New CO and millimeter continuum observations of the z=2.394 radio galaxy 53W002

The z = 2.39 radio galaxy 53W002 lies in a cluster of Ly alpha emission-line objects and may itself be undergoing a major burst of star formation. CO (3-2) emission, at 102 GHz, was detected from 53W002 in 1997 by Scoville et al., who also reported a possible 30 kpc extension and velocity gradient suggesting a rotating gaseous disk. In this Letter, we present new interferometric CO (3-2) observations that confirm the previous line detection with improved signal-to-noise ratio, but show no evidence for source extension or velocity gradient. The compact nature of the CO source and the molecular mass found in this object are similar to luminous infrared galaxies and other active galactic nuclei previously studied.