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您选择的条件: Xiaohui Fan
  • 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.

  • DESI z >~ 5 Quasar Survey. I. A First Sample of 400 New Quasars at z ~ 4.7-6.6

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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 = 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.

  • High-$z$ Quasar Candidate Archive: A Spectroscopic Catalog of Quasars and Contaminants in Various Quasar Searches

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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.

  • ALMA Confirmation of an Obscured Hyperluminous Radio-Loud AGN at $z=6.853$ Associated with a Dusty Starburst in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS Field

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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.

  • A Survey for High-redshift Gravitationally Lensed Quasars and Close Quasars Pairs. I. the Discoveries of an Intermediately-lensed Quasar and a Kpc-scale Quasar Pair at $z\sim5$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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展开 -->

  • Metallicity in Quasar Broad Line Regions at Redshift $\sim$ 6

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Broad line regions (BLRs) in high-redshift quasars provide crucial information of chemical enrichment in the early universe. Here we present a study of BLR metallicities in 33 quasars at redshift $5.7展开 -->

  • MAMMOTH-Subaru V. Effects of Cosmic Variance on Ly$\alpha$ Luminosity Functions at $z=2.2-2.3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Cosmic variance introduces significant uncertainties into galaxy number density properties when surveying the high-z Universe with a small volume, such uncertainties produce the field-to-field variance of galaxy number $\sigma_{g}$ in observational astronomy. This uncertainty significantly affects the Luminosity Functions (LF) measurement of Lya Emitters (LAEs). For most previous Lya LF studies, $\sigma_{g}$ is often adopted from predictions by cosmological simulations, but barely confirmed by observations. Measuring cosmic variance requires a huge sample over a large volume, exceeding the capabilities of most astronomical instruments. In this study, we demonstrate an observational approach for measuring the cosmic variance contribution for $z\approx2.2$ Lya LFs. The LAE candidates are observed using narrowband and broadband of the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), with 8 independent fields, making the total survey area $\simeq11.62$deg$^2$ and a comoving volume of $\simeq8.71\times10^6$Mpc$^3$. These eight fields are selected using the project of MAMMOTH. We report a best-fit Schechter function with parameters $\alpha=-1.75$ (fixed), $L_{Ly\alpha}^{*}=5.18_{-0.40}^{+0.43} \times 10^{42}$erg s$^{-1}$ and $\phi_{Lya}^{*}=4.87_{-0.55}^{+0.54}\times10^{-4}$Mpc$^{-3}$ for the overall Lya LFs. After clipping out the regions that can bias the cosmic variance measurements, we calculate $\sigma_{g}$, by sampling LAEs within multiple pointings assigned on the field image. We investigate the relation between $\sigma_{g}$ and survey volume $V$, and fit a simple power law: $\sigma_g=k\times(\frac{V_{\rm eff}}{10^5 {\rm Mpc}^3})^{\beta}$. We find best-fit values of $-1.209_{-0.106}^{+0.106}$ for $\beta$ and $0.986_{-0.100}^{+0.108}$ for k. We compare our measurements with predictions from simulations and find that the cosmic variance of LAEs might be larger than that of general star-forming galaxies.

  • A Mock Catalog of Gravitationally Lensed Quasars for the LSST Survey

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present a mock catalog of gravitationally lensed quasars at $z_\text{qso}0\farcs07$ and quasar absolute magnitude $M_{i}0\farcs5$, 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.

  • MAMMOTH-Subaru IV. Large Scale Structure and Clustering Analysis of Ly$\alpha$ Emitters and Ly$\alpha$ Blobs at $z=2.2-2.3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We report the large scale structure and clustering analysis of Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) and Ly$\alpha$ blobs (LABs) at $z=2.2-2.3$. Using 3,341 LAEs, 117 LABs, and 58 bright (Ly$\alpha$ luminosity $L_{\rm Ly\alpha}>10^{43.4}$ erg s$^{-1}$) LABs at $z=2.2-2.3$ selected with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), we calculate the LAE overdensity to investigate the large scale structure at $z=2$. We show that 74% LABs and 78% bright LABs locate in overdense regions, which is consistent with the trend found by previous studies that LABs generally locate in overdense regions. We find that one of our 8 fields dubbed J1349 contains $39/117\approx33\%$ of our LABs and $22/58\approx38\%$ of our bright LABs. A unique and overdense $24'\times12'$ ($\approx 40\times20$ comoving Mpc$^2$) region in J1349 has 12 LABs (8 bright LABs). By comparing to SSA22 that is one of the most overdense LAB regions found by previous studies, we show that the J1349 overdense region contains $\geq 2$ times more bright LABs than the SSA22 overdense region. We calculate the angular correlation functions (ACFs) of LAEs and LABs in the unique J1349 field and fit the ACFs with a power-law function to measure the slopes. The slopes of LAEs and LABs are similar, while the bright LABs show a $\approx 2$ times larger slope suggesting that bright LABs are more clustered than faint LABs and LAEs. We show that the amplitudes of ACFs of LABs are higher than LAEs, which suggests that LABs have a $\approx 10$ times larger galaxy bias and field-to-field variance than LAEs. The strong field-to-field variance is consistent with the large differences of LAB numbers in our 8 fields.

  • 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.

  • The Identification of a Dusty Multiarm Spiral Galaxy at $z=3.06$ with JWST and ALMA

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: 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 $z\gtrsim3$.

  • Submillimetre galaxies in two massive protoclusters at z = 2.24: witnessing the enrichment of extreme starbursts in the outskirts of HAE density peaks

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Submillimetre galaxies represent a rapid growth phase of both star formation and massive galaxies. Mapping SMGs in galaxy protoclusters provides key insights into where and how these extreme starbursts take place in connections with the assembly of the large-scale structure in the early Universe. We search for SMGs at 850$\,\mu m$ using JCMT/SCUBA-2 in two massive protoclusters at $z=2.24$, BOSS1244 and BOSS1542, and detect 43 and 54 sources with $S_{850}>4\,$mJy at the $4\sigma$ level within an effective area of 264$\,$arcmin$^2$, respectively. We construct the intrinsic number counts and find that the abundance of SMGs is $2.0\pm0.3$ and $2.1\pm0.2$ times that of the general fields, confirming that BOSS1244 and BOSS1542 contain a higher fraction of dusty galaxies with strongly enhanced star formation. The volume densities of the SMGs are estimated to be $\sim15-$30 times the average, significantly higher than the overdensity factor ($\sim 6$) traced by H$\alpha$ emission-line galaxies (HAEs). More importantly, we discover a prominent offset between the spatial distributions of the two populations in these two protoclusters -- SMGs are mostly located around the high-density regions of HAEs, and few are seen inside these regions. This finding may have revealed for the first time the occurrence of violent star formation enhancement in the outskirts of the HAE density peaks, likely driven by the boosting of gas supplies and/or starburst triggering events. Meanwhile, the lack of SMGs inside the most overdense regions at $z\sim2$ implies a transition to the environment disfavouring extreme starbursts.

  • Metal-Enriched Neutral Gas Reservoir around a Strongly-lensed, Low-mass Galaxy at $z=4$ Identified by JWST/NIRISS and VLT/MUSE

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Direct observations of low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies at $z\gtrsim4$ provide an indispensable opportunity for detailed inspection of the ionization radiation, gas flow, and metal enrichment in sources similar to those that reionized the Universe. Combining the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), VLT/MUSE, and ALMA, we present detailed observations of a strongly lensed, low-mass ($\approx 10^{7.6}$ ${\rm M}_\odot$) galaxy at $z=3.98$ (also see Vanzella et al. 2022). We identify strong narrow nebular emission, including CIV $\lambda\lambda1548,1550$, HeII $\lambda1640$, OIII] $\lambda\lambda1661,1666$, [NeIII] $\lambda3868$, [OII] $\lambda3727$, and Balmer series of Hydrogen from this galaxy, indicating a metal-poor HII region ($\lesssim 0.12\ {\rm Z}_\odot$) powered by massive stars. Further, we detect a metal-enriched damped Ly$\alpha$ system (DLA) associated with the galaxy with the HI column density of $N_{\rm{HI}}\approx 10^{21.8}$ cm$^{-2}$. The metallicity of the associated DLA may reach the super solar metallicity (${\gtrsim Z}_\odot$). Moreover, thanks to JWST and gravitational lensing, we present the resolved UV slope ($\beta$) map at the spatial resolution of $\approx 100$ pc at $z=4$, with steep UV slopes reaching $\beta \approx -2.5$ around three star-forming clumps. Combining with low-redshift analogs, our observations suggest that low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies, which dominate reionization, could be surrounded by a high covering fraction of the metal-enriched, neutral-gaseous clouds. This implies that the metal enrichment of low-mass galaxies is highly efficient, and further support that in low-mass galaxies, only a small fraction of ionizing radiation can escape through the interstellar or circumgalactic channels with low column-density neutral gas.

  • The X-shooter/ALMA Sample of Quasars in the Epoch of Reionization. II. Black Hole Masses, Eddington Ratios, and the Formation of the First Quasars

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We present measurements of black hole masses and Eddington ratios for a sample of 38 bright (M$_{1450}$ 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.

  • MAMMOTH-Subaru III. Ly$\alpha$ Halo Extended to $\sim200$ kpc Identified by Stacking $\sim 3300$ Ly$\alpha$ Emitters at $z=2.2-2.3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: In this paper, we present a Ly$\alpha$ halo extended to $\sim200$ kpc identified by stacking $\sim 3300$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters at $z=2.2-2.3$. We carry out imaging observations and data reduction with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). Our total survey area is $\sim12$ deg$^2$ and imaging depths are $25.5-27.0$ mag. Using the imaging data, we select 1,240 and 2,101 LAE candidates at $z=2.2$ and 2.3, respectively. We carry out spectroscopic observations of our LAE candidates and data reduction with Magellan/IMACS to estimate the contamination rate of our LAE candidates. We find that the contamination rate of our sample is low (8%). We stack our LAE candidates with a median stacking method to identify the Ly$\alpha$ halo at $z=2$. We show that the Ly$\alpha$ halo is extended to $\sim200$ kpc at a surface brightness level of $10^{-20}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ arcsec$^{-2}$. Comparing to previous studies, our Ly$\alpha$ halo is more extended at radii of $\sim25-100$ kpc, which is not likely caused by the contamination in our sample but by different redshifts and fields instead. To investigate how central galaxies affect surrounding LAHs, we divide our LAEs into subsamples based on the Ly$\alpha$ luminosity ($L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$), rest-frame Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width (EW$_0$), and UV magnitude (M$_{\rm uv}$). We stack the subsamples and find that higher $L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$, lower EW$_0$, and brighter M$_{\rm uv}$ cause more extended halos. Our results suggest that more massive LAEs generally have more extended Ly$\alpha$ halos.

  • Metal-Enriched Neutral Gas Reservoir around a Strongly-lensed, Low-mass Galaxy at $z=4$ Identified by JWST/NIRISS and VLT/MUSE

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Direct observations of low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies at $z\gtrsim4$ provide an indispensable opportunity for detailed inspection of the ionization radiation, gas flow, and metal enrichment in sources similar to those that reionized the Universe. Combining the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), VLT/MUSE, and ALMA, we present detailed observations of a strongly lensed, low-mass ($\approx 10^{7.6}$ ${\rm M}_\odot$) galaxy at $z=3.98$ (also see Vanzella et al. 2022). We identify strong narrow nebular emission, including CIV $\lambda\lambda1548,1550$, HeII $\lambda1640$, OIII] $\lambda\lambda1661,1666$, [NeIII] $\lambda3868$, [OII] $\lambda3727$, and Balmer series of Hydrogen from this galaxy, indicating a metal-poor HII region ($\lesssim 0.12\ {\rm Z}_\odot$) powered by massive stars. Further, we detect a metal-enriched damped Ly$\alpha$ system (DLA) associated with the galaxy with the HI column density of $N_{\rm{HI}}\approx 10^{21.8}$ cm$^{-2}$. The metallicity of the associated DLA may reach the super solar metallicity (${\gtrsim Z}_\odot$). Moreover, thanks to JWST and gravitational lensing, we present the resolved UV slope ($\beta$) map at the spatial resolution of $\approx 100$ pc at $z=4$, with steep UV slopes reaching $\beta \approx -2.5$ around three star-forming clumps. Combining with low-redshift analogs, our observations suggest that low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies, which dominate reionization, could be surrounded by a high covering fraction of the metal-enriched, neutral-gaseous clouds. This implies that the metal enrichment of low-mass galaxies is highly efficient, and further support that in low-mass galaxies, only a small fraction of ionizing radiation can escape through the interstellar or circumgalactic channels with low column-density neutral gas.

  • MAMMOTH-Subaru III. Ly$\alpha$ Halo Extended to $\sim200$ kpc Identified by Stacking $\sim 3300$ Ly$\alpha$ Emitters at $z=2.2-2.3$

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: In this paper, we present a Ly$\alpha$ halo extended to $\sim200$ kpc identified by stacking $\sim 3300$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters at $z=2.2-2.3$. We carry out imaging observations and data reduction with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). Our total survey area is $\sim12$ deg$^2$ and imaging depths are $25.5-27.0$ mag. Using the imaging data, we select 1,240 and 2,101 LAE candidates at $z=2.2$ and 2.3, respectively. We carry out spectroscopic observations of our LAE candidates and data reduction with Magellan/IMACS to estimate the contamination rate of our LAE candidates. We find that the contamination rate of our sample is low (8%). We stack our LAE candidates with a median stacking method to identify the Ly$\alpha$ halo at $z=2$. We show that the Ly$\alpha$ halo is extended to $\sim200$ kpc at a surface brightness level of $10^{-20}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ arcsec$^{-2}$. Comparing to previous studies, our Ly$\alpha$ halo is more extended at radii of $\sim25-100$ kpc, which is not likely caused by the contamination in our sample but by different redshifts and fields instead. To investigate how central galaxies affect surrounding LAHs, we divide our LAEs into subsamples based on the Ly$\alpha$ luminosity ($L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$), rest-frame Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width (EW$_0$), and UV magnitude (M$_{\rm uv}$). We stack the subsamples and find that higher $L_{\rm Ly\alpha}$, lower EW$_0$, and brighter M$_{\rm uv}$ cause more extended halos. Our results suggest that more massive LAEs generally have more extended Ly$\alpha$ halos.

  • Flares in the changing look AGN Mrk 590. I: The UV response to X-ray outbursts suggests a more complex reprocessing geometry than a standard disk

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Mrk 590 is a known changing-look AGN which almost turned off in 2012, and then in 2017 partially re-ignited into a repeat flaring state, unusual for an AGN. Our \emph{Swift} observations since 2013 allow us to characterise the accretion-generated emission and its reprocessing in the central engine of a changing-look AGN. The X-ray and UV variability amplitudes are higher than those typically observed in `steady-state' AGN at similar moderate accretion rates; instead, the variability is similar to that of highly accreting AGN. The unusually strong X-ray to UV correlation suggests that the UV-emitting region is directly illuminated by X-ray outbursts. We find evidence that the X-rays are reprocessed by two UV components, with the dominant one at $\sim$3 days and a faint additional reprocessor at near-zero lag. However, we exclude a significant contribution from diffuse broad line region continuum, known to contribute for bona-fide AGN. A near-zero lag is expected for a standard `lamp-post' disk reprocessing model with a driving continuum source near the black hole. That the overall UV response is dominated by the $\sim$3-day lagged component suggests a complicated reprocessing geometry, with most of the UV continuum not produced in a compact disk, as also found in recent studies of NGC 5548 and NGC 4151. Nonetheless, the observed flares display characteristic timescales of $\sim$100 rest-frame days, consistent with the expected thermal timescale in an accretion disk.

  • The mass-metallicity relation at cosmic noon in overdense environments: first results from the MAMMOTH-Grism HST slitless spectroscopic survey

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The MAMMOTH-Grism slitless spectroscopic survey is a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) cycle-28 medium program, which is obtaining 45 orbits of WFC3/IR grism spectroscopy in the density peak regions of three massive galaxy protoclusters at $z=2-3$ discovered using the MAMMOTH technique. We introduce this survey by presenting the first measurement of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) at high redshift in overdense environments via grism spectroscopy. From the completed MAMMOTH-Grism observations in the field of the BOSS1244 protocluster at $z=2.24\pm0.02$, We secure a sample of 36 protocluster member galaxies at $z\sim2.24$, showing strong nebular emission lines ([O III], H$\beta$ and [O II]) in their G141 spectra. Using the multi-wavelength broad-band deep imaging from HST and ground-based telescopes, we measure their stellar masses in the range of $[10^{9},10^{10.4}]M_\odot$, instantaneous star formation rates (SFR) from 10 to 240$M_\odot yr^{-1}$, and global gas-phase metallicities [$\frac{1}{3}$,1] of solar. Compared with similarly selected field galaxy sample at the same redshift, our galaxies show on average increased SFRs by $\sim$0.06dex and $\sim$0.18dex at $\sim$10$^{10.1}M_\odot$ and $\sim$10$^{9.8}M_\odot$, respectively. Using the stacked spectra of our sample galaxies, we derive the MZR in the BOSS1244 protocluster core as $12+\log({\rm O/H})=(0.136\pm0.018)\times\log(M_\ast/M_\odot)+(7.082\pm0.175)$, showing significantly shallower slope than that in the field. This shallow MZR slope is likely caused by the combined effects of efficient recycling of feedback-driven winds and cold-mode gas accretion in protocluster environments. The former effect helps low-mass galaxies residing in overdensities retain their metal production, whereas the latter effect dilutes the metal content of high-mass galaxies, making them more metal poor than their coeval field counterparts.

  • First Census of Gas-phase Metallicity Gradients of Star-forming Galaxies in Overdense Environments at Cosmic Noon

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: We report the first spatially resolved measurements of gas-phase metallicity radial gradients in star-forming galaxies in overdense environments at $z\gtrsim2$. The spectroscopic data are acquired by the \mg\ survey, a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) cycle-28 medium program. This program is obtaining 45 orbits of WFC3/IR grism spectroscopy in the density peak regions of three massive galaxy protoclusters (BOSS 1244, BOSS 1542 and BOSS 1441) at $z=2-3$. Our sample in the BOSS 1244 field consists of 20 galaxies with stellar-mass ranging from $10^{9.0}$ to $10^{10.3}$ \Msun\ , star formation rate (SFR) from 10 to 240 \Msun\,yr$^{-1}$, and global gas-phase metallicity (\oh) from 8.2 to 8.6. At $1\sigma$ confidence level, 2/20 galaxies in our sample show positive (inverted) gradients -- the relative abundance of oxygen increasing with galactocentric radius, opposite the usual trend. Furthermore, 1/20 shows negative gradients and 17/20 are consistent with flat gradients. This high fraction of flat/inverted gradients is uncommon in simulations and previous observations conducted in blank fields at similar redshifts. To understand this, we investigate the correlations among various observed properties of our sample galaxies. We find an anticorrelation between metallicity gradient and global metallicity of our galaxies residing in extreme overdensities, and a marked deficiency of metallicity in our massive galaxies as compared to their coeval field counterparts. We conclude that the cold-mode gas accretion plays an active role in shaping the chemical evolution of galaxies in the protocluster environments, diluting their central chemical abundance, and flattening/inverting their metallicity gradients.