<i>HERSCHEL</i>-ATLAS: A BINARY HyLIRG PINPOINTING A CLUSTER OF STARBURSTING PROTOELLIPTICALS

Abstract

&lt;p&gt;\n\tPanchromatic observations of the best candidate hyperluminous infrared galaxies from the widest Herschel extragalactic imaging survey have led to the discovery of at least four intrinsically luminous z = 2.41 galaxies across an {ap}100 kpc region{mdash}a cluster of starbursting protoellipticals. Via subarcsecond interferometric imaging we have measured accurate gas and star formation surface densities. The two brightest galaxies span ~{}3 kpc FWHM in submillimeter/radio continuum and CO J = 4-3, and double that in CO J = 1-0. The broad CO line is due partly to the multitude of constituent galaxies and partly to large rotational velocities in two counter-rotating gas disks{mdash}a scenario predicted to lead to the most intense starbursts, which will therefore come in pairs. The disks have M $_{dyn}$ of several {\times} 10$^{11}$ M $_{⊙}$, and gas fractions of ~{}40%. Velocity dispersions are modest so the disks are unstable, potentially on scales commensurate with their radii: these galaxies are undergoing extreme bursts of star formation, not confined to their nuclei, at close to the Eddington limit. Their specific star formation rates place them {gt}~{} 5 {\times} above the main sequence, which supposedly comprises large gas disks like these. Their high star formation efficiencies are difficult to reconcile with a simple volumetric star formation law. N-body and dark matter simulations suggest that this system is the progenitor of a B(inary)-type {ap}10$^{14.6}$-M $_{⊙}$ cluster.&lt;/p&gt;