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Gas properties in the Early Universe deciphered from spectral line surveys of high-z objects: The Cloverleaf Quasar

2022; EDP Sciences; Volume: 265; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1051/epjconf/202226500024

2101-6275

M. Guélin, C. Krämer, C. Yang, B. Tercero, J. Cernicharo,

Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Molecular lines observed in remote quasars arise from exceptionnally strong starburst regions in the vicinity of the QSO. Their study offers a unique opportunity to probe the gas physical and chemical properties at the epoch of peak star formation (z=2-3). We report the preliminary results of an on-going mm/sub-mm spectral line survey of the Cloverleaf Quasar (z=2.6), the archetype of gravitationally lensed quasars. We identify 14 molecular species, including rare isotopologues of CO and HCO + . The high gas density tracers HCO + , HCN, HNC and CN are detected through several rotational transitions, up to J=8-7 ( E up / k ≃ 155 K). Their emission appears to arise from dense (> 10 6 cm −3 ) gas clumps embedded in a circumnuclear disk with a flat rotation curve.