Dust and molecular gas in high redshift radio galaxies

Abstract

This review discusses the current status of our knowledge of emission by dust and molecular gas in high redshift radio galaxies, and the uncertainties in the derivation of physical parameters from these data. The similarity of far-infrared luminous, gas-rich high redshift radio galaxies and local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) is discussed. Given that local ULIGs rapidly convert most of their gas reservoir into stars, far-infrared luminous high-z radio galaxies are likely undergoing immense bursts of star formation, possibly accounting for a large fraction of the final stellar populations in these systems. These results are discussed in the context of formation scenarios of massive galaxies.

to appear in "The most distant radio galaxies", proceedings of KNAW colloquium, eds. H.J.A. Rottgering, P.N. Best and M.D. Lehnert (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers) 12 pages, incl 2 .ps figures; uses knawproc.cls and pvdwbib.sty (included)