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Zhi-Yu Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Zhi-Yu Zhang.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

HCN 3-2 survey towards a sample of local galaxies

We present observations of HCN 3-2 emissions towards 37 local galaxies using 10-m Submillimeter Telescope (SMT). HCN 3-2 emission is detected in 23 galaxies. The correlation of infrared luminosity (LIR) and the luminosity of HCN 3-2 line emission measured in our sample is fitted with a slope of 1.11 and correlation coefficient of 0.91, which follows the linear correlation found in other dense gas tracers in the literatures. Although molecular gas above a certain volume density threshold (i.e., $n_{\rm H_2}\geq$ 10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$) statistically gave similar relation with infrared luminosity, the large scatter of HCN 3-2/HCN1-0 ratios for galaxies with different LIR indicates that dense gas masses estimated from the line luminosities of only one transition of dense gas tracers should be treated with caution for individual galaxies.

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The MALATANG Survey: Dense Gas and Star Formation from High Transition HCN and HCO+ maps of NGC253

To study the high-transition dense-gas tracers and their relationships to the star formation of the inner $\sim$ 2 kpc circumnuclear region of NGC253, we present HCN $J=4-3$ and HCO$^+ J=4-3$ maps obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). With the spatially resolved data, we compute the concentration indices $r_{90}/r_{50}$ for the different tracers. HCN and HCO$^+$ 4-3 emission features tend to be centrally concentrated, which is in contrast to the shallower distribution of CO 1-0 and the stellar component. The dense-gas fraction ($f_\text{dense}$, traced by the velocity-integrated-intensity ratios of HCN/CO and HCO$^+$/CO) and the ratio $R_\text{31}$ (CO 3-2/1-0) decline towards larger galactocentric distances, but increase with higher SFR surface density. The radial variation and the large scatter of $f_\text{dense}$ and $R_\text{31}$ imply distinct physical conditions in different regions of the galactic disc. The relationships of $f_\text{dense}$ versus $Σ_\text{stellar}$, and SFE$_\text{dense}$ versus $Σ_\text{stellar}$ are explored. SFE$_\text{dense}$ increases with higher $Σ_\text{stellar}$ in this galaxy, which is inconsistent with previous work that used HCN 1-0 data. This implies that existing stellar components might have different effects on the high-$J$ HCN and HCO$^+$ than their low-$J$ emission. We also find that SFE$_\text{dense}$ seems to be decreasing with higher $f_\text{dense}$, which is consistent with previous works, and it suggests that the ability of the dense gas to form stars diminishes when the average density of the gas increases. This is expected in a scenario where only the regions with high-density contrast collapse and form stars.

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Over-sized gas clumps in an extremely-metal-poor molecular cloud revealed by ALMA's pc-scale maps

Metals are thought to have profound effects on the internal structures of molecular clouds in which stars are born. The absence of metals is expected to prevent gas from efficient cooling and fragmentation in theory. However, this effect has not yet been observed at low metallicity environments, such as in the early Universe and local dwarf galaxies, because of the lack of high spatial resolution maps of gas. We carried out ALMA observations of the carbon monoxide (CO) J=2-1 emission line at 1.4-parsec resolutions of a molecular cloud in DDO 70 at 7% solar metallicity, the most metal-poor galaxy currently known with a CO detection. In total, five clumps have been identified and they are found to follow more or less the Larson's law. Since the CO emission exists in regions with visual extinction A_V around 1.0, we converted this A_V to the gas mass surface density using a gas-to-dust ratio of 4,594+-2,848 for DDO 70. We found that the CO clumps in DDO 70 exhibit significantly larger (on average four times) sizes than those at the same gas mass surface densities in massive star-formation regions of the Milky Way. The existence of such large clumps appears to be consistent with theoretical expectations that gas fragmentation in low metallicity clouds is suppressed. While our observation is only for one cloud in the galaxy, if it is representative, the above result implies suppressed gas fragmentation during the cloud collapse and star formation in the early Universe.

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Molecular Oxygen in the nearest QSO Mrk 231

We report the detection of an emission feature at the 12 sigma level with FWHM line width of about 450 km/s toward the nearest quasi-stellar object, QSO Mrk 231. Based on observations with the IRAM 30 m telescope and the NOEMA Interferometer, the 11-10 transition of molecular oxygen is the likely origin of line with rest frequency close to 118.75 GHz. The velocity of the O2 emission in Mrk 231 coincides with the red wing seen in CO emission, suggesting that it is associated with the outflowing molecular gas, located mainly at about ten kpc away from the central AGN. This first detection of extragalactic molecular oxygen provides an ideal tool to study AGN-driven molecular outflows on dynamic time scales of tens of Myr. O2 may be a significant coolant for molecular gas in such regions affected by AGN-driven outflows. New astrochemical models are needed to explain the implied high molecular oxygen abundance in such regions several kpc away from the center of galaxies.

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The evolution of CNO isotopes: the impact of massive stellar rotators

Chemical abundances and abundance ratios measured in galaxies provide precious information about the mechanisms, modes and time scales of the assembly of cosmic structures. Yet, the nucleogenesis and chemical evolution of elements heavier than helium are dictated mostly by the physics of the stars and the shape of the stellar mass spectrum. In particular, estimates of CNO isotopic abundances in the hot, dusty media of high-redshift starburst galaxies offer a unique glimpse into the shape of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) in extreme environments that can not be accessed with direct observations (star counts). Underlying uncertainties in stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis theory, however, may hurt our chances of getting a firm grasp of the IMF in these galaxies. In this work, we adopt new yields for massive stars, covering different initial rotational velocities. First, we implement the new yield set in a well-tested chemical evolution model for the Milky Way. The calibrated model is then adapted to the specific case of a prototype submillimeter galaxy (SMG). We show that, if the formation of fast-rotating stars is favoured in the turbulent medium of violently star-forming galaxies irrespective of metallicity, the IMF needs to be skewed towards high-mass stars in order to explain the CNO isotope ratios observed in SMGs. If, instead, stellar rotation becomes negligible beyond a given metallicity threshold, as is the case for our own Galaxy, there is no need to invoke a top-heavy IMF in starbursts.

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A SiO J = 5 - 4 Survey Toward Massive Star Formation Regions

We performed a survey in the SiO $J=5\rightarrow4$ line toward a sample of 199 Galactic massive star-forming regions at different evolutionary stages with the SMT 10 m and CSO 10.4 m telescopes. The sample consists of 44 infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), 86 protostellar candidates, and 69 young \HII\ regions. We detected SiO $J=5\rightarrow4$ line emission in 102 sources, with a detection rate of 57\%, 37\%, and 65\% for IRDCs, protostellar candidates, and young \HII\ regions, respectively. We find both broad line with Full Widths at Zero Power (FWZP) $>$ 20 \kms and narrow line emissons of SiO in objects at various evolutionary stages, likely associated with high-velocity shocks and low-velocity shocks, respectively. The SiO luminosities do not show apparent differences among various evolutionary stages in our sample. We find no correlation between the SiO abundance and the luminosity-to-mass ratio, indicating that the SiO abundance does not vary significantly in regions at different evolutionary stages of star formation.

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The molecular-gas properties in the gravitationally lensed merger HATLAS J142935.3-002836

Follow-up observations of (sub-)mm-selected gravitationally-lensed systems have allowed a more detailed study of the dust-enshrouded phase of star-formation up to very early cosmic times. Here, the case of the gravitationally lensed merger in HATLAS J142935.3-002836 (also known as H1429-0028; z_lens=0.218, z_bkg=1.027) is revisited following recent developments in the literature and new APEX observations targeting two carbon monoxide (CO) rotational transitions J_up=3 and 6. We show that the line-profiles comprise three distinct velocity components, where the fainter high-velocity one is less magnified and more compact. The modelling of the observed spectral line energy distribution of CO J_up=2 to 6 and [CI]3P_1-3P_0 assumes a large velocity gradient scenario, where the analysis is based on four statistical approaches. Since the detected gas and dust emission comes exclusively from only one of the two merging components (the one oriented North-South, NS), we are only able to determine upper-limits for the companion. The molecular gas in the NS component in H1429-0028 is found to have a temperature of ~70K, a volume density of log(n[/cm3])~3.7, to be expanding at ~10km/s/pc, and amounts to M_H2=4(-2,+3)*1e9 Msun. The CO to H2 conversion factor is estimated to be alpha_CO=0.4(-0.2,+0.3) Msun/(K.km/s.pc2). The NS galaxy is expected to have a factor of >10x more gas than its companion (M_H2<3e8 Msun). Nevertheless, the total amount of molecular gas in the system comprises only up to 15 per cent (1sigma upper-limit) of the total (dynamical) mass.

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Catching the Birth of a Dark Molecular Cloud for the First Time

The majority of hydrogen in the interstellar medium (ISM) is in atomic form. The transition from atoms to molecules and, in particular, the formation of the H$_2$ molecule, is a key step in cosmic structure formation en route to stars. Quantifying H$_2$ formation in space is difficult, due to the confusion in the emission of atomic hydrogen (HI) and the lack of a H$_2$ signal from the cold ISM. Here we present the discovery of a rare, isolated dark cloud currently undergoing H$_2$ formation, as evidenced by a prominent "ring" of HI self-absorption. Through a combined analysis of HI narrow self-absorption, CO emission, dust emission, and extinction, we directly measured, for the first time, the [HI]/[H$_2$] abundance varying from 2% to 0.2%, within one region. These measured HI abundances are orders of magnitude higher than usually assumed initial conditions for protoplanetary disk models. None of the fast cloud formation model could produce such low atomic hydrogen abundance. We derived a cloud formation timescale of 6$\times$10$^6$ years, consistent with the global Galactic star formation rate, and favoring the classical star formation picture over fast star formation models. Our measurements also help constrain the H$_2$ formation rate, under various ISM conditions.

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Molecular gas toward supernova remnant Cassiopeia A

We mapped 12CO J=1-0, 12CO J=2-1, 13CO J=1-0, and 13CO J=2-1 lines toward supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A with the IRAM 30m telescope. The molecular clouds (MCs) along the line of sight of Cas A do not show optically thin, shock-broadened 12CO lines ($ΔV \le 7$ km s$^{-1}$ toward Cas A), or high-temperature features from shock heating ($T_k \le 22$ K toward Cas A). Therefore, we suggest that there is no physical evidence to support that the SNR is impacting the molecular gas. All the detected MCs are likely in front of Cas A, as implied by the HCO+ absorption line detected in the same velocity ranges. These MCs contribute H$_2$ column densities of $5\times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, $5\times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, and $2\times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$ in the west, south, and center of the SNR, respectively. The 20 K warm gas at $V_{LSR}\sim -47$ km s$^{-1}$ is distributed along a large-scale molecular ridge in the south of Cas A. Part of the gas is projected onto Cas A, providing a foreground H$_2$ mass of $\sim 200 (d/3 kpc)^2$ Msun, consistent with the mass of cold dust (15--20 K; 2--4 Msun) found in front of the SNR. We suggest that the 20 K warm gas is heated by background cosmic rays with an ionization rate of $ζ({\rm H_2})\sim 2\times 10^{-16}$ s$^{-1}$. The cosmic rays or X-ray emission from Cas A are excluded as the heating sources of the clouds.

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Far-infrared Herschel SPIRE spectroscopy of lensed starbursts reveals physical conditions of ionised gas

The most intensively star-forming galaxies are extremely luminous at far-infrared (FIR) wavelengths, highly obscured at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, and lie at $z\ge 1-3$. We present a programme of ${\it Herschel}$ FIR spectroscopic observations with the SPIRE FTS and photometric observations with PACS, both on board ${\it Herschel}$, towards a sample of 45 gravitationally lensed, dusty starbursts across $z\sim 1-3.6$. In total, we detected 27 individual lines down to 3-$σ$, including nine $[\rm C{\small II}]$ 158-$μ$m lines with confirmed spectroscopic redshifts, five possible $[\rm C{\small II}]$ lines consistent with their far-infrared photometric redshifts, and in some individual sources a few $[\rm O{\small III}]$ 88-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small III}]$ 52-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small I}]$ 145-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small I}]$ 63-$μ$m, $[\rm N{\small II}]$ 122-$μ$m, and OH 119-$μ$m (in absorption) lines. To derive the typical physical properties of the gas in the sample, we stack all spectra weighted by their intrinsic luminosity and by their 500-$μ$m flux densities, with the spectra scaled to a common redshift. In the stacked spectra, we detect emission lines of $[\rm C{\small II}]$ 158-$μ$m, $[\rm N{\small II}]$ 122-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small III}]$ 88-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small III}]$ 52-$μ$m, $[\rm O{\small I}]$ 63-$μ$m, and the absorption doublet of OH at 119-$μ$m, at high fidelity. We find that the average electron densities traced by the $[\rm N{\small II}]$ and $[\rm O{\small III}]$ lines are higher than the average values in local star-forming galaxies and ULIRGs, using the same tracers. From the $[\rm N{\small II}]/[\rm C{\small II}]$ and $[\rm O{\small I}]/[\rm C{\small II}]$ ratios, we find that the $[\rm C{\small II}]$ emission is likely dominated by the photo-dominated regions (PDR), instead of by ionised gas or large-scale shocks.

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Stellar populations dominated by massive stars in dusty starburst galaxies across cosmic time

All measurements of cosmic star formation must assume an initial distribution of stellar masses -- the stellar initial mass function -- in order to extrapolate from the star-formation rate measured for typically rare, massive stars (> 8 Msun) to the total star-formation rate across the full stellar mass spectrum. The shape of the stellar initial mass function in various galaxy populations underpins our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Classical determinations of the stellar initial mass function in local galaxies are traditionally made at ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared wavelengths, which cannot be probed in dust-obscured galaxies, especially in distant starbursts, whose apparent star-formation rates are hundreds to thousands of times higher than in our Milky Way, selected at submillimetre (rest-frame far-infrared) wavelengths. The 13C/18O abundance ratio in the cold molecular gas -- which can be probed via the rotational transitions of the 13CO and C18O isotopologues -- is a very sensitive index of the stellar initial mass function, with its determination immune to the pernicious effects of dust. Here we report observations of 13CO and C18O emission for a sample of four dust-enshrouded starbursts at redshifts of approximately two to three, and find unambiguous evidence for a top-heavy stellar initial mass function in all of them. A low 13CO/C18O ratio for all our targets -- alongside a well-tested, detailed chemical evolution model benchmarked on the Milky Way -- implies that there are considerably more massive stars in starburst events than in ordinary star-forming spiral galaxies. This can bring these extraordinary starbursts closer to the `main sequence' of star-forming galaxies, though such main-sequence galaxies may not be immune to changes in initial stellar mass function, depending upon their star-formation densities.

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NuSTAR Detection of a Hard X-ray Source in the Supernova Remnant - Molecular Cloud Interaction Site of IC 443

We report on a broadband study of a complex X-ray source (1SAX J0618.0+2227) associated with the interaction site of the supernova remnant (SNR) IC 443 and ambient molecular cloud (MC) using NuSTAR, XMM_Newton, and Chandra observations. Its X-ray spectrum is composed of both thermal and non-thermal components. The thermal component can be equally well represented by either a thin plasma model with kT=0.19 keV or a blackbody model with kT=0.11 keV. The non-thermal component can be fit with either a power-law with Gamma~1.7 or a cutoff power-law with Gamma~1.5 and a cutoff energy at E_cut~18 keV. Using the newly obtained NuSTAR dataset, we test three possible scenarios for isolated X-ray sources in the SNR-MC interaction site: 1) pulsar wind nebula (PWN); 2) SNR ejecta fragment; 3) shocked molecular clump. We conclude that this source is most likely composed of a SNR ejecta (or a PWN) and surrounding shocked molecular clumps. The nature of this hard X-ray source in the SNR-MC interaction site of IC 443 may shed light on unidentified X-ray sources with hard X-ray spectra in rich environments for star forming regions, such as the Galactic center.

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The MALATANG Survey: the L_gas-L_IR correlation on sub-kiloparsec scale in six nearby star-forming galaxies as traced by HCN J=4-3 and HCO^+ J=4-3

We present HCN J=4-3 and HCO^+ J=4-3 maps of six nearby star-forming galaxies, NGC 253, NGC 1068, IC 342, M82, M83, and NGC 6946, obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the MALATANG survey. All galaxies were mapped in the central 2 arcmin $\times$ 2 arcmin region at 14 arcsec (FWHM) resolution (corresponding to linear scales of ~ 0.2-1.0 kpc). The L_IR-L'_dense relation, where the dense gas is traced by the HCN J=4-3 and the HCO^+ J=4-3 emission, measured in our sample of spatially-resolved galaxies is found to follow the linear correlation established globally in galaxies within the scatter. We find that the luminosity ratio, L_IR/L'_dense, shows systematic variations with L_IR within individual spatially resolved galaxies, whereas the galaxy-integrated ratios vary little. A rising trend is also found between L_IR/L'_dense ratio and the warm-dust temperature gauged by the 70 μm/100 μm flux ratio. We find the luminosity ratios of IR/HCN(4-3) and IR/HCO^+(4-3), which can be taken as a proxy for the efficiency of star formation in the dense molecular gas (SFE_dense), appears to be nearly independent of the dense-gas fraction (f_dense) for our sample of galaxies. The SFE of the total molecular gas (SFE_mol) is found to increase substantially with f_dense when combining our data with that on local (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies and high-z quasars. The mean L'_HCN(4-3)/L'_HCO^+(4-3) line ratio measured for the six targeted galaxies is 0.9+/-0.6. No significant correlation is found for the L'_HCN(4-3)/L'_HCO^+(4-3) ratio with the SFR as traced by L_IR, nor with the warm-dust temperature, for the different populations of galaxies.

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Extreme conditions in the molecular gas of lensed star-forming galaxies at z~3

Atomic Carbon can be an efficient tracer of the molecular gas mass, and when combined to the detection of high-J and low-J CO lines it yields also a sensitive probe of the power sources in the molecular gas of high redshift galaxies. The recently installed SEPIA5 receiver at the focus of the APEX telescope has opened up a new window at frequencies 159 - 211 GHz allowing the exploration of the Atomic Carbon in high-z galaxies, at previously inaccessible frequencies from the ground. We have targeted three gravitationally lensed galaxies at redshift of about 3 and conducted a comparative study of the observed high-J CO/CI ~ratios with well-studied nearby galaxies. Atomic Carbon (CI(2-1)) was detected in one of the three targets and marginally in a second, while in all three targets the $J=7\to6$ CO line is detected. The CO(7-6)/CI(2-1), CO(7-6)/CO(1-0) line ratios and the CO(7-6)/(far-IR continuum) luminosity ratio are compared to those of nearby objects. A large excitation status in the ISM of these high-z objects is seen, unless differential lensing unevenly boosts the CO line fluxes from the warm and dense gas more than the CO(1-0), CI(2-1), tracing a more widely distributed cold gas phase. We provide estimates of total molecular gas masses derived from the atomic Carbon and the Carbon monoxide CO(1-0), which within the uncertainties turn out to be equal.

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Re-visiting the extended Schmidt law: the important role of existing stars in regulating star formation

We revisit the proposed extended Schmidt law (Shi et al. 2011) which points that the star formation efficiency in galaxies depends on the stellar mass surface density, by investigating spatially-resolved star formation rates (SFRs), gas masses and stellar masses of star formation regions in a vast range of galactic environments, from the outer disks of dwarf galaxies to spiral disks and to merging galaxies as well as individual molecular clouds in M33. We find that these regions are distributed in a tight power-law as Sigma_SFR ~(Sigma_star^0.5 Sigma_gas )^1.09, which is also valid for the integrated measurements of disk and merging galaxies at high-z. Interestingly, we show that star formation regions in the outer disks of dwarf galaxies with Sigma_SFR down to 10^(-5) Msun/yr/kpc^2, which are outliers of both Kennicutt-Schmidt and Silk-Elmegreen law, also follow the extended Schmidt law. Other outliers in the Kennicutt-Schmidt law, such as extremely-metal poor star-formation regions, also show significantly reduced deviations from the extended Schmidt law. These results suggest an important role for existing stars in helping to regulate star formation through the effect of their gravity on the mid-plane pressure in a wide range of galactic environments.

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The dependence of the IR-radio correlation on the metallicity

We have compiled a sample of 26 metal-poor galaxies with 12 + log(O/H) < 8.1 with both infrared continuum and 1.4 GHz radio continuum data. By comparing to galaxies at higher metallicity, we have investigated the dependence on the metallicity of the IR-radio relationship at 24 um, 70 um, 100 um and 160 um bands as well as the integrated FIR luminosity. It is found that metal-poor galaxies have on average lower qIR than metal-rich ones with larger offsets at longer IR wavelengths, from -0.06 dex in q24um to -0.6 dex in q160um. The qIR of all galaxies as a whole at 160 um show positive trends with the metallicity and IR-to-FUV ratio, and negative trends with the IR color, while those at lower IR wavelengths show weaker correlations. We proposed a mechanism that invokes combined effects of low obscured-SFR/total-SFR fraction and warm dust temperature at low metallicity to interpret the above behavior of qIR, with the former reducing the IR radiation and the latter further reducing the IR emission at longer IR wavelength. Other mechanisms that are related to the radio emission including the enhanced magnetic field strength and increased thermal radio contribution are unable to reconcile the IR-wavelength-dependent differences of qIR between metal-poor and metal- rich galaxies. In contrast to qIR, the mean total-SFR/radio ratio of metal-poor galaxies is the same as the metal-rich one, indicating the 1.4 GHz radio emission is still an effective tracer of SFRs at low metallicity.

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ALMA Maps of Dust and Warm Dense Gas Emission in the Starburst Galaxy IC 5179$^\star$

We present our high-resolution ($0^{\prime\prime}.15\times0^{\prime\prime}.13$, $\sim$34 pc) observations of the CO(6-5) line emission, which probes the warm and dense molecular gas, and the 434 $μ$m dust continuum emission in the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy IC 5179, conducted with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). The CO(6-5) emission is spatially distributed in filamentary structures with many dense cores and shows a velocity field that is characteristic of a circum-nuclear rotating gas disk, with 90% of the rotation speed arising within a radius of $\lesssim150$ pc. At the scale of our spatial resolution, the CO(6-5) and dust emission peaks do not always coincide, with their surface brightness ratio varying by a factor of $\sim$10. This result suggests that their excitation mechanisms are likely different, as further evidenced by the Southwest to Northeast spatial gradient of both CO-to-dust continuum ratio and Pa-$α$ equivalent width. Within the nuclear region (radius$\sim$300 pc) and with a resolution of $\sim$34 pc, the CO line flux (dust flux density) detected in our ALMA observations is $180\pm18$ Jy km/s ($71\pm7$ mJy), which account for 22% (2.4%) of the total value measured by Herschel.

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Neutral Carbon Emission in luminous infrared galaxies The \CI\ Lines as Total Molecular Gas Tracers

We present a statistical study on the [C I]($^{3} \rm P_{1} \rightarrow {\rm ^3 P}_{0}$), [C I] ($^{3} \rm P_{2} \rightarrow {\rm ^3 P}_{1}$) lines (hereafter [C I] (1$-$0) and [C I] (2$-$1), respectively) and the CO (1$-$0) line for a sample of (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies [(U)LIRGs]. We explore the correlations between the luminosities of CO (1$-$0) and [C I] lines, and find that $L'_\mathrm{CO(1-0)}$ correlates almost linearly with both $L'_ \mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$ and $L'_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$, suggesting that [C I] lines can trace total molecular gas mass at least for (U)LIRGs. We also investigate the dependence of $L'_\mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$/$L'_\mathrm{CO(1-0)}$, $L'_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$/$L'_\mathrm{CO(1-0)}$ and $L'_\mathrm{[CI](2-1)}$/$L'_\mathrm{[CI](1-0)}$ on the far-infrared color of 60-to-100 $μ$m, and find non-correlation, a weak correlation and a modest correlation, respectively. Under the assumption that these two carbon transitions are optically thin, we further calculate the [C I] line excitation temperatures, atomic carbon masses, and the mean [C I] line flux-to-H$_2$ mass conversion factors for our sample. The resulting $\mathrm{H_2}$ masses using these [C I]-based conversion factors roughly agree with those derived from $L'_\mathrm{CO(1-0)}$ and CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor.

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