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Description
We have used the Plateau De Bure Interferometer to observe multiple CO and neutral carbon transitions in a z=2.2 main sequence disk galaxy, BX610. Our observation of CO(7-6), CO(4-3) and both far infrared [CI] lines complements previous observations of H-alpha and low-J CO, and reveal a galaxy that is vigorously forming stars with UV fields, (Log(G/G_0_)<3.25), less extreme than local ULIRGs or most starbursting submillimeter galaxies in the early universe. Our observations allow new independent estimates of the cold gas mass which indicate M_gas_~2x10^11^M_{sun}_, and suggest a modestly larger alpha_CO value of ~8.2. The corresponding gas depletion timescale is ~1.5Gyr. In addition to gas of modest density (Log(n[cm^-3^])<3) heated by star formation, BX610 shows evidence for a significant second gas component responsible for the strong high-J CO emission. This second component might either be a high density molecular gas component heated by star formation in a typical photodissociation region, or it could be molecular gas excited by low velocity C shocks. The CO(7-6) to far infrared luminosity ratio we observe is significantly higher than typical star forming galaxies and suggests that CO(7-6) is not a reliable star formation tracer in this galaxy.
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