The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: Survey strategy, observations, and sample properties of 118 star-forming galaxies at 4 < z < 6

Le Fevre, O.; Bethermin, M.; Faisst, A.; Jones, G. C.; Capak, P.; Cassata, P.; Silverman, J. D.; Schaerer, D.; Yan, L.; Amorin, R.; Bardelli, S.; Boquien, M.; Cimatti, A.; Dessauges-Zavadsky, M.; Giavalisco, M.; Hathi, N. P.; Fudamoto, Y.; Fujimoto, S.; Ginolfi, M.; Gruppioni, C.; Hemmati, S.; Ibar, E.; Koekemoer, A.; Khusanova, Y.; Lagache, G.; Lemaux, B. C.; Loiacono, F.; Maiolino, R.; Mancini, C.; Narayanan, D.; Morselli, L.; Mendez-Hernandez, H.; Oesch, P. A.; Pozzi, F.; Romano, M.; Riechers, D.; Scoville, N.; Talia, M.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Thomas, R.; Toft, S.; Vallini, L.; Vergani, D.; Walter, F.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936965

The ALMA-ALPINE [CII] survey is aimed at characterizing the properties of a sample of normal star-forming galaxies (SFGs). The ALMA Large Program to INvestigate (ALPINE) features 118 galaxies observed in the [CII]-158 μm line and far infrared (FIR) continuum emission during the period of rapid mass assembly, right after the end of the HI reionization, at redshifts of 4 < z < 6. We present the survey science goals, the observational strategy, and the sample selection of the 118 galaxies observed with ALMA, with an average beam minor axis of about 0.85″, or ∼5 kpc at the median redshift of the survey. The properties of the sample are described, including spectroscopic redshifts derived from the UV-rest frame, stellar masses, and star-formation rates obtained from a spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. The observed properties derived from the ALMA data are presented and discussed in terms of the overall detection rate in [CII] and FIR continuum, with the observed signal-to-noise distribution. The sample is representative of the SFG population in the main sequence at these redshifts. The overall detection rate in [CII] is 64% for a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) threshold larger than 3.5 corresponding to a 95% purity (40% detection rate for S/N > 5). Based on a visual inspection of the [CII] data cubes together with the large wealth of ancillary data, we find a surprisingly wide range of galaxy types, including 40% that are mergers, 20% extended and dispersion-dominated, 13% compact, and 11% rotating discs, with the remaining 16% too faint to be classified. This diversity indicates that a wide array of physical processes must be at work at this epoch, first and foremost, those of galaxy mergers. This paper sets a reference sample for the gas distribution in normal SFGs at 4 < z < 6, a key epoch in galaxy assembly, which is ideally suited for studies with future facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs).

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: Survey strategy, observations, and sample properties of 118 star-forming galaxies at 4 < z < 6 / Le Fevre O.; Bethermin M.; Faisst A.; Jones G.C.; Capak P.; Cassata P.; Silverman J.D.; Schaerer D.; Yan L.; Amorin R.; Bardelli S.; Boquien M.; Cimatti A.; Dessauges-Zavadsky M.; Giavalisco M.; Hathi N.P.; Fudamoto Y.; Fujimoto S.; Ginolfi M.; Gruppioni C.; Hemmati S.; Ibar E.; Koekemoer A.; Khusanova Y.; Lagache G.; Lemaux B.C.; Loiacono F.; Maiolino R.; Mancini C.; Narayanan D.; Morselli L.; Mendez-Hernandez H.; Oesch P.A.; Pozzi F.; Romano M.; Riechers D.; Scoville N.; Talia M.; Tasca L.A.M.; Thomas R.; Toft S.; Vallini L.; Vergani D.; Walter F.; Zamorani G.; Zucca E.. - In: ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS. - ISSN 0004-6361. - STAMPA. - 643:(2020), pp. A1.1-A1.19. [10.1051/0004-6361/201936965]