Absorption of Millimeter-band CO and CN in the Early Universe: Molecular Clouds in the Radio Galaxy B20902+34 at Redshift 3.4

Using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, we have detected absorption lines due to carbon monoxide, CO(J = 0→1), and the cyano radical, CN(N = 0→1), associated with radio galaxy B2 0902+34 at redshift z = 3.4. The detection of millimeter-band absorption observed 1.5 Gyr after the Big Bang facilitates studying molecular clouds down to gas masses inaccessible to emission-line observations. The CO absorption in B2 0902 +34 has a peak optical depth of τ ⩾ 8.6% and consists of two components, one of which has the same redshift as previously detected 21 cm absorption of neutral hydrogen (H_I) gas. Each CO component traces an integrated H2 column density of [Formula presented]. CN absorption is detected for both CO components, as well as for a blueshifted component not detected in CO, with CO/CN line ratios ranging from ⩽0.4 to 2.4. We discuss the scenario that the absorption components originate from collections of small and dense molecular clouds that are embedded in a region with more diffuse gas and high turbulence, possibly within the influence of the central active galactic nucleus or a starburst region. The degree of reddening in B2 0902+34, with rest-frame color B − K ∼ 4.2, is lower than the very red colors (B − K > 6) found among other known redshifted CO absorption systems at z < 1. Nevertheless, when including the many nondetections from the literature, a potential correlation between the absorption-line strength and B − K color is evident, giving weight to the argument that the red colors of CO absorbers are due to a high dust content.