP OF GALAXIES

We present the results of a gravitational lensing analysis of the bright z{sub s} = 2.957 submillimeter galaxy (SMG) HERMES found in the Herschel/SPIRE science demonstration phase data from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) project. The high-resolution imaging available in optical and near-IR channels, along with CO emission obtained with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, allows us to precisely estimate the intrinsic source extension and hence estimate the total lensing magnification to be {mu} = 10.9 {+-} 0.7. We measure the half-light radius R{sub eff} of the source in the rest-frame near-UV and V bands that characterize the unobscured light coming from stars and find R{sub eff,*} = [2.0 {+-} 0.1] kpc, in good agreement with recent studies on the SMG population. This lens model is also used to estimate the size of the gas distribution (R{sub eff,gas} = [1.1 {+-} 0.5] kpc) by mapping back in the source plane the CO (J = 5 {yields} 4) transition line emission. The lens modeling yields a relatively large Einstein radius R{sub Ein} = 4.''10 {+-} 0.''02, corresponding to a deflector velocity dispersion of [483 {+-} 16] km s{sup -1}. This shows that HERMES is lensed by a galaxy group-size dark matter halo at redshift z{sub l} {approx} 0.6. The projected dark matter contribution largely dominates the mass budget within the Einstein radius with f{sub dm}(< R{sub Ein}) {approx} 80%. This fraction reduces to f{sub dm}(< R{sub eff,G1} {approx_equal} 4.5 kpc) {approx} 47% within the effective radius of the main deflecting galaxy of stellar mass M{sub *,G1} = [8.5 {+-} 1.6] x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun}. At this smaller scale the dark matter fraction is consistent with results already found for massive lensing ellipticals at z {approx} 0.2 from the Sloan Lens ACS Survey.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

REDSHIFT DETERMINATION AND CO LINE EXCITATION MODELING FOR THE MULTIPLY LENSED GALAXY HLSW-01

We report on the redshift measurement and CO line excitation of HERMES J105751.1+573027 (HLSW-01), a strongly lensed submillimeter galaxy discovered in Herschel/SPIRE observations as part of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). HLSW-01 is an ultra-luminous galaxy with an intrinsic far-infrared luminosity of L{sub FIR} = 1.4 x 10{sup 13} L{sub sun}, and is lensed by a massive group of galaxies into at least four images with a total magnification of {mu} = 10.9 {+-} 0.7. With the 100 GHz instantaneous bandwidth of the Z-Spec instrument on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, we robustly identify a redshift of z = 2.958 {+-} 0.007 for this source, using the simultaneous detection of four CO emission lines (J = 7 {yields} 6, J = 8 {yields} 7, J = 9 {yields} 8, and J = 10 {yields} 9). Combining the measured line fluxes for these high-J transitions with the J = 1 {yields} 0, J = 3 {yields} 2, and J = 5 {yields} 4 line fluxes measured with the Green Bank Telescope, the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Astronomy, and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, respectively, we model the physical properties of the molecular gas in this galaxy. We find that the full CO spectral line energy distribution is described well by warm, moderate-density gas with T{sub kin} = 86-235 K and n{sub H{sub 2}} = (1.1-3.5) x 10{sup 3} cm{sup -3}. However, it is possible that the highest-J transitions are tracing a small fraction of very dense gas in molecular cloud cores, and two-component models that include a warm/dense molecular gas phase with T{sub kin} {approx} 200 K, n{sub H{sub 2}}{approx}10{sup 5} cm{sup -3} are also consistent with these data. Higher signal-to-noise measurements of the J{sub up} {>=} 7 transitions with high spectral resolution, combined with high spatial resolution CO maps, are needed to improve our understanding of the gas excitation, morphology, and dynamics of this interesting high-redshift galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

DYNAMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MOLECULAR INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN AN EXTREMELY BRIGHT, MULTIPLY LENSED z {approx_equal} 3 SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY DISCOVERED WITH HERSCHEL

We report the detection of CO(J = 5 {yields} 4), CO(J = 3 {yields} 2), and CO(J = 1 {yields} 0) emission in the strongly lensed, Herschel/SPIRE-selected submillimeter galaxy (SMG) HERMES J105751.1+573027 at z = 2.9574 {+-} 0.0001, using the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy, and the Green Bank Telescope. The observations spatially resolve the molecular gas into four lensed images with a maximum separation of {approx}9'' and reveal the internal gas dynamics in this system. We derive lensing-corrected CO line luminosities of L'{sub CO(1-0)} = (4.17 {+-} 0.41), L'{sub CO(3-2)} = (3.96 {+-} 0.20), and L'{sub CO(5-4)} = (3.45 {+-} 0.20) x 10{sup 10} ({mu}{sub L}/10.9){sup -1} K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2}, corresponding to luminosity ratios of r{sub 31} = 0.95 {+-} 0.10, r{sub 53} = 0.87 {+-} 0.06, and r{sub 51} = 0.83 {+-} 0.09. This suggests a total molecular gas mass of M{sub gas} = 3.3x10{sup 10} ({alpha}{sub CO}/0.8) ({mu}{sub L}/10.9){sup -1} M{sub sun}. The gas mass, gas mass fraction, gas depletion timescale, star formation efficiency, and specific star formation rate are typical for an SMG. The velocity structure of the gas reservoir suggests that the brightest two lensed images are dynamically resolved projections of the same dust-obscured region in the galaxy that are kinematically offset from the unresolved fainter images. The resolved kinematics appear consistent with the complex velocity structure observed in major, 'wet' (i.e., gas-rich) mergers. Major mergers are commonly observed in SMGs and are likely to be responsible for fueling their intense starbursts at high gas consumption rates. This study demonstrates the level of detail to which galaxies in the early universe can be studied by utilizing the increase in effective spatial resolution and sensitivity provided by gravitational lensing.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

MOST SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES ARE MAJOR MERGERS

We analyze subarcsecond resolution interferometric CO line data for 12 submillimeter-luminous (S{sub 850{sub {mu}m}} {>=} 5 mJy) galaxies with redshifts between 1 and 3, presenting new data for 4 of them. Morphologically and kinematically, most of the 12 systems appear to be major mergers. Five of them are well-resolved binary systems, and seven are compact or poorly resolved. Of the four binary systems for which mass measurements for both separate components can be made, all have mass ratios of 1:3 or closer. Furthermore, comparison of the ratio of compact to binary systems with that observed in local ULIRGs indicates that at least a significant fraction of the compact submillimeter-luminous galaxies (SMGs) must also be late-stage mergers. In addition, the dynamical and gas masses we derive are most consistent with the lower end of the range of stellar masses published for these systems, favoring cosmological models in which SMGs result from mergers. These results all point to the same conclusion that most of the bright SMGs with L{sub IR} {approx}> 5 x 10{sup 12} L{sub sun} are likely major mergers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

Implosion dynamics in double planar wire array Z pinches

The double planar wire array (DPWA) Z pinch is a highly efficient radiation source with unique implosion dynamics and precursor formations. The inductively divided current successively ablates the wires and injects the material to the interior of the array. Three uniquely imploding DPWA load types were identified and classified according to the critical load parameter: low, intermediate, or high aspect ratio. Radiation pulse shaping was obtained from secondary precursors: off-axis mass carrying high current densities during the implosion phase. Time-gated EUV spectroscopy of off-axis mass accumulations is used to assess a 60 eV electron temperature prior to the implosion phase. These structures are shown to form by a different mechanism than the secondary precursors. High yields, compact size, and shaped radiation pulses merit further consideration of the DPWA as a candidate for inertial confinement fusion research.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗