3MM-1

Summary

3MM-1 (also known as COS-3mm-1) is a star-forming galaxy about 12.5 billion light-years away that is obscured by clouds of dust.[3] It is located in the constellation of Sextans. It was first detected in spectroscopic data on rotational transitions of carbon monoxide obtained using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array from 23-24 December 2018, as detailed in an article that was published on 22 October 2019. The authors of this article described the discovery as "serendipitous",[2] since the focus of their planned observations had been on galaxies at redshifts near 1.5 that are quiescent — i.e. do not form stars — and directly observable, yet 3MM-1 was found at a redshift of about 5.5, is forming stars and not directly observable.[2][4] In the same dataset, another dust-obscured star-forming galaxy, 3MM-2, was found at a redshift of about 3.3.[2]

3MM-1
Observation data (J2000[1] epoch)
ConstellationSextans
Right ascension10h 02m 36.82s[2]
Declination+02° 08′ 40.60″[2]
Redshift5.5+1.2
−1.1
[2]
Distance12.5×109 light years[3]
Characteristics
Mass1010.8[3] M
Other designations
[WLS2019] 3MM-1

In early 2021, a more precise estimate of 3MM-1's redshift was published, according to which the value is z = 5.857 ± 0.001.[5]

3MM-1 has a mass of about 1010.8 solar masses, and stars form in it at about 100 times the rate as in the Milky Way.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "[WLS2019] 3MM-1". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Williams, Christina C.; Labbe, Ivo; Spilker, Justin; Stefanon, Mauro; Leja, Joel; Whitaker, Katherine; Bezanson, Rachel; Narayanan, Desika; Oesch, Pascal; Weiner, Benjamin (2019). "Discovery of a Dark, Massive, ALMA-only Galaxy at z ~ 5–6 in a Tiny 3 mm Survey". The Astrophysical Journal. 884 (2): 154. arXiv:1905.11996. Bibcode:2019ApJ...884..154W. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab44aa. ISSN 1538-4357. S2CID 168169681.
  3. ^ a b c d University of Arizona (22 October 2019). "Cosmic Yeti from the Dawn of the Universe Found Lurking in Dust". UANews. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  4. ^ Bezanson, Rachel; Spilker, Justin; Williams, Christina C.; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Narayanan, Desika; Weiner, Benjamin; Franx, Marijn (2019). "Extremely Low Molecular Gas Content in a Compact, Quiescent Galaxy at z = 1.522". The Astrophysical Journal. 873 (2): L19. arXiv:1902.09564. Bibcode:2019ApJ...873L..19B. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab0c9c. hdl:10150/633284. ISSN 2041-8213. S2CID 119192706.
  5. ^ Zavala, Jorge A. (1 January 2021). "A Tentative Emission Line at z = 5.8 from a 3 mm Selected Galaxy". Research Notes of the AAS. 5 (1): 15. arXiv:2102.07772. Bibcode:2021RNAAS...5...15Z. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/abdd26. S2CID 231933907.