H_2_O lines reduced spectra in 11 ULIRGs or HyLIRGs

With almost comparable integrated flux densities to those of the high-J CO line (ratios range from 0.4 to 1.1), H_2_O is found to be among the strongest molecular emitters in high-redshift Hy/ULIRGs. We also confirm our previously found correlation between luminosity of H_2_O (LH_2_O) and infrared (LIR) that LH_2_O~LIR^(1.1-1.2)^, with our new detections. This correlation could be explained by a dominant role of far-infrared pumping in the H_2_O excitation.

Modelling reveals that the far-infrared radiation fields have warm dust temperature T_warm_~45-75K, H_2_O column density per unit velocity interval N_H2O_/{DELTA}V>~0.3x10^15^km/s/cm^2^ and 100{mu}m continuum opacity {tau}_100_>1 (optically thick), indicating that H_2_O is likely to trace highly obscured warm dense gas. However, further observations of J>=4 H_2_O lines are needed to better constrain the continuum optical depth and other physical conditions of the molecular gas and dust.

We have also detected H_2_O^+^ emission in three sources. A tight correlation between L_H_2_O and L_H_2_O^+^ has been found in galaxies from low to high redshift. The velocity-integrated flux density ratio between H_2_O^+^ and H_2_O suggests that cosmic rays generated by strong star formation are possibly driving the H_2_O^+^ formation.