Weak radio sources in the J2142-4423 Ly-alpha protocluster at z=2.38
Abstract
We propose to use ATCA for a deep 20cm observation of the proto-cluster J2142-4423. This will complement our study of one of the largest structures known in the high-z universe - the 'Francis field' at z~2.4. Seven diffuse, extended Ly-alpha blobs and 27 star-forming Ly-alpha emitting galaxies have been identified in this 110 Mpc filament, and 22 submm sources in the central 10'. Objects like the 'Francis field' represent over-dense regions of the universe, perhaps proto-clusters, and are ideal laboratories to directly study the baryon collapse in massive dark halos. The large numbers of strongly star-forming galaxies detected by LABoCa at 870um (Sub-Millimeter Galaxies, SMGs) and Spitzer at 24um suggest that we may be witnessing the area during its main formation epoch. Deep radio data will be crucial for accurate positions and associations of SMGs with Spitzer sources, tracing the proto-cluster and confirming cluster membership of SMGs and Spitzer sources, and finally establishing star formation and AGN properties of these sources.