Abstract
Quasar feedback may regulate the growth of supermassive black holes, quench coeval star formation, and impact galaxy morphology and the circumgalactic medium. However, direct evidence for ...quasar feedback in action at the epoch of peak black hole accretion at
z
≈ 2 remains elusive. A good case in point is the
z
= 1.6 quasar WISEA J100211.29+013706.7 (XID 2028), where past analyses of the same ground-based data have come to different conclusions. Here, we revisit this object with the integral-field unit of the Near Infrared Spectrograph on board the JWST as part of Early Release Science program Q3D. The excellent angular resolution and sensitivity of the JWST data reveal new morphological and kinematic substructures in the outflowing gas plume. An analysis of the emission-line ratios indicates that photoionization by the central quasar dominates the ionization state of the gas with no obvious sign for a major contribution from hot young stars anywhere in the host galaxy. The rest-frame near-UV emission aligned along the wide-angle cone of outflowing gas is interpreted as a scattering cone. The outflow has cleared a channel in the dusty host galaxy, through which some of the quasar ionizing radiation is able to escape and heat the surrounding interstellar and circumgalactic media. Although the warm ionized outflow is not powerful enough to impact the host galaxy via mechanical feedback, radiative feedback by the active galactic nucleus, aided by the outflow, may help to explain the unusually small molecular gas mass fraction in the galaxy host.
Abstract
We present a cross-calibration of CO- and dust-based molecular gas masses at z ≤ 0.2. Our results are based on a survey with the IRAM 30-m telescope collecting CO(1–0) measurements of 78 ...massive (logM⋆/M⊙> 10) galaxies with known gas-phase metallicities and with IR photometric coverage from Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer(WISE; 22 $\mu$m) and Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE; 250, 350, 500$\mu$m). We find a tight relation (∼0.17 dex scatter) between the gas masses inferred from CO and dust continuum emission, with a minor systematic offset of 0.05 dex. The two methods can be brought into agreement by applying a metallicity-dependent adjustment factor (∼0.13 dex scatter). We illustrate that the observed offset is consistent with a scenario in which dust traces not only molecular gas but also part of the Hi reservoir, residing in the H2-dominated region of the galaxy. Observations of the CO(2–1) to CO(1–0) line ratio for two-thirds of the sample indicate a narrow range in excitation properties, with a median ratio of luminosities ⟨R21⟩ ∼ 0.64. Finally, we find dynamical mass constraints from spectral line profile fitting to agree well with the anticipated mass budget enclosed within an effective radius, once all mass components (stars, gas, and dark matter) are accounted for.
Abstract Dual quasars—two active supermassive black holes at galactic scales—represent crucial objects for studying the impact of galaxy mergers and quasar activity on the star formation rate (SFR) ...within their host galaxies, particularly at cosmic noon when SFR peaks. We present JWST/MIRI mid-infrared integral field spectroscopy of J074922.96+225511.7, a dual quasar with a projected separation of 3.8 kpc at a redshift z = 2.17. We detect spatially extended Fe ii 5.34 μ m and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) 3.3 μ m emissions from the star formation activity in its host galaxy. We derive the SFR of 10 3.0±0.2 M ⊙ yr −1 using PAH 3.3 μ m, which is 5 times higher than that derived from the knee of the infrared luminosity function for galaxies at z ∼ 2. While the SFR of J0749+2255 agrees with that of star-forming galaxies of comparable stellar mass at the same redshifts, its molecular gas content falls short of expectations based on the molecular Kennicutt–Schmidt law. This discrepancy may result from molecular gas depletion due to the longer elevated stage of star formation, even after the molecular gas reservoir is depleted. We do not observe any quasar-driven outflow that impacts PAH and Fe ii in the host galaxy based on the spatially resolved maps. From the expected flux in PAH-based star formation, the Fe ii line likely originates from the star-forming regions in the host galaxy. Our study highlights the extreme stardust nature of J0749+2255, indicating a potential connection between the dual quasar phase and intense star formation activities.
Abstract
Massive galaxies formed most actively at redshifts
z
= 1–3 during the period known as “cosmic noon.” Here we present an emission-line study of the extremely red quasar ...SDSSJ165202.64+172852.3’s host galaxy at
z
= 2.94, based on observations with the Near Infrared Spectrograph integral field unit on board JWST. We use standard emission-line diagnostic ratios to map the sources of gas ionization across the host and a swarm of companion galaxies. The quasar dominates the photoionization, but we also discover shock-excited regions orthogonal to the ionization cone and the quasar-driven outflow. These shocks could be merger-induced or—more likely, given the presence of a powerful galactic-scale quasar outflow—these are signatures of wide-angle outflows that can reach parts of the galaxy that are not directly illuminated by the quasar. Finally, the kinematically narrow emission associated with the host galaxy presents as a collection of 1 kpc–scale clumps forming stars at a rate of at least 200
M
⊙
yr
−1
. The interstellar medium within these clumps shows high electron densities, reaching up to 3000 cm
−3
, with metallicities ranging from half to a third solar with a positive metallicity gradient, and
V
-band extinctions up to 3 mag. The star formation conditions are far more extreme in these regions than in local star-forming galaxies but consistent with those of massive galaxies at cosmic noon. The JWST observations simultaneously reveal an archetypal rapidly forming massive galaxy undergoing a merger, a clumpy starburst, an episode of obscured near-Eddington quasar activity, and an extremely powerful quasar outflow.
Abstract
Quasar-driven galactic outflows are a major driver of the evolution of massive galaxies. We report observations of a powerful galactic-scale outflow in a
z
= 3 extremely red and ...intrinsically luminous (
L
bol
≃ 5 × 10
47
erg s
−1
) quasar SDSSJ1652 + 1728 with the Near-infrared Spectrograph on board JWST. We analyze the kinematics of rest-frame optical emission lines and identify the quasar-driven outflow extending out to ∼10 kpc from the quasar with a velocity offset of (
v
r
= ± 500 km s
−1
) and high velocity dispersion (FWHM = 700–2400 km s
−1
). Due to JWST’s unprecedented surface brightness sensitivity in the near-infrared, we unambiguously show that the powerful high velocity outflow in an extremely red quasar encompasses a large swath of the host galaxy’s interstellar medium. Using the kinematics and dynamics of optical emission lines, we estimate the mass outflow rate—in the warm ionized phase alone—to be at least 2300 ± 1400
M
⊙
yr
−1
. We measure a momentum flux ratio between the outflow and the quasar accretion disk of ∼1 on a kpc scale, indicating that the outflow was likely driven in a relatively high (>10
23
cm
−2
) column density environment through radiation pressure on dust grains. We find a coupling efficiency between the bolometric luminosity of the quasar and the outflow of 0.1%, matching the theoretical prediction of the minimum coupling efficiency necessary for negative quasar feedback. The outflow has sufficient energetics to drive the observed turbulence seen in shocked regions of the quasar host galaxy, which are likely directly responsible for prolonging the time that it takes for gas to cool efficiently.
Abstract
The O
iii
5007 Å emission line is the most common tracer of warm, ionized outflows in active galactic nuclei across cosmic time. JWST newly allows us to use mid-IR spectral features at both ...high spatial and spectral resolution to probe these same winds. Here we present a comparison of ground-based, seeing-limited O
iii
and space-based, diffraction-limited S
iv
10.51
μ
m maps of the powerful, kiloparsec-scale outflow in the Type 1 red quasar SDSS J110648.32+480712.3. The JWST data are from the Mid-InfraRed Instrument. There is a close match in resolution between the data sets (∼0.″6), in ionization potential of the O
+2
and S
+3
ions (35 eV) and in line sensitivity (1–2 × 10
−17
erg s
−1
cm
−2
arcsec
−2
). The O
iii
and S
iv
line shapes match in velocity and line width over much of the 20 kpc outflowing nebula, and S
iv
is the brightest line in the rest-frame 3.5–19.5
μ
m range, demonstrating its usefulness as a mid-IR probe of quasar outflows. O
iii
is nevertheless intrinsically brighter and provides better contrast with the point-source continuum, which is strong in the mid-IR. There is a strong anticorrelation of O
iii
/S
iv
with average velocity, which is consistent with a scenario of differential obscuration between the approaching (blueshifted) and receding (redshifted) sides of the flow. The dust in the wind may also obscure the central quasar, consistent with models that attribute red quasar extinction to dusty winds.
ABSTRACT
Accretion on to black holes at rates above the Eddington limit has long been discussed in the context of supermassive black hole (SMBH) formation and evolution, providing a possible ...explanation for the presence of massive quasars at high redshifts (z ≳ 7), as well as having implications for SMBH growth at later epochs. However, it is currently unclear whether such ‘super-Eddington’ accretion occurs in SMBHs at all, how common it is, or whether every SMBH may experience it. In this work, we investigate the observational consequences of a simplistic model for super-Eddington accretion flows – an optically thick, geometrically thin accretion disc where the inner-most parts experience severe photon-trapping, which is enhanced with increased accretion rate. The resulting spectral energy distributions (SEDs) show a dramatic lack of rest-frame UV, or even optical, photons. Using a grid of model SEDs spanning a wide range in parameter space (including SMBH mass and accretion rate), we find that large optical quasar surveys (such as SDSS) may be missing most of these luminous systems. We then propose a set of colour selection criteria across optical and infrared colour spaces designed to select super-Eddington SEDs in both wide-field surveys (e.g. using SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE) and deep and narrow-field surveys (e.g. COSMOS). The proposed selection criteria are a necessary first step in establishing the relevance of advection-affected super-Eddington accretion on to SMBHs at early cosmic epochs.
ABSTRACT
In this work, we investigate the strength and impact of ionized gas outflows within z ∼ 0.04 MaNGA galaxies. We find evidence for outflows in 322 galaxies ($12{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the ...analysed line-emitting sample), 185 of which show evidence for hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Most outflows are centrally concentrated with a spatial extent that scales sublinearly with Re. The incidence of outflows is enhanced at higher masses, central surface densities, and deeper gravitational potentials, as well as at higher star formation rate (SFR) and AGN luminosity. We quantify strong correlations between mass outflow rates and the mechanical drivers of the outflow of the form $\dot{M}_{\rm out} \propto \rm SFR^{0.97}$ and $\dot{M}_{\rm out} \propto L_{\rm AGN}^{0.55}$. We derive a master scaling relation describing the mass outflow rate of ionized gas as a function of M⋆, SFR, Re, and LAGN. Most of the observed winds are anticipated to act as galactic fountains, with the fraction of galaxies with escaping winds increasing with decreasing potential well depth. We further investigate the physical properties of the outflowing gas finding evidence for enhanced attenuation in the outflow, possibly due to metal-enriched winds, and higher excitation compared to the gas in the galactic disc. Given that the majority of previous studies have focused on more extreme systems with higher SFRs and/or more luminous AGN, our study provides a unique view of the non-gravitational gaseous motions within ‘typical’ galaxies in the low-redshift Universe, where low-luminosity AGN and star formation contribute jointly to the observed outflow phenomenology.
We investigate the sensitivity of the colour-based quasar selection algorithm of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to several key physical parameters of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), focusing ...on BH spin (a*) at the high BH-mass regime (MBH greater than or equal to 10 super( 9) M...). We use a large grid of model spectral energy distribution (SED), assuming geometrically thin, optically thick accretion discs, and spanning a wide range of five physical parameters: BH mass MBH, BH spin a*, Eddington ratio L/LEdd, redshift z, and inclination angle inc. Based on the expected fluxes in the SDSS imaging ugriz bands, we find that ~99.8 per cent of our models with M sub( BH) = 10 super( 9.5) M... are selected as quasar candidates and thus would have been targeted for spectroscopic follow-up. However, in the extremely high-mass regime, greater than or equal to 10 super( 10) M..., we identify a bias against slowly/retrograde spinning SMBHs. The fraction of SEDs that would have been selected as quasar candidates drops below ~50 per cent for a* < 0 across 0.5 < z < 2. For particularly massive BHs, with M sub( BH) ... 3 x 10 super( 10) M..., this rate drops below ~20 per cent, and can be yet lower for specific redshifts. We further find that the chances of identifying any hypothetical sources with MBH = 10 super( 11) M... by colour selection would be extremely low at the level of ~3 per cent. Our findings, along with several recent theoretical arguments and empirical findings, demonstrate that the current understanding of the SMBH population at the high M sub( BH), and particularly the low- or retrograde-spinning regime, is highly incomplete. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
ABSTRACT
We present results from the first public data release of the MaNGA-ARO Survey of CO Targets (MASCOT), focusing our study on galaxies whose star formation rates and stellar masses place them ...below the ridge of the star-forming main sequence. In optically selected type 2 AGN/low-ionization nuclear emission regions (LINERs)/Composites, we find an empirical relation between gas-phase metallicity gradients ∇Z and global molecular gas depletion times $t_{\rm dep} = M_{\rm H_2} /{\rm SFR}$ with ‘more quenched’ systems showing flatter/positive gradients. Our results are based on the O3N2 metallicity diagnostic (applied to star-forming regions within a given galaxy), which was recently suggested to also be robust against emission by diffuse ionized gas (DIG) and LINERs. We conduct a systematic investigation into possible drivers of the observed ∇Z − tdep relation (ouflows, gas accretion, in situ star formation, mergers, and morphology). We find a strong relation between ∇Z or tdep and centralized outflow strength traced by the O iii velocity broadening. We also find signatures of suppressed star formation in the outskirts in AGN-like galaxies with long depletion times and an enhancement of metals in the outer regions. We find no evidence of inflows impacting the metallicity gradients, and none of our results are found to be significantly affected by merger activity or morphology. We thus conclude that the observed ∇Z–tdep relation may stem from a combination of metal redistribution via weak feedback, and a connection to in situ star formation via a resolved mass-metallicity–SFR relation.
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