2011A&A...530L...8D

We present the detection of bright [CII] emission in the z=4.76 submillimetre galaxy LESS J033229.4-275619 using the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment. This represents the highest redshift [CII] detection in a submm selected, star-formation dominated system. The AGN contributions to the [CII] and far-infrared (FIR) luminosities are small. We find an atomic mass derived from [CII] comparable to the molecular mass derived from CO. The ratio of the [CII], CO and FIR luminosities imply a radiation field strength G₀∼10³ and a density ∼10⁴cm^–3 in a kpc-scale starburst, as seen in local and high redshift starbursts. The high L_[CII]/L_FIR=2.4x10^–3 and the very high L_[CII]/L_CO(1–0)≃10⁴ are reminiscent of low metallicity dwarf galaxies, suggesting that the highest redshift star-forming galaxies may also be characterised by lower metallicities. We discuss the implications of a reduced metallicity on studies of the gas reservoirs, and conclude that especially at very high redshift, [CII] may be a more powerful and reliable tracer of the interstellar matter than CO.