Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Jinyi Yang
Xiaohui Fan
Ansh Gupta
Adam Myers
Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille
Feige Wang
Christophe Yèche
Jessica Nicole Aguilar
Steven Ahlen
David Alexander
David Brooks
Kyle Dawson
Axel de la Macorra
Arjun Dey
Govinda Dhungana
Kevin Fanning
Andreu Font-Ribera
Satya Gontcho
Julien Guy
Klaus Honscheid
Abstract： We report the first results of a high-redshift ($z$ >~ 5) quasar survey using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). As a DESI secondary target program, this survey is designed to carry out a systematic search and investigation of quasars at $z$ >~ 5, up to redshift 6.8. The target selection is based on the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys (the Legacy Surveys) DR9 photometry, combined with the Pan-STARRS1 data and $J$-band photometry from public surveys. A first quasar sample has been constructed from the DESI Survey Validation 3 (SV3) and first-year observations until May 2022. This sample includes more than 400 new quasars at redshift 4.7 <= $z$ < 6.6, down to 21.5 magnitude in the $z$ band, discovered from 35% of the entire target sample. Remarkably, there are 220 new quasars identified at $z$ >= 5, more than one third of existing quasars previously published at this redshift. The observations so far result in an average success rate of 23% at $z$ > 4.7. The current spectral dataset has already allowed analysis of interesting individual objects (e.g., quasars with damped Ly$\alpha$ absorbers and broad absorption line features), and statistical analysis will follow the survey's completion. A set of science projects will be carried out leveraging this program, including quasar luminosity function, quasar clustering, intergalactic medium, quasar spectral properties, intervening absorbers, and properties of early supermassive black holes. Additionally, a sample of 38 new quasars at $z$ ~ 3.8-5.7 discovered from a pilot survey in the DESI SV1 is also published in this paper.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Da-Ming Yang
Jan-Torge Schindler
Riccardo Nanni
Joseph F. Hennawi
Eduardo Bañados
Xiaohui Fan
Anniek Gloudemans
Huub Rottgering
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Abstract： We present the high-$z$ quasar candidate archive (HzQCA), summarizing the spectroscopic observations of 174 $z\gtrsim5$ quasar candidates using Keck/LRIS, Keck/MOSFIRE, and Keck/NIRES. We identify 7 candidates as $z\sim 6$ quasars 3 of them newly reported here, and 51 candidates as brown dwarfs. In the remaining sources, 74 candidates are unlikely to be quasars; 2 sources are inconclusive; the others could not be fully reduced or extracted. Based on the classifications we investigate the distributions of quasars and contaminants in color space with photometry measurements from DELS ($z$), VIKING/UKIDSS ($YJHK_s$/$YJHK$), and un\textit{WISE} ($W1W2$). We find that the identified brown dwarfs are not fully consistent with the empirical brown dwarf model that is commonly used in quasar candidate selection methods. To refine spectroscopic confirmation strategies, we simulate synthetic spectroscopy of high-$z$ quasars and contaminants for all three instruments. The simulations utilize the spectroscopic data in HzQCA. We predict the required exposure times for quasar confirmation and propose and optimal strategy for spectroscopic follow-up observations. For example, we demonstrate that we can identify a $m_J=21.5$ at $z=7.6$ or a $m_J=23.0$ at $z=7.0$ within 15\,min of exposure time with LRIS. With the publication of the HzQCA we aim to provide guidance for future quasar surveys and candidate classification.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Xuheng Ding
Masafusa Onoue
John D. Silverman
Yoshiki Matsuoka
Takuma Izumi
Michael A. Strauss
Knud Jahnke
Irham Taufik Andika
Kentaro Aoki
Shunsuke Baba
Rebekka Bieri
Sarah E. I. Bosman
Anna-Christina Eilers
Seiji Fujimoto
Melanie Habouzit
Zoltan Haiman
Masatoshi Imanishi
Kohei Inayoshi
Kazushi Iwasawa
Nobunari Kashikawa
Abstract： The existence of high-redshift supermassive black holes (SMBHs) -- shining brightly as quasars during the first billion years of our universe -- presents a conundrum in astrophysics. A broad variety of physical mechanisms have been proposed for the formation and rapid growth of these early SMBHs. Promising diagnostics are the relative properties of the black hole and its host galaxy. However, up to now, the detection of stars in quasar host galaxies has been elusive beyond $z>2$, even with deep HST observations. Here, we report the first detections of the stellar component of the host galaxies of two relatively low-luminosity quasars at $z>6$ observed with JWST using NIRCam. After modeling and subtracting the glare from the quasar itself, we find that the host galaxies are massive (stellar mass of $2.5\times$ and $6.3\times10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$), compact, and disk-like. Unlike most SMBHs in the nearby universe, these quasars are displaced from the centers of their host galaxies in the rest-frame optical, in one case by $0.9$ kpc. These first positive detections of quasar hosts at $z>6$ are a pivotal milestone; we can now assess the stellar environment along with star formation and black hole accretion to determine the physical conditions that govern the formation and evolution of the first SMBHs.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Ryan Endsley
Daniel P. Stark
Jianwei Lyu
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Xiaohui Fan
Renske Smit
Rychard Bouwens
Kevin Hainline
Sander Schouws
Abstract： We present band 6 ALMA observations of a heavily-obscured radio-loud ($L_{1.4\ \mathrm{GHz}}=10^{25.4}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) AGN candidate at $z_\mathrm{phot}=6.83\pm0.06$ found in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS field. The ALMA data reveal detections of exceptionally strong [CII]158$\mu$m ($z_\mathrm{[CII]}=6.8532$) and underlying dust continuum emission from this object (COS-87259), where the [CII] line luminosity, line width, and 158$\mu$m continuum luminosity are comparable to that seen from $z\sim7$ sub-mm galaxies and quasar hosts. The 158$\mu$m continuum detection suggests a total infrared luminosity of $9\times10^{12}$ $L_\odot$ with corresponding very large obscured star formation rate (1300 $M_\odot$/yr) and dust mass ($2\times10^9$ $M_\odot$). The strong break seen between the VIRCam and IRAC photometry perhaps suggests that COS-87259 is an extremely massive reionization era galaxy with $M_\ast\approx1.7\times10^{11}$ $M_\odot$. Moreover, the MIPS, PACS, and SPIRE detections imply that this object harbors an AGN that is heavily obscured ($\tau_{_{\mathrm{9.7\mu m}}}=2.3$) with a bolometric luminosity of approximately $5\times10^{13}$ $L_\odot$. Such a very high AGN luminosity suggests this object is powered by an $\approx$1.6 $\times$ 10$^9$ $M_\odot$ black hole if accreting near the Eddington limit, and is effectively a highly-obscured version of an extremely UV-luminous ($M_{1450}\approx-27.3$) $z\sim7$ quasar. Notably, these $z\sim7$ quasars are an exceedingly rare population ($\sim$0.001 deg$^{-2}$) while COS-87259 was identified over a relatively small field. Future very wide-area surveys with, e.g., Roman and Euclid have the potential to identify many more extremely red yet UV-bright $z\gtrsim7$ objects similar to COS-87259, providing richer insight into the occurrence of intense obscured star formation and supermassive black hole growth among this population.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Abstract： We present the first results from a new survey for high-redshift
$(z\gtrsim5)$ gravitationally lensed quasars and close quasar pairs. We carry
out candidate selection based on the colors and shapes of objects in public
imaging surveys, then conduct follow-up observations to confirm the nature of
high-priority candidates. In this paper, we report the discoveries of
J0025--0145 ($z=5.07$) which we identify as an {intermediately-lensed quasar,
and J2329--0522 ($z=4.85$) which is a kpc-scale close quasar pair. The {\em
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)} image of J0025--0145 shows a foreground lensing
galaxy located $0\farcs6$ away from the quasar. However, J0025--0145 does not
exhibit multiple lensed images of the quasar, and we identify J0025--0145 as an
intermediate lensing system (a lensing system that is not multiply imaged but
has a significant magnification). The spectrum of J0025--0145 implies an
extreme Eddington ratio if the quasar luminosity is intrinsic, which could be
explained by a large lensing magnification. The {\em HST} image of J0025--0145
also indicates a tentative detection of the quasar host galaxy in rest-frame
UV, illustrating the power of lensing magnification and distortion in studies
of high-redshift quasar host galaxies. J2329--0522 consists of two resolved
components with significantly different spectral properties, and a lack of
lensing galaxy detection under sub-arcsecond seeing. We identify it as a close
quasar pair, which is the highest confirmed kpc-scale quasar pair to date. We
also report four lensed quasars and quasar pairs at $2
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Rebecca L. Davies
Emma Ryan-Weber
Valentina D'Odorico
Sarah E. I. Bosman
Romain A. Meyer
George D. Becker
Guido Cupani
Manuela Bischetti
Alma M. Sebastian
Anna-Christina Eilers
Emanuele Paola Farina
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Yongda Zhu
Abstract： Intervening metal absorption lines in the spectra of z > 6 quasars are fundamental probes of the ionization state and chemical composition of circumgalactic and intergalactic gas near the end of the reionization epoch. Large absorber samples are required to robustly measure typical absorber properties and to refine models of the synthesis, transport, and ionization of metals in the early Universe. The "Ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z~5.8-6.6" (XQR-30) has obtained high signal-to-noise spectra of 30 luminous quasars, nearly quadrupling the existing sample of 12 high quality z~6 quasar spectra. We use this unprecedented sample to construct a catalog of 778 systems showing absorption in one or more of MgII (360 systems), FeII (184), CII (46), CIV (479), SiIV (127), and NV (13) which span 2 < z < 6.5. This catalog significantly expands on existing samples of z > 5 absorbers, especially for CIV and SiIV which are important probes of the ionizing photon background at high redshift. The sample is 50% (90%) complete for rest-frame equivalent widths W > 0.03AA (0.09AA). We publicly release the absorber catalog along with completeness statistics and a Python script to compute the absorption search path for different ions and redshift ranges. This dataset is a key legacy resource for studies of enriched gas from the era of galaxy assembly to cosmic noon, and paves the way for even higher redshift studies with the James Webb Space Telescope and 30m-class telescopes.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Abstract： We present a mock catalog of gravitationally lensed quasars at $z_\text{qso}<7.5$ with simulated images for the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). We adopt recent measurements of quasar luminosity functions to model the quasar population, and use the CosmoDC2 mock galaxy catalog to model the deflector galaxies, which successfully reproduces the observed galaxy velocity dispersion functions up to $z_d\sim1.5$. The mock catalog is highly complete for lensed quasars with Einstein radius $\theta_E>0\farcs07$ and quasar absolute magnitude $M_{i}<-20$. We estimate that there are $\sim10^3$ lensed quasars discoverable in current imaging surveys, and LSST will increase this number to $\sim2.4\times10^3$. Most of the lensed quasars have image separation $\Delta \theta>0\farcs5$, which will at least be marginally resolved in LSST images with seeing of $\sim0\farcs7$. There will be $\sim200$ quadruply-lensed quasars discoverable in the LSST. The fraction of quad lenses among all discoverable lensed quasars is about $\sim10\%-15\%$, and this fraction decreases with survey depth. This mock catalog shows a large diversity in the observational features of lensed quasars, in terms of lensing separation and quasar-to-deflector flux ratio. We discuss possible strategies for a complete search of lensed quasars in the LSST era.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Yunjing Wu
Zheng Cai
Fengwu Sun
Fuyan Bian
Xiaojing Lin
Zihao Li
Mingyu Li
Franz E. Bauer
Eiichi Egami
Xiaohui Fan
Jorge González-López
Jianan Li
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Shiwu Zhang
Siwei Zou
Abstract： Spiral arms serve crucial purposes in star formation and galaxy evolution. In this paper, we report the identification of A2744-DSG-$z3$, a dusty, multiarm spiral galaxy at $z=3.059$ using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRISS imaging and grism spectroscopy. A2744-DSG-$z3$ was discovered as a gravitationally lensed sub-millimeter galaxy with ALMA. This is the most distant stellar spiral structure seen thus far, consistent with cosmological simulations which suggest $z\approx3$ as the epoch when spirals emerge. Thanks to the gravitational lensing and excellent spatial resolution of JWST, the spiral arms are resolved with a spatial resolution of $\approx290$\,pc. Based on SED fitting, the spiral galaxy has a de-lensed star formation rate of $85\pm30 \ M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, and a stellar mass of $\approx10^{10.6}M_{\odot}$, indicating that A2744-DSG-$z3$ is a main-sequence galaxy. After fitting the spiral arms, we find a stellar effective radius ($R_{e, \rm{star}}$) of $5.0\pm1.5$ kpc. Combing with ALMA measurements, we find that the effective radii ratio between dust and stars is $\approx0.4$, similar to {those} of massive SFGs at $z\sim2$, indicating a compact dusty core in A2744-DSG-$z3$. Moreover, this galaxy appears to be living in a group environment: including A2744-DSG-$z3$, at least three galaxies at $z=3.05 - 3.06$ {are} spectroscopically confirmed by JWST/NIRISS and ALMA, residing within a lensing-corrected projected scale of $\approx 70$ kpc. This, along with the asymmetric brightness profile, further suggests that the spiral arms may be triggered by minor merger events at $z\gtrsim3$.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Weimin Yi
W. N. Brandt
Q. Ni
Luis C. Ho
Bin Luo
Wei Yan
D. P. Schneider
Jeremiah D. Paul
Richard M. Plotkin
Jinyi Yang
Feige Wang
Zhicheng He
Chen Chen
Xue-Bing Wu
Jin-Ming Bai
Abstract： We present the first near-IR spectroscopy and joint analyses of multi-wavelength observations for SDSS J082747.14+425241.1, a dust-reddened, weak broad emission-line quasar (WLQ) undergoing a remarkable broad absorption line (BAL) transformation. The systemic redshift is more precisely measured to be $z=2.070\pm0.001$ using H$\beta$ compared to $z=2.040\pm0.003$ using \mgiifrom the literature, signifying an extreme \mgii\ blueshift of $2140\pm530$ \kms\ relative to H$\beta$. Using the H$\beta$-based single-epoch scaling relation with a systematic uncertainty of 0.3 dex, its black hole (BH) mass and Eddington ratio are estimated to be $M_{\rm BH}\sim6.1\times10^8M_\odot$ and $\lambda_{\rm Edd}\sim0.71$, indicative of being in a rapidly accreting phase. Our investigations confirm the WLQ nature and the LoBAL$\rightarrow$HiBAL transformation, along with a factor of 2 increase in the \mgii+\feii\ emission strength and a decrease of 0.1 in $E(B-V)$ over two decades. The kinetic power of this LoBAL wind at $R\sim$15 pc from its BH is estimated to be $\sim$43\% of the Eddington luminosity, sufficient for quasar feedback upon its host galaxy albeit with an order-of-magnitude uncertainty. This quasar provides a clear example of the long-sought scenario where LoBAL quasars are surrounded by dust cocoons, and wide-angle nuclear winds play a key role in the transition for red quasars evolving into the commonly seen blue quasars.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Abstract： The observed lensed fraction of high-redshift quasars $(\sim0.2\%)$ is significantly lower than previous theoretical predictions $(\gtrsim4\%)$. We revisit the lensed fraction of high-redshift quasars predicted by theoretical models, where we adopt recent measurements of galaxy velocity dispersion functions (VDFs) and explore a wide range of quasar luminosity function (QLF) parameters. We use both analytical methods and mock catalogs which give consistent results. For ordinary QLF parameters and the depth of current high-redshift quasar surveys $(m_z\lesssim22)$, our model suggests a multiply-imaged fraction of $F_\text{multi}\sim 0.4\%-0.8\%$. The predicted lensed fraction is $\sim1\%-6\%$ for the brightest $z_s\sim6$ quasars $(m_z\lesssim19)$, depending on the QLF. The systematic uncertainties of the predicted lensed fraction in previous models can be as large as $2-4$ times and are dominated by the VDF. Applying VDFs from recent measurements decreases the predicted lensed fraction and relieves the tension between observations and theoretical models. Given the depth of current imaging surveys, there are $\sim15$ lensed quasars at $z_s>5.5$ detectable over the sky. Upcoming sky surveys like the LSST survey and the {\em Euclid} survey will find several tens of lensed quasars at this redshift range.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Minghao Yue
Jinyi Yang
Xiaohui Fan
Feige Wang
Justin Spilker
Iskren Y. Georgiev
Charles R. Keeton
Katrina C. Litke
Daniel P. Marrone
Fabian Walter
Ran Wang
Xue-Bing Wu
Bram P. Venemans
Ann Zabludoff
Abstract： We report ALMA observations of the dust continuum and {\cii} emission of the host galaxy of J0439+1634, a gravitationally lensed quasar at $z=6.5$. Gravitational lensing boosts the source-plane resolution to $\sim0\farcs15$ $(\sim0.8\text{ kpc})$. The lensing model derived from the ALMA data is consistent with the fiducial model in \citet{fan19} based on {\it HST} imaging. The host galaxy of J0439+1634 can be well-fitted by a S\'ersic profile consistent with an exponential disk, both in the far-infrared (FIR) continuum and the {\cii} emission. The overall magnification is $4.53\pm0.05$ for the continuum and $3.44\pm0.05$ for the {\cii} line. The host galaxy of J0439+1634 is a compact ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, with a total star formation rate (SFR) of $1.56\times10^{3}M_\odot/\text{year}$ after correcting for lensing and an effective radius of $0.74$ kpc. The resolved regions in J0439+1634 follow the ``{\cii} deficit," where the {\cii}-to-FIR ratio decreases with FIR surface brightness. The reconstructed velocity field of J0439+1634 appears to be rotation-like. The maximum line-of-sight rotation velocity of 130 km/s at a radius of 2 kpc. However, our data cannot be fit by an axisymmetric thin rotating disk, and the inclination of the rotation axis, $i$, remains unconstrained. We estimate the dynamical mass of the host galaxy to be $7.9\sin^{-2}(i)\times10^{9}M_\odot$. J0439+1634 is likely to have a high gas-mass fraction and an oversized SMBH compared to local relations. The SFR of J0439+1634 reaches the maximum possible values, and the SFR surface density is close to the highest value seen in any star-forming galaxy currently known in the universe.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Linhua Jiang
Yuanhang Ning
Xiaohui Fan
Luis C. Ho
Bin Luo
Feige Wang
Jin Wu
Xue-Bing Wu
Jinyi Yang
Zhen-Ya Zheng
Abstract： Cosmic (hydrogen) reionization marks one of the major phase transitions of the universe at redshift z >= 6. During this epoch, hydrogen atoms in the intergalactic medium (IGM) were ionized by Lyman continuum (LyC) photons. However, it remains challenging to identify the major sources of the LyC photons responsible for reionization. In particular, individual contributions of quasars (or active galactic nuclei, AGNs) and galaxies are still under debate. Here we construct the far-ultraviolet (far-UV) luminosity function for type 1 quasars at z >= 6 that spans 10 magnitudes (-19 < M_UV < -29), conclusively showing that quasars made a negligible contribution to reionization. We mainly search for quasars in the low-luminosity range of M_UV > -23 mag that is critical to determine quasars' total LyC photon production but has been barely explored previously. We find that the quasar population can only provide less than 7% (95% confidence level) of the total photons needed to keep the universe ionized at z = 6.0 - 6.6. Our result suggests that galaxies, presumably low-luminosity star-forming systems, are the major sources of hydrogen reionization.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Yunjing Wu
Zheng Cai
Marcel Neeleman
Kristian Finlator
Shiwu Zhang
J. Xavier Prochaska
Ran Wang
Bjorn H.
C Emonts
Xiaohui Fan
Laura C. Keating
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Joseph F. Hennawi
Junxian Wang
Abstract： The physical and chemical properties of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) at $z\gtrsim6$ have been studied successfully through the absorption in the spectra of background Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs). One of the most crucial questions is to investigate the nature and location of the source galaxies that give rise to these early metal absorbers. Theoretical models suggest that momentum-driven outflows from typical star-forming galaxies can eject metals into the CGM and the intergalactic medium (IGM) at z=5-6. Deep, dedicated surveys have searched for Ly$\alpha$ emission associated with strong CIV absorbers at $z\approx 6$, but only a few Ly$\alpha$ emitter candidates have been detected. Interpreting these detections is moreover ambiguous because Ly$\alpha$ is a resonant line, raising the need for complementary techniques for detecting absorbers' host galaxies. Here, using Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), we report a [C II] 158$\mu$m emitter associated with a strong low-ionization absorber, OI, at $z=5.978$. The projected impact parameter between OI and [C II] emitter is 20.0 kpc. The measured [C II] luminosity is $7.0\times 10^7$ solar luminosities. Further analysis indicates that strong OI absorbers may reside in the circumgalactic medium of massive halos one to two orders of magnitude more massive than expected values.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Yongda Zhu
George D. Becker
Sarah E. I. Bosman
Laura C. Keating
Valentina D'Odorico
Rebecca L. Davies
Holly M. Christenson
Eduardo Bañados
Fuyan Bian
Manuela Bischetti
Huanqing Chen
Frederick B. Davies
Anna-Christina Eilers
Xiaohui Fan
Prakash Gaikwad
Bradley Greig
Martin G. Haehnelt
Girish Kulkarni
Samuel Lai
Andrea Pallottini
Abstract： We present a new investigation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) near reionization using dark gaps in the Lyman-$\beta$ (Ly$\beta$) forest. With its lower optical depth, Ly$\beta$ offers a potentially more sensitive probe to any remaining neutral gas compared to commonly used Ly$\alpha$ line. We identify dark gaps in the Ly$\beta$ forest using spectra of 42 QSOs at $z_{\rm em}>5.5$, including new data from the XQR-30 VLT Large Programme. Approximately $40\%$ of these QSO spectra exhibit dark gaps longer than $10h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$ at $z\simeq5.8$. By comparing the results to predictions from simulations, we find that the data are broadly consistent both with models where fluctuations in the Ly$\alpha$ forest are caused solely by ionizing ultraviolet background (UVB) fluctuations and with models that include large neutral hydrogen patches at $z<6$ due to a late end to reionization. Of particular interest is a very long ($L=28h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$) and dark ($\tau_{\rm eff} \gtrsim 6$) gap persisting down to $z\simeq 5.5$ in the Ly$\beta$ forest of the $z_{\rm}=5.85$ QSO PSO J025$-$11. This gap may support late reionization models with a volume-weighted average neutral hydrogen fraction of $ \langle x_{\rm HI}\rangle \gtrsim 5\%$ by $z=5.6$. Finally, we infer constraints on $\langle x_{\rm HI}\rangle$ over $5.5 \lesssim z \lesssim 6.0$ based on the observed Ly$\beta$ dark gap length distribution and a conservative relationship between gap length and neutral fraction derived from simulations. We find $\langle x_{\rm HI}\rangle \leq 0.05$, 0.17, and 0.29 at $z\simeq 5.55$, 5.75, and 5.95, respectively. These constraints are consistent with models where reionization ends significantly later than $z = 6$.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Yunjing Wu
Zheng Cai
Fengwu Sun
Fuyan Bian
Xiaojing Lin
Zihao Li
Mingyu Li
Franz E. Bauer
Eiichi Egami
Xiaohui Fan
Jorge González-López
Jianan Li
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Shiwu Zhang
Siwei Zou
Abstract： Spiral arms serve crucial purposes in star formation and galaxy evolution. In this paper, we report the identification of A2744-DSG-$z3$, a dusty, multiarm spiral galaxy at $z=3.059$ using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRISS imaging and grism spectroscopy. A2744-DSG-$z3$ was discovered as a gravitationally lensed sub-millimeter galaxy with ALMA. This is the most distant stellar spiral structure seen thus far, consistent with cosmological simulations which suggest $z\approx3$ as the epoch when spirals emerge. Thanks to the gravitational lensing and excellent spatial resolution of JWST, the spiral arms are resolved with a spatial resolution of $\approx290$\,pc. Based on SED fitting, the spiral galaxy has a de-lensed star formation rate of $85\pm30 \ M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, and a stellar mass of $\approx10^{10.6}M_{\odot}$, indicating that A2744-DSG-$z3$ is a main-sequence galaxy. After fitting the spiral arms, we find a stellar effective radius ($R_{e, \rm{star}}$) of $5.0\pm1.5$ kpc. Combing with ALMA measurements, we find that the effective radii ratio between dust and stars is $\approx0.4$, similar to {those} of massive SFGs at $z\sim2$, indicating a compact dusty core in A2744-DSG-$z3$. Moreover, this galaxy appears to be living in a group environment: including A2744-DSG-$z3$, at least three galaxies at $z=3.05 - 3.06$ {are} spectroscopically confirmed by JWST/NIRISS and ALMA, residing within a lensing-corrected projected scale of $\approx 70$ kpc. This, along with the asymmetric brightness profile, further suggests that the spiral arms may be triggered by minor merger events at $z\gtrsim3$.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Jinyi Yang
Xiaohui Fan
Feige Wang
Giorgio Lanzuisi
Riccardo Nanni
Massimo Cappi
George Chartas
Mauro Dadina
Roberto Decarli
Xiangyu Jin
Charles R. Keeton
Bram P. Venemans
Fabian Walter
Ran Wang
Xue-Bing Wu
Minghao Yue
Ann Zabludoff
Abstract： We report X-ray observations of the most distant known gravitationally lensed quasar, J0439+1634 at $z=6.52$, which is also a broad absorption line (BAL) quasar, using the XMM-Newton Observatory. With a 130 ks exposure, the quasar is significantly detected as a point source at the optical position with a total of 358$^{+19}_{-19}$ net counts using the EPIC instrument. By fitting a power-law plus Galactic absorption model to the observed spectra, we obtain a spectral slope of $\Gamma=1.45^{+0.10}_{-0.09}$. The derived optical-to-X-ray spectral slope $\alpha_{\rm{ox}}$ is $-2.07^{+0.01}_{-0.01}$, suggesting that the X-ray emission of J0439+1634 is weaker by a factor of 18 than the expectation based on its 2500 Angstrom luminosity and the average $\alpha_{\rm{ox}}$ vs. luminosity relationship. This is the first time that an X-ray weak BAL quasar at $z>6$ has been observed spectroscopically. Its X-ray weakness is consistent with the properties of BAL quasars at lower redshift. By fitting a model including an intrinsic absorption component, we obtain intrinsic column densities of $N_{\rm{H}}=2.8^{+0.7}_{-0.6}\times10^{23}\,\rm{cm}^{-2}$ and $N_{\rm{H}}= 4.3^{+1.8}_{-1.5}\times10^{23}\,\rm{cm}^{-2}$, assuming a fixed $\Gamma$ of 1.9 and a free $\Gamma$, respectively. The intrinsic rest-frame 2--10 keV luminosity is derived as $(9.4-15.1)\times10^{43}\,\rm{erg\,s}^{-1}$, after correcting for lensing magnification ($\mu=51.3$). The absorbed power-law model fitting indicates that J0439+1634 is the highest redshift obscured quasar with a direct measurement of the absorbing column density. The intrinsic high column density absorption can reduce the X-ray luminosity by a factor of $3-7$, which also indicates that this quasar could be a candidate of intrinsically X-ray weak quasar.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Xiaodi Yu
Jiang-Tao Li
Zhijie Qu
Ian U. Roederer
Joel N. Bregman
Xiaohui Fan
Taotao Fang
Sean D. Johnson
Feige Wang
Jinyi Yang
Abstract： Outflows from super-massive black holes (SMBHs) play an important role in the co-evolution of themselves, their host galaxies, and the larger scale environments. Such outflows are often characterized by emission and absorption lines in various bands and in a wide velocity range blueshifted from the systematic redshift of the host quasar. In this paper, we report a strong broad line region (BLR) outflow from the z~4.7 quasar BR 1202-0725 based on the high-resolution optical spectrum taken with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) spectrograph installed on the 6.5m Magellan/Clay telescope, obtained from the `Probing the He II re-Ionization ERa via Absorbing C IV Historical Yield' (HIERACHY) project. This rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectrum is characterized by a few significantly blueshifted broad emission lines from high ions; the most significant one is the C IV line at a velocity of -6500 km/s relative to the H{\alpha} emission line, which is among the highest velocity BLR outflows in observed quasars at z > 4. The measured properties of UV emission lines from different ions, except for O I and Ly{\alpha}, also follow a clear trend that higher ions tend to be broader and outflow at higher average velocities. There are multiple C IV and Si IV absorbing components identified on the blue wings of the corresponding emission lines, which may be produced by either the outflow or the intervening absorbers.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Jin Wu
Yue Shen
Linhua Jiang
Eduardo Bañados
Xiaohui Fan
Luis C. Ho
Marianne Vestergaard
Feige Wang
Shu Wang
Xue-Bing Wu
Jinyi Yang
Abstract： We study the demographics of z ~ 6 broad-line quasars in the black hole (BH) mass-luminosity plane using a sample of more than 100 quasars at 5.7 < z < 6.5. These quasars have well quantified selection functions and nearly one third of them also have virial BH masses estimated from near-IR spectroscopy. We use forward modeling of parameterized intrinsic distributions of BH masses and Eddington ratios, and account for the sample flux limits and measurement uncertainties of the BH masses and luminosities. We find significant differences between the intrinsic and observed distributions of the quantities due to measurement uncertainties and sample flux limits. There is also marginal evidence that the virial BH masses are susceptible to a positive luminosity-dependent bias (BH mass is overestimated when luminosity is above the average), and that the mean Eddington ratio increases with BH mass. Our models provide reliable constraints on the z ~ 6 black hole mass function at M_BH > 10^8.5 M_Sun, with a median 1-sigma uncertainty of ~0.5 dex in abundance. The intrinsic Eddington ratio distribution of M_BH > 10^8.5 M_Sun quasars can be approximated by a mass-dependent Schechter model, with a broad peak around log(L_bol/L_Edd}) ~ -0.9. We also find that, at 4.5 < z < 6, the number densities of more massive BHs tend to decline more rapidly with increasing redshift, contrary to the trend at 2.5 < z < 4.5 reported previously.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Jin Wu
Yue Shen
Linhua Jiang
Eduardo Bañados
Xiaohui Fan
Luis C. Ho
Marianne Vestergaard
Feige Wang
Shu Wang
Xue-Bing Wu
Jinyi Yang
Abstract： We study the demographics of z ~ 6 broad-line quasars in the black hole (BH) mass-luminosity plane using a sample of more than 100 quasars at 5.7 < z < 6.5. These quasars have well quantified selection functions and nearly one third of them also have virial BH masses estimated from near-IR spectroscopy. We use forward modeling of parameterized intrinsic distributions of BH masses and Eddington ratios, and account for the sample flux limits and measurement uncertainties of the BH masses and luminosities. We find significant differences between the intrinsic and observed distributions of the quantities due to measurement uncertainties and sample flux limits. There is also marginal evidence that the virial BH masses are susceptible to a positive luminosity-dependent bias (BH mass is overestimated when luminosity is above the average), and that the mean Eddington ratio increases with BH mass. Our models provide reliable constraints on the z ~ 6 black hole mass function at M_BH > 10^8.5 M_Sun, with a median 1-sigma uncertainty of ~0.5 dex in abundance. The intrinsic Eddington ratio distribution of M_BH > 10^8.5 M_Sun quasars can be approximated by a mass-dependent Schechter model, with a broad peak around log(L_bol/L_Edd}) ~ -0.9. We also find that, at 4.5 < z < 6, the number densities of more massive BHs tend to decline more rapidly with increasing redshift, contrary to the trend at 2.5 < z < 4.5 reported previously.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Emanuele Paolo Farina
Jan-Torge Schindler
Fabian Walter
Eduardo Bañados
Frederick B. Davies
Roberto Decarli
Anna-Christina Eilers
Xiaohui Fan
Joseph F. Hennawi
Chiara Mazzucchelli
Romain A. Meyer
Benny Trakhtenbrot
Marta Volonteri
Feige Wang
Gabor Worseck
Jinyi Yang
Thales A. Gutcke
Bram P. Venemans
Sarah E. I. Bosman
Tiago Costa
Abstract： We present measurements of black hole masses and Eddington ratios for a sample of 38 bright (M$_{1450}$ < -24.4 mag) quasars at 5.8 < z < 7.5, derived from VLT/X-shooter near-IR spectroscopy of their broad CIV and MgII emission lines. The black hole masses (on average M$_{BH}$ ~ 4.6 x 10$^9$ M$_{\odot}$) and accretion rates (with Eddington ratios ranging between 0.1 and 1.0) are broadly consistent with that of similarly luminous 0.3 < z < 2.3 quasars, but there is evidence for a mild increase in the median Eddington ratio going towards z > 6. Combined with deep ALMA observations of the [CII] 158 $\mu$m line from the quasar host galaxies and VLT/MUSE investigations of the extended Ly$\alpha$ halos, this study provides fundamental clues to models of the formation and growth of the first massive galaxies and black holes. Compared to local scaling relations, z > 5.7 black holes appear to be over-massive with respect to their host galaxies, and their accretion properties do not change with host galaxy morphology. Under the assumption that the kinematics of the T ~ 10$^4$ K gas, traced by the extended Ly$\alpha$ halos, are dominated by the gravitational potential of the dark matter halo, we report a similar relation between the black hole mass and circular velocity to the one reported for z ~ 0 galaxies. These results paint a picture where the first supermassive black holes reside in massive halos at z > 6 and lead the first stages of galaxy formation by rapidly growing in mass with a duty cycle of order unity. However, this duty cycle needs to drastically drop towards lower redshifts, while the host galaxies continue forming stars at a rate of hundreds of solar masses per year, sustained by the large reservoirs of cool gas surrounding them.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Hits
Hits
Downloads
Comment