THE SPT+ALMA CO REDSHIFT SURVEY OF DUSTY GALAXIES

In a 2500 square degree cosmological survey, the South Pole Telescope has systematically identified a large number (100) of high-redshift strongly gravitationally lensed sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs). We are conducting a unique spectroscopic redshift survey with ALMA, targeting carbon monoxide (CO) line emission in these sources, across the 3mm spectral window. To date, we have obtained spectroscopic redshifts for 54 sources from $1.8$$$$4$ and extends into the epoch of re-ionization. Once we determine the redshift for these sources, we are able to obtain high-resolution CO, [CII], [NII], H$_2$O, OH, and HCN for these sources with ALMA, making this the largest and most well-studied samples of high-redshift starburst galaxies. We are undertaking a comprehensive and systematic followup campaign to use these ``cosmic magnifying glasses'' to study the physical conditions and chemical evolution of the dust-obscured universe in unprecedented detail. I will describe our team’s method for obtaining and confirming spectroscopic redshifts, detail our current knowledge of the redshifts distribution of SMGs, present a method for selecting the highest redshift SMGs, describe our high-resolution imaging of molecular lines, and discuss future directions for obtaining large samples of mm-wave spectra. _x000d