Present-day galaxy clusters are the largest virialized structures in the Universe, yet their early assembly remains poorly understood. At z>2, clusters in formation span tens of Mpc and host gas-rich, dust-obscured galaxies embedded in extended, low-surface-brightness gaseous environments. Current (sub-)millimeter facilities lack the mapping speed, sensitivity, and contiguous field of view needed to trace the cold gas and dust driving rapid galaxy growth across such scales. A future large single-dish observatory with degree-scale coverage, broad spectral access, and high-multiplex capability would enable comprehensive and uniform mapping of entire protoclusters, revealing where star formation is triggered or quenched, and quantifying the cold gas budget, thus providing information on gas cooling within protocluster environments. In synergy with wide-sky optical/NIR surveys such as Euclid, LSST, and Roman, this facility would provide the missing multi-scale and multiphase submillimeter view needed to uncover how the stellar, gaseous, and dark-matter components assemble in protoclusters, completing our view of early structure formation.

As we learn more about the multi-scale interstellar medium (ISM) of our Galaxy, we develop a greater understanding for the complex relationships between the large-scale diffuse gas and dust in Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), how it moves, how it is affected by the nearby massive stars, and which portions of those GMCs eventually collapse into star forming regions. The complex interactions of those gas, dust and stellar populations form what has come to be known as the ecology of our Galaxy. Because we are deeply embedded in the plane of our Galaxy, it takes up a significant fraction of the sky, with complex dust lanes scattered throughout the optically recognizable bands of the Milky Way. These bands become bright at (sub-)millimetre wavelengths, where we can study dust thermal emission and the chemical and kinematic signatures of the gas. To properly study such large-scale environments, requires deep, large area surveys that are not possible with current facilities. Moreover, where stars form, so too do planetary systems, growing from the dust and gas in circumstellar discs, to planets and planetesimal belts. Understanding the evolution of these belts requires deep imaging capable of studying belts around young stellar objects to Kuiper belt analogues around the nearest stars. Here we present a plan for observing the Galactic Plane and circumstellar environments to quantify the physical structure, the magnetic fields, the dynamics, chemistry, star formation, and planetary system evolution of the galaxy in which we live with AtLAST; a concept for a new, 50m single-dish sub-mm telescope with a large field of view which is the only type of facility that will allow us to observe our Galaxy deeply and widely enough to make a leap forward in our understanding of our local ecology.

An omnipresent feature of the multi-phase "cosmic web" - the large-scale filamentary backbone of the Universe - is that warm/hot (≳ 10 5 K) ionized gas pervades it. This gas constitutes a relevant contribution to the overall universal matter budget across multiple scales, from the several tens of Mpc-scale intergalactic filaments, to the Mpc intracluster medium (ICM), all the way down to the circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding individual galaxies from ∼ 1 kpc up to their respective virial radii (∼ 100 kpc). The study of the hot baryonic component of cosmic matter density represents a powerful means for constraining the intertwined evolution of galactic populations and large-scale cosmological structures, for tracing the matter assembly in the Universe and its thermal history. To this end, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect provides the ideal observational tool for measurements out to the beginnings of structure formation. The SZ effect is caused by the scattering of the photons from the cosmic microwave background off the hot electrons embedded within cosmic structures, and provides a redshift-independent perspective on the thermal and kinematic properties of the warm/hot gas. Still, current and next-generation (sub)millimeter facilities have been providing only a partial view of the SZ Universe due to any combination of: limited angular resolution, spectral coverage, field of view, spatial dynamic range, sensitivity, or all of the above. In this paper, we motivate the development of a wide-field, broad-band, multi-chroic continuum instrument for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) by identifying the scientific drivers that will deepen our understanding of the complex thermal evolution of cosmic structures. On a technical side, this will necessarily require efficient multi-wavelength mapping of the SZ signal with an unprecedented spatial dynamic range (from arcsecond to tens of arcminutes) and we employ detailed theoretical forecasts to determine the key instrumental constraints for achieving our goals.

Understanding the physical processes that regulate star formation and galaxy evolution are major areas of activity in modern astrophysics. Nearby galaxies offer unique opportunities to inspect interstellar medium (ISM), star formation (SF), radiative, dynamic and magnetic ( B → ) physics in great detail from sub-galactic (kpc) scales to sub-cloud (sub-pc) scales, from quiescent galaxies to starbursts, and from field galaxies to overdensities. In this case study, we discuss the major breakthroughs in this area of research that will be enabled by the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a proposed 50-m single-dish submillimeter telescope. The new discovery space of AtLAST comes from its exceptional sensitivity, in particular to extended low surface brightness emission, a very large 2° field of view, and correspondingly high mapping efficiency. This paper focuses on four themes which will particularly benefit from AtLAST: 1) the LMC and SMC, 2) extragalactic magnetic fields, 3) the physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium, and 4) star formation and galaxy evolution. With ~ 1000 − 2000 hour surveys each, AtLAST could deliver deep dust continuum maps of the entire LMC and SMC fields at parsec-scale resolution, high-resolution maps of the magnetic field structure, gas density, temperature and composition of the dense and diffuse ISM in ~ 100 nearby galaxies, as well as the first large-scale blind CO survey in the nearby Universe, delivering molecular gas masses for up to 106 galaxies (3 orders of magnitude more than current samples). Through such observing campaigns, AtLAST will have a profound impact on our understanding of the baryon cycle and star formation across a wide range of environments.

The study of transient and variable events, including novae, active galactic nuclei, and black hole binaries, has historically been a fruitful path for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms of our universe. The study of such events in the millimeter and submillimeter is, however, still in its infancy. Submillimeter observations probe a variety of materials, such as optically thick dust, which are hard to study in other wavelengths. Submillimeter observations are sensitive to a number of emission mechanisms, from the aforementioned cold dust, to hot free-free emission, and synchrotron emission from energetic particles. Study of these phenomena has been hampered by a lack of prompt, high sensitivity submillimeter follow-up, as well as by a lack of high-sky-coverage submillimeter surveys. In this paper, we describe how the proposed Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) could fill in these gaps in our understanding of the transient universe. We discuss a number of science cases that would benefit from AtLAST observations, and detail how AtLAST is uniquely suited to contributing to them. In particular, AtLAST’s large field of view will enable serendipitous detections of transient events, while its anticipated ability to get on source quickly and observe simultaneously in multiple bands make it also ideally suited for transient follow-up. We make theoretical predictions for the instrumental and observatory properties required to significantly contribute to these science cases, and compare them to the projected AtLAST capabilities. Finally, we consider the unique ways in which transient science cases constrain the observational strategies of AtLAST, and make prescriptions for how AtLAST should observe in order to maximize its transient science output without impinging on other science cases.

The study of transient and variable events, including novae, active galactic nuclei, and black hole binaries, has historically been a fruitful path for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms of our universe. The study of such events in the millimeter and submillimeter is, however, still in its infancy. Submillimeter observations probe a variety of materials, such as optically thick dust, which are hard to study in other wavelengths. Submillimeter observations are sensitive to a number of emission mechanisms, from the aforementioned cold dust, to hot free-free emission, and synchrotron emission from energetic particles. Study of these phenomena has been hampered by a lack of prompt, high sensitivity submillimeter follow-up, as well as by a lack of high-sky-coverage submillimeter surveys. In this paper, we describe how the proposed Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) could fill in these gaps in our understanding of the transient universe. We discuss a number of science cases that would benefit from AtLAST observations, and detail how AtLAST is uniquely suited to contributing to them. In particular, AtLAST's large field of view will enable serendipitous detections of transient events, while its anticipated ability to get on source quickly and observe simultaneously in multiple bands make it also ideally suited for transient follow-up. We make theoretical predictions for the instrumental and observatory properties required to significantly contribute to these science cases, and compare them to the projected AtLAST capabilities. Finally, we consider the unique ways in which transient science cases constrain the observational strategies of AtLAST, and make prescriptions for how AtLAST should observe in order to maximize its transient science output without impinging on other science cases.

Sub-mm and mm wavelengths provide a unique view of the Universe, from the gas and dust that fills and surrounds galaxies to the chromosphere of our own Sun. Current single-dish facilities have presented a tantalising view of the brightest (sub-)mm sources, and interferometers have provided the exquisite resolution necessary to analyse the details in small fields, but there are still many open questions that cannot be answered with current facilities: Where are all the baryons? How do structures interact with their environments? What does the time-varying (sub-)mm sky look like? In order to make major advances on these questions and others, what is needed now is a facility capable of rapidly mapping the sky spatially, spectrally, and temporally, which can only be done by a high throughput, single-dish observatory. An extensive design study for this new facility is currently being undertaken. In this paper, we focus on the key science drivers and the requirements they place on the observatory. As a 50m single dish telescope with a 1-2{\deg} field of view, the strength of the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) is in science where a large field of view, highly multiplexed instrumentation and sensitivity to faint large-scale structure is important. AtLAST aims to be a sustainable, upgradeable, multipurpose facility that will deliver orders of magnitude increases in sensitivity and mapping speeds over current and planned telescopes.

Observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths offer a complementary perspective on our Sun and other stars, offering significant insights into both the thermal and magnetic composition of their chromospheres. Despite the fundamental progress in (sub-)millimeter observations of the Sun, some important aspects require diagnostic capabilities that are not offered by existing observatories. In particular, simultaneous observations of the radiation continuum across an extended frequency range would facilitate the mapping of different layers and thus ultimately the 3D structure of the solar atmosphere. Mapping large regions on the Sun or even the whole solar disk at a very high temporal cadence would be crucial for systematically detecting and following the temporal evolution of flares, while synoptic observations, i.e., daily maps, over periods of years would provide an unprecedented view of the solar activity cycle in this wavelength regime. As our Sun is a fundamental reference for studying the atmospheres of active main sequence stars, observing the Sun and other stars with the same instrument would unlock the enormous diagnostic potential for understanding stellar activity and its impact on exoplanets. The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a single-dish telescope with 50 m aperture proposed to be built in the Atacama desert in Chile, would be able to provide these observational capabilities. Equipped with a large number of detector elements for probing the radiation continuum across a wide frequency range, AtLAST would address a wide range of scientific topics including the thermal structure and heating of the solar chromosphere, flares and prominences, and the solar activity cycle. In this white paper, the key science cases and their technical requirements for AtLAST are discussed.

During the most active period of star formation in galaxies, which occurs in the redshift range 1 < z < 3, strong bursts of star formation result in significant quantities of dust, which obscures new stars being formed as their UV/optical light is absorbed and then re-emitted in the infrared, which redshifts into the mm/sub-mm bands for these early times. To get a complete picture of the high-z galaxy population, we need to survey a large patch of the sky in the sub-mm with sufficient angular resolution to resolve all galaxies, but we also need the depth to fully sample their cosmic evolution, and therefore obtain their redshifts using direct mm spectroscopy with a very wide frequency coverage. This requires a large single-dish sub-mm telescope with fast mapping speeds at high sensitivity and angular resolution, a large bandwidth with good spectral resolution and multiplex spectroscopic capabilities. The proposed 50-m Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) will deliver these specifications. We discuss how AtLAST allows us to study the whole population of high-z galaxies, including the dusty star-forming ones which can only be detected and studied in the sub-mm, and obtain a wealth of information for each of these up to z ∼ 7: gas content, cooling budget, star formation rate, dust mass, and dust temperature. We present worked examples of surveys that AtLAST can perform, both deep and wide, and also focused on galaxies in proto-clusters. In addition we show how such surveys with AtLAST can measure the growth rate fσ 8 and the Hubble constant with high accuracy, and demonstrate the power of the line-intensity mapping method in the mm/sub-mm wavebands to constrain the cosmic expansion history at high redshifts, as good examples of what can uniquely be done by AtLAST in this research field.

The changes in colors across a galaxy are intimately connected to the galaxy's formation, growth, quenching history, and dust content. A particularly important epoch in the growth of galaxies is near z similar to 2, often referred to as "cosmic noon," where galaxies on average reach the peak of their star formation. We study a population of 125 cluster galaxies at z similar to 1.6 in three Hubble Space Telescope filters, F475W, F625W, and F160W, roughly corresponding to the rest-frame far-ultraviolet, near-ultraviolet, and r band, respectively. By comparing to a control sample of 200 field galaxies at similar redshift, we reveal clear, statistically significant differences in the overall spatially resolved colors and color gradients in galaxies across these two different environments. On average, cluster galaxies have redder ultraviolet colors in both the inner and outer regions bounded by r 50, as well as an overall wider dispersion of outside-in color gradients. The presence of these observed differences, along with evidence from ancillary data from previous studies, strongly suggests that the environment drives these population-level color differences, by affecting the stellar populations and/or dust content.

Observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths offer a complementary perspective on our Sun and other stars, offering significant insights into both the thermal and magnetic composition of their chromospheres. Despite the fundamental progress in (sub-)millimeter observations of the Sun, some important aspects require diagnostic capabilities that are not offered by existing observatories. In particular, simultaneous observations of the radiation continuum across an extended frequency range would facilitate the mapping of different layers and thus ultimately the 3D structure of the solar atmosphere. Mapping large regions on the Sun or even the whole solar disk at a very high temporal cadence would be crucial for systematically detecting and following the temporal evolution of flares, while synoptic observations, i.e., daily maps, over periods of years would provide an unprecedented view of the solar activity cycle in this wavelength regime. As our Sun is a fundamental reference for studying the atmospheres of active main sequence stars, observing the Sun and other stars with the same instrument would unlock the enormous diagnostic potential for understanding stellar activity and its impact on exoplanets. The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a single-dish telescope with 50m aperture proposed to be built in the Atacama desert in Chile, would be able to provide these observational capabilities. Equipped with a large number of detector elements for probing the radiation continuum across a wide frequency range, AtLAST would address a wide range of scientific topics including the thermal structure and heating of the solar chromosphere, flares and prominences, and the solar activity cycle. In this white paper, the key science cases and their technical requirements for AtLAST are discussed.

Observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths offer a complementary perspective on our Sun and other stars, offering significant insights into both the thermal and magnetic composition of their chromospheres. Despite the fundamental progress in (sub-)millimeter observations of the Sun, some important aspects require diagnostic capabilities that are not offered by existing observatories. In particular, simultaneously observations of the radiation continuum across an extended frequency range would facilitate the mapping of different layers and thus ultimately the 3D structure of the solar atmosphere. Mapping large regions on the Sun or even the whole solar disk at a very high temporal cadence would be crucial for systematically detecting and following the temporal evolution of flares, while synoptic observations, i.e., daily maps, over periods of years would provide an unprecedented view of the solar activity cycle in this wavelength regime. As our Sun is a fundamental reference for studying the atmospheres of active main sequence stars, observing the Sun and other stars with the same instrument would unlock the enormous diagnostic potential for understanding stellar activity and its impact on exoplanets. The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a single-dish telescope with 50m aperture proposed to be built in the Atacama desert in Chile, would be able to provide these observational capabilities. Equipped with a large number of detector elements for probing the radiation continuum across a wide frequency range, AtLAST would address a wide range of scientific topics including the thermal structure and heating of the solar chromosphere, flares and prominences, and the solar activity cycle. In this white paper, the key science cases and their technical requirements for AtLAST are discussed.

Our knowledge of galaxy formation and evolution has incredibly progressed through multi-wavelength observational constraints of the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies at all cosmic epochs. However, little is known about the physical properties of the more diffuse and lower surface brightness reservoir of gas and dust that extends beyond ISM scales and fills dark matter haloes of galaxies up to their virial radii, the circumgalactic medium (CGM). New theoretical studies increasingly stress the relevance of the latter for understanding the feedback and feeding mechanisms that shape galaxies across cosmic times, whose cumulative effects leave clear imprints into the CGM. Recent studies are showing that a – so far unconstrained – fraction of the CGM mass may reside in the cold (T < 104 K) molecular and atomic phase, especially in high-redshift dense environments. These gas phases, together with the warmer ionised phase, can be studied in galaxies from z ∼ 0 to z ∼ 10 through bright far-infrared and sub-millimeter emission lines such as [C ii] 158µm, [O iii] 88 µm, [C I] 609µm, [C i] 370µm, and the rotational transitions of CO. Imaging such hidden cold CGM can lead to a breakthrough in galaxy evolution studies but requires a new facility with the specifications of the proposed Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST). In this paper, we use theoretical and empirical arguments to motivate future ambitious CGM observations with AtLAST and describe the technical requirements needed for the telescope and its instrumentation to perform such science.

Submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths provide a unique view of the Universe, from the gas and dust that fills and surrounds galaxies to the chromosphere of our own Sun. Current single-dish facilities have presented a tantalising view of the brightest (sub-)mm sources, and interferometers have provided the exquisite resolution necessary to analyse the details in small fields, but there are still many open questions that cannot be answered with current facilities. In this report we summarise the science that is guiding the design of the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST). We demonstrate how tranformational advances in topics including star formation in high redshift galaxies, the diffuse circumgalactic medium, Galactic ecology, cometary compositions and solar flares motivate the need for a 50m, single-dish telescope with a 1-2 degree field of view and a new generation of highly multiplexed continuum and spectral cameras. AtLAST will have the resolution to drastically lower the confusion limit compared to current single-dish facilities, whilst also being able to rapidly map large areas of the sky and detect extended, diffuse structures. Its high sensitivity and large field of view will open up the field of submillimeter transient science by increasing the probability of serendipitous detections. Finally, the science cases listed here motivate the need for a highly flexible operations model capable of short observations of individual targets, large surveys, monitoring programmes, target of opportunity observations and coordinated observations with other observatories. AtLAST aims to be a sustainable, upgradeable, multipurpose facility that will deliver orders of magnitude increases in sensitivity and mapping speeds over current and planned submillimeter observatories.

The study of planets and small bodies within our Solar System is fundamental for understanding the formation and evolution of the Earth and other planets. Compositional and meteorological studies of the giant planets provide a foundation for understanding the nature of the most commonly observed exoplanets, while spectroscopic observations of the atmospheres of terrestrial planets, moons, and comets provide insights into the past and present-day habitability of planetary environments, and the availability of the chemical ingredients for life. While prior and existing (sub)millimeter observations have led to major advances in these areas, progress is hindered by limitations in the dynamic range, spatial and temporal coverage, as well as sensitivity of existing telescopes and interferometers. Here, we summarize some of the key planetary science use cases that factor into the design of the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST), a proposed 50-m class single dish facility: (1) to more fully characterize planetary wind fields and atmospheric thermal structures, (2) to measure the compositions of icy moon atmospheres and plumes, (3) to obtain detections of new, astrobiologically relevant gases and perform isotopic surveys of comets, and (4) to perform synergistic, temporally-resolved measurements in support of dedicated interplanetary space missions. The improved spatial coverage (several arcminutes), resolution (~ 1.2′′ − 12′′), bandwidth (several tens of GHz), dynamic range (~ 105) and sensitivity (~ 1 mK km s−1) required by these science cases would enable new insights into the chemistry and physics of planetary environments, the origins of prebiotic molecules and the habitability of planetary systems in general.

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is a crucial component of galaxy evolution, but thus far its physical properties are highly unconstrained. As of yet, no cosmological simulation has reached convergence when it comes to constraining the cold and dense gas fraction of the CGM. Such components are also challenging to observe directly, as they require sub-millimetre (sub-mm) instruments with a high sensitivity to extended and mostly diffuse emission. We present a state-of-the-art theoretical effort at modelling the [CII] 158 μm, [CI](1−0) 609 μm, [CI](2−1) 370 μm, CO(3−2) 867 μm, and [OIII] 88 μm line emissions that arise from the interstellar medium (ISM) and CGM of galaxies, with the goal of studying the contribution from different cold (T < 104 K) components of galaxy halos. We used the high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulation PONOS (mgas = 883.4 M⊙), which represents a typical star-forming galaxy system at z = 6.5, composed of a main disc with stellar mass M* = 2 × 109 M⊙ that is undergoing a major merger. We adopted different modelling approaches based on the photoionisation code CLOUDY. Our fiducial model uses radiative transfer post-processing with RAMSES-RT and KROME (KRAMSES-RT) to create more realistic far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation fields, which we then compared to other sub-grid modelling approaches adopted in the literature. We find significant differences in the luminosity and in the contribution of different gas phases and galaxy components between the different modelling approaches. [CII] is the least model-dependant gas tracer, while [CI](1−0) and CO(3−2) are very model-sensitive. In all models, we find a significant contribution to the emission of [CII] (up to ∼10%) and [OIII] (up to ∼21%) from the CGM. Our fiducial global radiative transfer (RT) model produces a lower density, T ∼ 104 K tail of [CII] emission that is not seen in the other more simplistic models and that resides entirely in the CGM, ionised by the FUV background and producing the extended halos observed in [CII] at high-z. Notably, [CII] and [OIII] trace different regions of the CGM: [CII] arises from an accreting filament and from the tidal tails connecting the main disc and its merging satellites, while [OIII] traces a puffy halo surrounding the main disc, probably linked to supernova feedback. We discuss our results in the context of sub-mm observations. Using simulated spectra and mock maps, we show that, despite the rather compact angular extent of PONOS’s CGM, deep ALMA observations would not detect this component, even in [CII] which is the brightest available tracer. Instead, a next generation single-dish observatory such as the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) could detect PONOS’ CGM in [CII] at a high signal-to-noise ratio, and possibly even in [OIII].

During the most active period of star formation in galaxies, which occurs in the redshift range 1 < z < 3, strong bursts of star formation result in significant quantities of dust, which obscures new stars being formed as their UV/optical light is absorbed and then re-emitted in the infrared, which redshifts into the mm/sub-mm bands for these early times. To get a complete picture of the high-z galaxy population, we need to survey a large patch of the sky in the sub-mm with sufficient angular resolution to resolve all galaxies, but we also need the depth to fully sample their cosmic evolution, and therefore obtain their redshifts using direct mm spectroscopy with a very wide frequency coverage. This requires a large single-dish sub-mm telescope with fast mapping speeds at high sensitivity and angular resolution, a large bandwidth with good spectral resolution and multiplex spectroscopic capabilities. The proposed 50-m Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) will deliver these specifications. We discuss how AtLAST allows us to study the whole population of high-z galaxies, including the dusty star-forming ones which can only be detected and studied in the sub-mm, and obtain a wealth of information for each of these up to z ∼ 7: gas content, cooling budget, star formation rate, dust mass, and dust temperature. We present worked examples of surveys that AtLAST can perform, both deep and wide, and also focused on galaxies in proto-clusters. In addition we show how such surveys with AtLAST can measure the growth rate fσ 8 and the Hubble constant with high accuracy, and demonstrate the power of the line-intensity mapping method in the mm/sub-mm wavebands to constrain the cosmic expansion history at high redshifts, as good examples of what can uniquely be done by AtLAST in this research field.

Context. Time variability of astronomical sources provides crude information on their typical size and on the implied physical mechanisms. PKS 1830−211 is a remarkable radio-bright lensed quasar with a foreground molecular absorber in the lens galaxy at z = 0.89. Small-scale morphological changes in the core–jet structure of the quasar – which is magnified by the lensing – result in a varying illumination of the absorber screen, which in turn causes variations in the absorption profile. Aims. We aim to study the time variations of the system (the two main lensed images of the quasar and the two corresponding sightlines in the absorber) in order to obtain constraints on both the quasar activity and small-scale structures in the interstellar medium of the absorber. Methods. We used ALMA to monitor the submillimeter continuum emission of PKS 1830−211, together with the absorption spectra of the H2O and CH molecules, with 17 visits spread over six months in 2016. Complementing this, we used available ALMA data to investigate changes in the system in the period 2012−2022. Results. From the continuum data, we followed the evolution of the flux density, flux-density ratio, spectral index, and differential polarization between the two lensed images of the quasar; all quantities show significant variations related to the intrinsic activity of the quasar. We propose a simple parametric model of a core plus a ballistic plasmon to account for the continuum evolution, from which we constrain a time delay of 25 ± 3 days between main lensed images. The spectral lines reveal significant variations in the foreground absorption profile. A principal component analysis highlights apparent wavy time variations, possibly linked to the helical jet precession period of the quasar. From the deep averaged spectra towards the southwest image, we detect the absorption of the rare isotopolog 13CH and estimate an abundance ratio of 12CH/13CH ∼ 150. We also measure the oxygen isotopic ratios, 16O/18O = 65.3 ± 0.7 and 18O/17O = 11.5 ± 0.5 in the z = 0.89 absorber. Finally, we find a remarkable continuous shallow trough in the water absorption spanning a velocity interval of nearly 500 km s−1. This broad absorption could be the signature of an extra-planar molecular component. Conclusions. All together, the system formed by the quasar PKS 1830−211 and its foreground lens–absorber acts as a powerful gravitational microscope, providing us with the possibility to dissect small-scale structures in both the ISM of the foreground absorber and the jet of the background quasar.

We have measured the angular auto-correlation function of near-infrared galaxies in SERVS+DeepDrill, the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey and its follow-up survey of the Deep Drilling Fields, in three large fields totalling over 20 sq. deg on the sky, observed in two bands centred on 3.6 and 4.5 micron. We performed this analysis on the full sample as well as on sources selected by [3.6]-[4.5] colour in order to probe clustering for different redshift regimes. We estimated the spatial correlation strength as well, using the redshift distribution from S-COSMOS with the same source selection. The strongest clustering was found for our bluest subsample, with z 0.7, which has the narrowest redshift distribution of all our subsamples. We compare these estimates to previous results from the literature, but also to estimates derived from mock samples, selected in the same way as the observational data, using deep light-cones generated from the SHARK semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. For all simulated (sub)samples we find a slightly steeper slope than for the corresponding observed ones, but the spatial clustering length is comparable in most cases.

We investigate the resolved kinematics of the molecular gas, as traced by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in CO (2−1), of 25 cluster member galaxies across three different clusters at a redshift of z ∼ 1.6. This is the first large-scale analysis of the molecular gas kinematics of cluster galaxies at this redshift. By separately estimating the rotation curve of the approaching and receding sides of each galaxy via kinematic modeling, we quantify the difference in total circular velocity to characterize the overall kinematic asymmetry of each galaxy. 3/14 of the galaxies in our sample that we are able to model have similar degrees of asymmetry as that observed in galaxies in the field at similar redshift based on observations of mainly ionized gas. However, this leaves 11/14 galaxies in our sample with significantly higher asymmetry, and some of these galaxies have degrees of asymmetry of up to ∼50 times higher than field galaxies observed at similar redshift. Some of these extreme cases also have one-sided tail-like morphology seen in the molecular gas, supporting a scenario of tidal and/or ram pressure interaction. Such stark differences in the kinematic asymmetry in clusters versus the field suggest the evolutionary influence of dense environments, established as being a major driver of galaxy evolution at low redshift, is also active in the high-redshift universe.