Radio sources at the highest redshifts can provide unique information on the first massive galaxies and black holes, the densest primordial environments, and the epoch of reionization. The number of astronomical objects identified at z > 6 has increased dramatically over the last few years, but previously only three radio-loud (R 2500 = f ν,5 GHz/f ν,2500 Å > 10) sources had been reported at z > 6, with the most distant being a quasar at z = 6.18. Here we present the discovery and characterization of PSO J172.3556+18.7734, a radio-loud quasar at z = 6.823. This source has an Mg ii-based black hole mass of ∼3 × 108 M o˙ and is one of the fastest accreting quasars, consistent with super-Eddington accretion. The ionized region around the quasar is among the largest measured at these redshifts, implying an active phase longer than the average lifetime of the z ⪆ 6 quasar population. From archival data, there is evidence that its 1.4 GHz emission has decreased by a factor of two over the last two decades. The quasar's radio spectrum between 1.4 and 3.0 GHz is steep (α = -1.31). Assuming the measured radio slope and extrapolating to rest-frame 5 GHz, the quasar has a radio-loudness parameter R 2500 ∼ 90. A second steep radio source (α = -0.83) of comparable brightness to the quasar is only 23.″1 away (∼120 kpc at z = 6.82; projection probability <2%), but shows no optical or near-infrared counterpart. Further follow-up is required to establish whether these two sources are physically associated.

The Discovery of a Highly Accreting, Radio-loud Quasar at z = 6.82 / Bañados E.; Mazzucchelli C.; Momjian E.; Eilers A.-C.; Wang F.; Schindler J.-T.; Connor T.; Andika I.T.; Barth A.J.; Carilli C.; Davies F.B.; Decarli R.; Fan X.; Farina E.P.; Hennawi J.F.; Pensabene A.; Stern D.; Venemans B.P.; Wenzl L.; Yang J.. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. - ISSN 0004-637X. - ELETTRONICO. - 909:1(2021), pp. 80.1-80.13. [10.3847/1538-4357/abe239]

The Discovery of a Highly Accreting, Radio-loud Quasar at z = 6.82

Pensabene A.;
2021

Abstract

Radio sources at the highest redshifts can provide unique information on the first massive galaxies and black holes, the densest primordial environments, and the epoch of reionization. The number of astronomical objects identified at z > 6 has increased dramatically over the last few years, but previously only three radio-loud (R 2500 = f ν,5 GHz/f ν,2500 Å > 10) sources had been reported at z > 6, with the most distant being a quasar at z = 6.18. Here we present the discovery and characterization of PSO J172.3556+18.7734, a radio-loud quasar at z = 6.823. This source has an Mg ii-based black hole mass of ∼3 × 108 M o˙ and is one of the fastest accreting quasars, consistent with super-Eddington accretion. The ionized region around the quasar is among the largest measured at these redshifts, implying an active phase longer than the average lifetime of the z ⪆ 6 quasar population. From archival data, there is evidence that its 1.4 GHz emission has decreased by a factor of two over the last two decades. The quasar's radio spectrum between 1.4 and 3.0 GHz is steep (α = -1.31). Assuming the measured radio slope and extrapolating to rest-frame 5 GHz, the quasar has a radio-loudness parameter R 2500 ∼ 90. A second steep radio source (α = -0.83) of comparable brightness to the quasar is only 23.″1 away (∼120 kpc at z = 6.82; projection probability <2%), but shows no optical or near-infrared counterpart. Further follow-up is required to establish whether these two sources are physically associated.
2021
The Discovery of a Highly Accreting, Radio-loud Quasar at z = 6.82 / Bañados E.; Mazzucchelli C.; Momjian E.; Eilers A.-C.; Wang F.; Schindler J.-T.; Connor T.; Andika I.T.; Barth A.J.; Carilli C.; Davies F.B.; Decarli R.; Fan X.; Farina E.P.; Hennawi J.F.; Pensabene A.; Stern D.; Venemans B.P.; Wenzl L.; Yang J.. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. - ISSN 0004-637X. - ELETTRONICO. - 909:1(2021), pp. 80.1-80.13. [10.3847/1538-4357/abe239]
Bañados E.; Mazzucchelli C.; Momjian E.; Eilers A.-C.; Wang F.; Schindler J.-T.; Connor T.; Andika I.T.; Barth A.J.; Carilli C.; Davies F.B.; Decarli R.; Fan X.; Farina E.P.; Hennawi J.F.; Pensabene A.; Stern D.; Venemans B.P.; Wenzl L.; Yang J.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Bañados_2021_ApJ_909_80.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipo: Versione (PDF) editoriale
Licenza: Licenza per Accesso Aperto. Creative Commons Attribuzione (CCBY)
Dimensione 4.82 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
4.82 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/849549
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 39
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 45
social impact