Issue |
A&A
Volume 419, Number 1, May III 2004
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 99 - 107 | |
Section | Extragalactic astronomy | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20035788 | |
Published online | 23 April 2004 |
Detection of CO J = 1–0 in the z = 3.79 radio galaxy 4C 60.07
1
Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
2
UK ATC, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK e-mail: rji@roe.ac.uk
3
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK e-mail: pp@star.ucl.ac.uk
4
Sterrewacht Leiden, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Corresponding author: T. R. Greve, tgreve@roe.ac.uk
Received:
2
December
2003
Accepted:
5
February
2004
We report on the detection of the lowest CO transition
in the powerful high-redshift radio galaxy 4C 60.07 at
.
The CO emission is distributed in two spatially and
kinematically distinct components as was previously known from the observations
of the higher excitation CO
line.
The total molecular gas mass in 4C 60.07 inferred from the CO
emission is
, sufficient to fuel the inferred star-formation rate of
∼1600
yr-1 for 108 yrs.
From our high-resolution CO
VLA maps we find the dynamical mass
of 4C 60.07 to be comparable
to that of a giant elliptical at the present time. A significant
fraction of the mass is in the form of molecular gas
suggesting that 4C 60.07 is in an early state of its evolution.
The merging nature of 4C 60.07 along with its large dynamical mass
imply that this system is a giant elliptical caught in its formative stages.
Key words: galaxies: individual: 4C 60.07 / galaxies: active / galaxies: formation / galaxies: ISM / cosmology: observations
© ESO, 2004
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