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We study the dynamics of cold molecular gas in two main-sequence galaxies at cosmic noon (zC-488879 at z  ≃ 1.47 and zC-400569 at z  ≃ 2.24) using new high-resolution ALMA observations of multiple 12 CO transitions. For zC-400569 we also reanalyze high-quality H α data from the SINS/zC-SINF survey. We find that (1) both galaxies have regularly rotating CO disks and their rotation curves are flat out to ∼8 kpc contrary to previous results pointing to outer declines in the rotation speed V rot ; (2) the intrinsic velocity dispersions are low ( σ CO  ≲ 15 km s −1 for CO and σ Hα  ≲ 37 km s −1 for H α ) and imply V rot / σ CO  ≳ 17 − 22 yielding no significant pressure support; (3) mass models using HST images display a severe disk-halo degeneracy, that is models with inner baryon dominance and models with “cuspy” dark matter halos can fit the rotation curves equally well due to the uncertainties on stellar and gas masses; and (4) Milgromian dynamics (MOND) can successfully fit the rotation curves with the same acceleration scale a 0 measured at z  ≃ 0. The question of the amount and distribution of dark matter in high- z galaxies remains unsettled due to the limited spatial extent of the available kinematic data; we discuss the suitability of various emission lines to trace extended rotation curves at high z . Nevertheless, the properties of these two high- z galaxies (high V rot / σ V ratios, inner rotation curve shapes, bulge-to-total mass ratios) are remarkably similar to those of massive spirals at z  ≃ 0, suggesting weak dynamical evolution over more than 10 Gyr of the Universe’s lifetime. 

Understanding the nature of high-redshift dusty galaxies requires a comprehensive view of their interstellar medium (ISM) and molecular complexity. However, the molecular ISM at high redshifts is commonly studied using only a few species beyond¹²C¹⁶O, limiting our understanding. In this paper, we present the results of deep 3 mm spectral line surveys using the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) targeting two strongly lensed dusty galaxies observed when the Universe was less than 1.8 Gyr old: APM 08279+5255, a quasar at redshiftz= 3.911, and NCv1.143 (H-ATLAS J125632.7+233625), az= 3.565 starburst galaxy. The spectral line surveys cover rest-frame frequencies from about 330 to 550 GHz for both galaxies. We report the detection of 38 and 25 emission lines in APM 08279+5255 and NCv1.143, respectively. These lines originate from 17 species, namely CO,¹³CO, C¹⁸O, CN, CCH, HCN, HCO⁺, HNC, CS, C³⁴S, H₂O, H₃O⁺, NO, N₂H⁺, CH, c-C₃H₂, and the vibrationally excited HCN and neutral carbon. The spectra reveal the chemical richness and the complexity of the physical properties of the ISM. By comparing the spectra of the two sources and combining the analysis of the molecular gas excitation, we find that the physical properties and the chemical imprints of the ISM are different: the molecular gas is more excited in APM 08279+5255, which exhibits higher molecular gas temperatures and densities compared to NCv1.143; the molecular abundances in APM 08279+5255 are akin to the values of local active galactic nuclei (AGN), showing boosted relative abundances of the dense gas tracers that might be related to high-temperature chemistry and/or the X-ray-dominated regions, while NCv1.143 more closely resembles local starburst galaxies. The most significant differences between the two sources are found in H₂O: the 448 GHz ortho-H₂O(4₂₃ − 3₃₀) line is significantly brighter in APM 08279+5255, which is likely linked to the intense far-infrared radiation from the dust powered by AGN. Our astrochemical model suggests that, at such high column densities, far-ultraviolet radiation is less important in regulating the ISM, while cosmic rays (and/or X-rays and shocks) are the key players in shaping the molecular abundances and the initial conditions of star formation. Both our observed CO isotopologs line ratios and the derived extreme ISM conditions (high gas temperatures, densities, and cosmic-ray ionization rates) suggest the presence of a top-heavy stellar initial mass function. From the ∼330–550 GHz continuum, we also find evidence of nonthermal millimeter flux excess in APM 08279+5255 that might be related to the central supermassive black hole. Such deep spectral line surveys open a new window into the physics and chemistry of the ISM and the radiation field of galaxies in the early Universe. 

Abstract We introduce new analysis methods for studying the star cluster formation processes in Orion A, especially examining the scenario of a cloud–cloud collision. We utilize the CARMA–NRO Orion survey 13CO (1–0) data to compare molecular gas to the properties of young stellar objects from the SDSS III IN-SYNC survey. We show that the increase of $$v_{\rm {}^{13}CO} - v_{\rm YSO}$$ and Σ scatter of older YSOs can be signals of cloud–cloud collision. SOFIA-upGREAT 158 μm [C ii] archival data toward the northern part of Orion A are also compared to the 13CO data to test whether the position and velocity offsets between the emission from these two transitions resemble those predicted by a cloud–cloud collision model. We find that the northern part of Orion A, including regions ONC-OMC-1, OMC-2, OMC-3, and OMC-4, shows qualitative agreements with the cloud–cloud collision scenario, while in one of the southern regions, NGC 1999, there is no indication of such a process in causing the birth of new stars. On the other hand, another southern cluster, L 1641 N, shows slight tendencies of cloud–cloud collision. Overall, our results support the cloud–cloud collision process as being an important mechanism for star cluster formation in Orion A.