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您选择的条件: Ran Wang
  • The interstellar medium distribution, gas kinematics, and system dynamics of the far-infrared luminous quasar SDSS J2310+1855 at $z=6.0$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-21

    摘要: We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) sub-kiloparsec- to kiloparsec-scale resolution observations of the [C ii], CO (98), and OH+ (1101) lines along with their dust continuum emission toward the far-infrared (FIR) luminous quasar SDSS J231038.88+185519.7 at z = 6.0031, to study the interstellar medium distribution, the gas kinematics, and the quasar-host system dynamics. We decompose the intensity maps of the [C ii] and CO (98) lines and the dust continuum with two-dimensional elliptical Srsic models. The [C ii] brightness follows a flat distribution with a Srsic index of 0.59. The CO (98) line and the dust continuum can be fit with an unresolved nuclear component and an extended Srsic component with a Srsic index of 1, which may correspond to the emission from an active galactic nucleus dusty molecular torus and a quasar host galaxy, respectively. The different [C ii] spatial distribution may be due to the effect of the high dust opacity, which increases the FIR background radiation on the [C ii] line, especially in the galaxy center, significantly suppressing the [C ii] emission profile. The dust temperature drops with distance from the center. The effective radius of the dust continuum is smaller than that of the line emission and the dust mass surface density, but is consistent with that of the star formation rate surface density. This may indicate that the dust emission is a less robust tracer of the dust and gas distribution but is a decent tracer of the obscured star formation activity. The OH+ (1101) line shows a P-Cygni profile with an absorption at 400 km/s, which may indicate an outflow with a neutral gas mass of (6.2 1.2) 108 M along the line of sight. We employed a three-dimensional tilted ring model to fit the [C ii] and CO (98) data cubes. The two lines are both rotation dominated and trace identical disk geometries and gas motions. This suggest that the [C ii] and CO (98) gas are coplanar and corotating in this quasar host galaxy. The consistent circular velocities measured with [C ii] and CO (98) lines indicate that these two lines trace a similar gravitational potential. We decompose the circular rotation curve measured from the kinematic model fit to the [C ii] line into four matter components (black hole, stars, gas, and dark matter). The quasar-starburst system is dominated by baryonic matter inside the central few kiloparsecs. We constrain the black hole mass to be 2.97+0.51 0.77 109 M ; this is the first time that the dynamical mass of a black hole has been measured at z 6. This mass is consistent with that determined using the scaling relations from quasar emission lines. A massive stellar component (on the order of 109 M ) may have already existed when the Universe was only 0.93 Gyr old. The relations between the black hole mass and the baryonic mass of this quasar indicate that the central supermassive black hole may have formed before its host galaxy.

  • The interstellar medium distribution, gas kinematics, and system dynamics of the far-infrared luminous quasar SDSS J2310+1855 at $z=6.0$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present ALMA sub-kpc- to kpc-scale resolution observations of the [CII], CO(9-8), and OH$^{+}$\,($1_{1}$--$0_{1}$) lines along with their dust continuum emission toward the FIR luminous quasar SDSS J231038.88+185519.7 at $z = 6.0031$. The [CII] brightness follows a flat distribution with a Sersic index of 0.59. The CO(9-8) line and the dust continuum can be fit with an unresolved nuclear component and an extended Sersic component with a Sersic index of ~1. The dust temperature drops with distance from the center. The effective radius of the dust continuum is smaller than that of the line emission and the dust mass surface density, but is consistent with that of the star formation rate surface density. The OH$^{+}$\,($1_{1}$--$0_{1}$) line shows a P-Cygni profile with an absorption, which may indicate an outflow with a neutral gas mass of $(6.2\pm1.2)\times10^{8} M_{\odot}$ along the line of sight. We employed a 3D tilted ring model to fit the [CII] and CO(9-8) data cubes. The two lines are both rotation dominated and trace identical disk geometries and gas motions. We decompose the circular rotation curve measured from the kinematic model fit to the [CII] line into four matter components (black hole, stars, gas, and dark matter). The quasar-starburst system is dominated by baryonic matter inside the central few kiloparsecs. We constrain the black hole mass to be $2.97^{+0.51}_{-0.77}\times 10^{9}\,M_{\odot}$; this is the first time that the dynamical mass of a black hole has been measured at $z\sim6$. A massive stellar component (on the order of $10^{9}\,M_{\odot}$) may have already existed when the Universe was only ~0.93 Gyr old. The relations between the black hole mass and the baryonic mass of this quasar indicate that the central supermassive black hole may have formed before its host galaxy. [Abridged version. Please see the full abstract in the manuscript.]

  • The X-shaped radio galaxy J0725+5835 is associated with an AGN pair

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs) are those that exhibit two pairs of unaligned radio lobes (main radio lobes and "wings"), one of the promising models for the peculiar morphology is jet re-orientation. To clarify it, we conducted the European VLBI Network (EVN) 5 GHz observation of an XRG J0725+5835, which resembles the archetypal binary AGNs 0402+379 in radio morphology but it is larger in angular size. In our observation, two milliarcsec (mas) scale radio components with non-thermal radio emission are detected, each of them coincides with an optical counterpart with similar photometric redshift and (optical and infrared) magnitude, corresponding to dual active nuclei. Furthermore, with the improved VLA images, we find a bridge between the two radio cores and a jet bending in the region surrounding the companion galaxy, which further supports the interplay between the main and companion galaxies. In addition, we also report the discovery of an arcsec-scale jet in the companion. Given the projected separation of $\sim100$ kpc between the main and companion galaxies, XRG J0725+5835 is likely associated with a dual jetted-AGN system. In both EVN and VLA observations, we find signatures that the jet is changing its direction, which is likely responsible for the X-shaped morphology. On the origin of jet re-orientation, several scenarios are discussed.

  • ALMA Observations of the Sub-kpc Structure of the Host Galaxy of a z= 6.5 Lensed Quasar: A Rotationally-Supported Hyper-Starburst System at the Epoch of Reionization

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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.

  • Spatially resolved molecular interstellar medium in a $z=6.6$ quasar host galaxy

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present high spatial resolution (0.4", 2.2kpc) observations of the CO(6-5), CO(7-6) and [CI] lines and dust continuum emission from the interstellar medium in the host galaxy of the quasar J0305$-$3150 at $z=6.6$. These, together with archival [CII] data at comparable spatial resolution, enable studies of the spatial distribution and kinematics between the ISM in different phases. When comparing the radial profiles of CO, [CII] and the dust continuum, we find that the CO and dust continuum exhibit similar spatial distributions, both of which are less extended than the [CII], indicating that the CO and dust continuum are tracing the same gas component, while the [CII] is tracing a more extended one. In addition, we derive the radial profiles of the [CII]/CO, [CII]/far-infrared (FIR), CO/FIR, and dust continuum $S_{98.7 \rm GHz}/S_{258.1 \rm GHz}$ ratios. We find a decreasing $S_{98.7 \rm GHz}/S_{258.1 \rm GHz}$ ratio with radius, possibly indicating a decrease of dust optical depth with increasing radius. We also detect some of the ISM lines and continuum emission in the companion galaxies previously discovered in the field around J0305$-$3150. Through comparing the line-to-line and line-to-FIR ratios, we find no significant differences between the quasar and its companion galaxies.

  • Deep XMM-Newton Observations of an X-ray Weak, Broad Absorption Line Quasar at $z=6.5$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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.

  • A [C II] 158$\mu$m Emitter Associated with an OI Absorber at the End of the Reionization Epoch

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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.

  • CHANG-ES XXV: HI Imaging of Nearby Edge-on Galaxies -- Data Release 4

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present the HI distribution of galaxies from the Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an EVLA Survey (CHANG-ES). Though the observational mode was not optimized for detecting HI, we successfully produce HI cubes for 19 galaxies. The moment-0 maps from this work are available on CHANG-ES data release website, i.e., https://www.queensu.ca/changes. Our sample is dominated by star-forming, HI-rich galaxies at distances from 6.27 to 34.1 Mpc. HI interferometric images on two of these galaxies (NGC 5792 and UGC 10288) are presented here for the first time, while 12 of our remaining sample galaxies now have better HI spatial resolutions and/or sensitivities of intensity maps than those in existing publications. We characterize the average scale heights of the HI distributions for a subset of most inclined galaxies (inclination > 80 deg), and compare them to the radio continuum intensity scale heights, which have been derived in a similar way. The two types of scale heights are well correlated, with similar dependence on disk radial extension and star formation rate surface density but different dependence on mass surface density. This result indicates that the vertical distribution of the two components may be governed by similar fundamental physics but with subtle differences.

  • Dynamics of Molecular Gas in the Central Region of the Quasar I$\,$Zwicky$\,$1

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present a study of the molecular gas distribution and kinematics in the cicumnuclear region (radii $\lesssim 2\,$kpc) of the $z\approx0.061$ quasar I$\,$Zwicky$\,$1 using a collection of available Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the carbon monoxide (CO) emission. With an angular resolution of $\sim0.36''$ (corresponding to $\sim\,400\,\rm pc$), the host galaxy sub-structures including the nuclear molecular gas disk, spiral arms, and a compact bar-like component are resolved. We analyzed the gas kinematics based on the CO image cube and obtained the rotation curve and radial distribution of velocity dispersion. The velocity dispersion is about $30\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ in the outer CO disk region and rises up to $\gtrsim 100\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ at radius $\lesssim 1\,$kpc, suggesting that the central region of disk is dynamically hot. We constrain the CO-to-$\rm H_2$ conversion factor, $\alpha_{\rm CO}$, by modeling the cold gas disk dynamics. We find that, with prior knowledge about the stellar and dark matter components, the $\alpha_{\rm CO}$ value in the circumnuclear region of this quasar host galaxy is $1.55_{-0.49}^{+0.47}\,M_\odot\,\left(\rm K\,km\,s^{-1}\,pc^2\right)^{-1}$, which is between the value reported in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and in the Milky-Way. The central 1$\,$kpc region of this quasar host galaxy has significant star formation activity, which can be identified as a nuclear starburst. We further investigate the high velocity dispersion in the central region. We find that the ISM turbulent pressure derived from the gas velocity dispersion is in equilibrium with the weight of the ISM. This argues against extra power from AGN feedback that significantly affects the kinematics of the cold molecular gas.

  • VLBA reveals the absence of a compact radio core in the radio intermediate quasar J2242+0334 at z =5.9

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: High-resolution imaging is crucial for exploring the origin and mechanism of radio emission in quasars, especially at high redshifts. We present 1.5 GHz Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) images of the radio continuum emission from the radio-intermediate quasar (RIQ) J2242+0334 at $z = 5.9$. This object was previously detected at both 1.5 GHz and 3 GHz with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) as a point source. However, there is no clear detection in the VLBA images at both the full resolution of 10.7 milliarcsecond (mas) $\times$ 4.5 mas (61.7 pc $\times$ 26.0 pc) and a tapered resolution of 26 mas $\times$ 21 mas (150 pc $\times$ 121 pc). This suggests that the radio emission from the quasar is diffuse on mas scales with surface brightness fainter than the $3\sigma$ detection limit of 40.5 $\mu \rm Jy \ beam^{-1}$ in the full resolution image. The radio emission in the RIQ J2242+0334 is likely to be wind-like (i.e., diffuse) rather than in the form of collimated jets. This is different from the previous radio detections of the most luminous quasars at $z \sim$6 which are usually dominated by compact, high brightness temperature radio sources. Meanwhile, compared with RIQs at low redshifts, the case of J2242+0334 suggests that not all RIQs are beamed radio-quiet quasars. This optically faint RIQ provides an important and unique example to investigate the radio activity in the less powerful active galactic nuclei at the earliest cosmic epoch.

  • Discovery of a protocluster core associated with an enormous Ly$\alpha$ Nebula at $z = 2.3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The MAMMOTH-1 nebula at $z=2.317$ is an enormous Ly$\alpha$ nebula (ELAN) extending to a $\sim$440 kpc scale at the center of the extreme galaxy overdensity BOSS 1441. In this paper, we present observations of the $\rm CO(3-2)$ and 250 GHz dust-continuum emission from the MAMMOTH-1 using the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array. Our observations show that $\rm CO(3-2)$ emission in this ELAN has not extended widespread emission into the circum- and inter-galactic media. We also find a remarkable concentration of six massive galaxies in $\rm CO(3-2)$ emission in the central $\sim$100 kpc region of the ELAN. Their velocity dispersions suggest a total halo mass of $M_{200c} \sim 10^{13.1} M_{\odot}$, marking a possible protocluster core associated with the ELAN. The peak position of the $\rm CO(3-2)$ line emission from the obscured AGN is consistent with the location of the intensity peak of MAMMOTH-1 in the rest-frame UV band. Its luminosity line ratio between the $\rm CO(3-2)$ and $\rm CO(1-0)$ $r_{3,1}$ is 0.61$\pm$0.17. The other five galaxies have $\rm CO(3-2)$ luminosities in the range of (2.1-7.1)$\times 10^9$ K $\rm km\,s^{-1}$ pc$^2$, with the star-formation rates derived from the 250GHz continuum of ($<$36)-224 $M_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$. Follow-up spectroscopic observations will further confirm more member galaxies and improve the accuracy of the halo mass estimation.

  • Dynamics of Molecular Gas in the Central Region of the Quasar I$\,$Zwicky$\,$1

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present a study of the molecular gas distribution and kinematics in the cicumnuclear region (radii $\lesssim 2\,$kpc) of the $z\approx0.061$ quasar I$\,$Zwicky$\,$1 using a collection of available Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the carbon monoxide (CO) emission. With an angular resolution of $\sim0.36''$ (corresponding to $\sim\,400\,\rm pc$), the host galaxy sub-structures including the nuclear molecular gas disk, spiral arms, and a compact bar-like component are resolved. We analyzed the gas kinematics based on the CO image cube and obtained the rotation curve and radial distribution of velocity dispersion. The velocity dispersion is about $30\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ in the outer CO disk region and rises up to $\gtrsim 100\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ at radius $\lesssim 1\,$kpc, suggesting that the central region of disk is dynamically hot. We constrain the CO-to-$\rm H_2$ conversion factor, $\alpha_{\rm CO}$, by modeling the cold gas disk dynamics. We find that, with prior knowledge about the stellar and dark matter components, the $\alpha_{\rm CO}$ value in the circumnuclear region of this quasar host galaxy is $1.55_{-0.49}^{+0.47}\,M_\odot\,\left(\rm K\,km\,s^{-1}\,pc^2\right)^{-1}$, which is between the value reported in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and in the Milky-Way. The central 1$\,$kpc region of this quasar host galaxy has significant star formation activity, which can be identified as a nuclear starburst. We further investigate the high velocity dispersion in the central region. We find that the ISM turbulent pressure derived from the gas velocity dispersion is in equilibrium with the weight of the ISM. This argues against extra power from AGN feedback that significantly affects the kinematics of the cold molecular gas.

  • NOEMA Detection of Circumnuclear Molecular Gas in X-ray Weak Dual Active Galactic Nuclei: No Evidence for Heavy Obscuration

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Dual active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are the manifestation of two actively accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) hosted by a pair of merging galaxies, are a unique laboratory for studying the physics of SMBH feeding and feedback during an indispensable stage of galaxy evolution. In this work, we present NOEMA CO(2-1) observations of seven kpc-scale dual-AGN candidates drawn from a recent Chandra survey of low-redshift, optically classified AGN pairs. These systems are selected because they show unexpectedly low 2-10 keV X-ray luminosities for their small physical separations signifying an intermediate-to-late stage of merger. Circumnuclear molecular gas traced by the CO(2-1) emission is significantly detected in 6 of the 7 pairs and 10 of the 14 nuclei, with an estimated mass ranging between $(0.2 - 21) \times10^9\rm~M_{\odot}$. The primary nuclei, i.e., the ones with the higher stellar velocity dispersion, tend to have a higher molecular gas mass than the secondary. Most CO-detected nuclei show a compact morphology, with a velocity field consistent with a kpc-scale rotating structure. The inferred hydrogen column densities range between $5\times10^{21} - 2\times10^{23}\rm~cm^{-2}$, but mostly at a few times $10^{22}\rm~cm^{-2}$, in broad agreement with those derived from X-ray spectral analysis. Together with the relatively weak mid-infrared emission, the moderate column density argues against the prevalence of heavily obscured, intrinsically luminous AGNs in these seven systems, but favors a feedback scenario in which AGN activity triggered by a recent pericentric passage of the galaxy pair can expel circumnuclear gas and suppress further SMBH accretion.

  • The X-shaped radio galaxy J0725+5835 is associated with an AGN pair

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs) are those that exhibit two pairs of unaligned radio lobes (main radio lobes and "wings"), one of the promising models for the peculiar morphology is jet re-orientation. To clarify it, we conducted the European VLBI Network (EVN) 5 GHz observation of an XRG J0725+5835, which resembles the archetypal binary AGNs 0402+379 in radio morphology but it is larger in angular size. In our observation, two milliarcsec (mas) scale radio components with non-thermal radio emission are detected, each of them coincides with an optical counterpart with similar photometric redshift and (optical and infrared) magnitude, corresponding to dual active nuclei. Furthermore, with the improved VLA images, we find a bridge between the two radio cores and a jet bending in the region surrounding the companion galaxy, which further supports the interplay between the main and companion galaxies. In addition, we also report the discovery of an arcsec-scale jet in the companion. Given the projected separation of $\sim100$ kpc between the main and companion galaxies, XRG J0725+5835 is likely associated with a dual jetted-AGN system. In both EVN and VLA observations, we find signatures that the jet is changing its direction, which is likely responsible for the X-shaped morphology. On the origin of jet re-orientation, several scenarios are discussed.

  • Exploring the radio spectral energy distribution of the ultraluminous radio-quiet quasar SDSS J0100+2802 at redshift 6.3

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We report deep Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the optically ultraluminous and radio-quiet quasar SDSS J010013.02 + 280225.8 (hereafter J0100+2802) at redshift $z=$6.3. We detected the radio continuum emission at 1.5 GHz, 6 GHz, and 10 GHz. This leads to a radio power-law spectral index of $\alpha = -0.52\pm0.18$ ($S \propto \nu^{\alpha}$). The radio source is unresolved in all VLA bands with an upper limit to the size of $0.2^{\prime \prime}$ (i.e., $\sim$ 1.1 kpc) at 10 GHz. We find variability in the flux density (increase by $\sim 33\%$) and the spectral index (steepened) between observations in 2016 and 2017. We also find that the VLA 1.5 GHz flux density observed in the same year is 1.5 times that detected with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) in 2016 at the same frequency. This difference suggests that half of the radio emission from J0100+2802 comes from a compact core within 40 pc, and the rest comes from the surrounding few kpc area which is diffuse and resolved out in the VLBA observations. The diffuse emission is four times brighter than that would be expected if driven by star formation. We conclude that the central active galactic nucleus is the dominant power engine of the radio emission in J0100+2802.

  • VLBA reveals the absence of a compact radio core in the radio intermediate quasar J2242+0334 at z =5.9

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: High-resolution imaging is crucial for exploring the origin and mechanism of radio emission in quasars, especially at high redshifts. We present 1.5 GHz Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) images of the radio continuum emission from the radio-intermediate quasar (RIQ) J2242+0334 at $z = 5.9$. This object was previously detected at both 1.5 GHz and 3 GHz with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) as a point source. However, there is no clear detection in the VLBA images at both the full resolution of 10.7 milliarcsecond (mas) $\times$ 4.5 mas (61.7 pc $\times$ 26.0 pc) and a tapered resolution of 26 mas $\times$ 21 mas (150 pc $\times$ 121 pc). This suggests that the radio emission from the quasar is diffuse on mas scales with surface brightness fainter than the $3\sigma$ detection limit of 40.5 $\mu \rm Jy \ beam^{-1}$ in the full resolution image. The radio emission in the RIQ J2242+0334 is likely to be wind-like (i.e., diffuse) rather than in the form of collimated jets. This is different from the previous radio detections of the most luminous quasars at $z \sim$6 which are usually dominated by compact, high brightness temperature radio sources. Meanwhile, compared with RIQs at low redshifts, the case of J2242+0334 suggests that not all RIQs are beamed radio-quiet quasars. This optically faint RIQ provides an important and unique example to investigate the radio activity in the less powerful active galactic nuclei at the earliest cosmic epoch.

  • Enhanced Star Formation Efficiency in the Central Regions of Nearby Quasars Hosts

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We combine Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer observations tracing the molecular gas, millimeter continuum, and ionized gas emission in six low-redshift ($z \lesssim 0.06$) Palomar-Green quasar host galaxies to investigate their ongoing star formation at $\sim$kpc-scale resolution. The AGN contribution to the cold dust emission and the optical emission-line flux is carefully removed to derive spatial distributions of the star formation rate (SFR), which, complemented with the molecular gas data, enables the mapping of the depletion time ($t_{\rm dep}$). We report ubiquitous star formation activity within the quasar host galaxies, with the majority of the ongoing star formation occurring in the galaxy center. The rise of the star formation rate surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$) toward the nucleus is steeper than that observed for the cold molecular gas surface density, reaching values up to $\Sigma_{\rm SFR} \approx 0.15-0.80\,M_\odot\,$yr$^{-1}\,$kpc$^{-2}$. The gas in the nuclear regions is converted into stars at a shortened depletion time ($t_{\rm dep} \approx 0.2-2.0\,$Gyr), suggesting that those zones can be deemed as starbursts. At large galactocentric radius, we find that the ongoing star formation takes place within spiral arms or H$\,$II region complexes, with an efficiency comparable to that reported for nearby inactive spirals ($t_{\rm dep} \approx 1.8\,$Gyr). We find no evidence of star formation activity shutoff in the PG quasar host galaxies. On the contrary, these observations shed light on how the central environments of galaxies hosting actively accreting supermassive black holes builds up stellar mass.

  • NOEMA Detection of Circumnuclear Molecular Gas in X-ray Weak Dual Active Galactic Nuclei: No Evidence for Heavy Obscuration

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Dual active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are the manifestation of two actively accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) hosted by a pair of merging galaxies, are a unique laboratory for studying the physics of SMBH feeding and feedback during an indispensable stage of galaxy evolution. In this work, we present NOEMA CO(2-1) observations of seven kpc-scale dual-AGN candidates drawn from a recent Chandra survey of low-redshift, optically classified AGN pairs. These systems are selected because they show unexpectedly low 2-10 keV X-ray luminosities for their small physical separations signifying an intermediate-to-late stage of merger. Circumnuclear molecular gas traced by the CO(2-1) emission is significantly detected in 6 of the 7 pairs and 10 of the 14 nuclei, with an estimated mass ranging between $(0.2 - 21) \times10^9\rm~M_{\odot}$. The primary nuclei, i.e., the ones with the higher stellar velocity dispersion, tend to have a higher molecular gas mass than the secondary. Most CO-detected nuclei show a compact morphology, with a velocity field consistent with a kpc-scale rotating structure. The inferred hydrogen column densities range between $5\times10^{21} - 2\times10^{23}\rm~cm^{-2}$, but mostly at a few times $10^{22}\rm~cm^{-2}$, in broad agreement with those derived from X-ray spectral analysis. Together with the relatively weak mid-infrared emission, the moderate column density argues against the prevalence of heavily obscured, intrinsically luminous AGNs in these seven systems, but favors a feedback scenario in which AGN activity triggered by a recent pericentric passage of the galaxy pair can expel circumnuclear gas and suppress further SMBH accretion.

  • HI Vertical Structure of Nearby Edge-on Galaxies from CHANG-ES

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We study the vertical distribution of the highly inclined galaxies from the Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an EVLA Survey (CHANG-ES). We explore the feasibility of photometrically deriving the HI disk scale-heights from the moment-0 images of the relatively edge-on galaxies with inclination >80 deg, by quantifying the systematic broadening effects and thus deriving correction equations for direct measurements. The corrected HI disk scale-heights of the relatively edge-on galaxies from the CHANG-ES sample show trends consistent with the quasi-equilibrium model of the vertical structure of gas disks. The procedure provide a convenient way to derive the scale-heights and can easily be applied to statistical samples in the future.

  • A comprehensive view of the interstellar medium in a quasar host galaxy at z~6.4

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Characterizing the physical conditions (density, temperature, ionization state, metallicity, etc) of the interstellar medium is critical to our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies. Here we present a multi-line study of the interstellar medium in the host galaxy of a quasar at z~6.4, i.e., when the universe was 840 Myr old. This galaxy is one of the most active and massive objects emerging from the dark ages, and therefore represents a benchmark for models of the early formation of massive galaxies. We used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array to target an ensemble of tracers of ionized, neutral, and molecular gas, namely the fine-structure lines: [OIII] 88$\mu$m, [NII] 122$\mu$m, [CII] 158$\mu$m, and [CI] 370$\mu$m and the rotational transitions of CO(7-6), CO(15-14), CO(16-15), and CO(19-18); OH 163.1$\mu$m and 163.4$\mu$m; and H$_2$O 3(0,3)-2(1,2), 3(3,1)-4(0,4), 3(3,1)-3(2,2), 4(0,4)-3(1,3), 4(3,2)-4(2,3). All the targeted fine-structure lines are detected, as are half of the targeted molecular transitions. By combining the associated line luminosities, the constraints on the dust temperature from the underlying continuum emission, and predictions from photoionization models of the interstellar medium, we find that the ionized phase accounts for about one third of the total gaseous mass budget, and is responsible for half of the total [CII] emission. It is characterized by high density (n~180 cm$^{-3}$), typical of HII regions. The spectral energy distribution of the photoionizing radiation is comparable to that emitted by B-type stars. Star formation also appears to drive the excitation of the molecular medium. We find marginal evidence for outflow-related shocks in the dense molecular phase, but not in other gas phases. This study showcases the power of multi-line investigations in unveiling the properties of the star-forming medium in galaxies at cosmic dawn.