Abstract
Astrophys.J. 604 (2004) 125-140 We have used the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer to map CO(3-2) emission
from the gravitationally lensed Lyman break galaxy MS1512-cB58. This is the
first detection of a molecular emission line in any Lyman break system; its
integrated intensity implies a total molecular gas mass of 6.6e9 Msun, while
its width implies a dynamical mass of 1.0e10 csc^2i Msun (for a flat Lambda=0.7
cosmology). These estimates are in excellent concordance with nearly all
parameters of the system measured at other wavelengths, and yield a consistent
picture of past and future star formation with no obvious discrepancies
requiring explanation by differential lensing. In particular, we find that the
age and remaining lifetime of the current episode of star formation are likely
to be similar; the surface densities of star formation and molecular gas mass
are related by a Schmidt law; and the fraction of baryonic mass already
converted into stars is sufficient to account for the observed enrichment of
the interstellar medium to 0.4 Zsun. Barring substantial gas inflow or a major
merger, the stars forming in the current episode will have mass and coevality
at z=0 similar to those of a spiral bulge. Assuming cB58 is a typical Lyman
break galaxy apart from its magnification, its global parameters suggest that
the prescriptions for star formation used in some semi-analytic models of
galaxy evolution require moderate revision, although the general prediction
that gas mass fraction should increase with redshift is validated. [abridged]