A candidate quadruple AGN system at $z \sim 3$

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Herwig, Eileen, Battaia, Fabrizio Arrigoni, Bañados, Eduardo, Farina, Emanuele Paolo
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Herwig, Eileen
Battaia, Fabrizio Arrigoni
Bañados, Eduardo
Farina, Emanuele Paolo
author_facet Herwig, Eileen
Battaia, Fabrizio Arrigoni
Bañados, Eduardo
Farina, Emanuele Paolo
contents Multiple galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at kiloparsec separation from each other are exceedingly rare, and in fact, only one quadruple AGN is known so far. These extreme density peaks are expected to pinpoint protocluster environments and therefore be surrounded by large galaxy overdensities. In this letter, we present another quadruple AGN candidate at $z \sim 3$ including two SDSS quasars at a separation of roughly 480 kpc. The brighter quasar is accompanied by two AGN candidates (a type 1 AGN and a likely type 2 quasar) at close ($\sim 20$ kpc) separation identified through emission line ratios, line widths and high ionization lines like NV$\lambda1240$. The extended Ly$α$ emission associated with the close triple system is more modest in extent and brightness compared to similar multiple AGN systems and could be caused by ram-pressure stripping of the type-2 quasar host during infall into the central dark matter halo. The predicted evolution of the system into a $z=0$ galaxy cluster with the AGN host galaxies forming the brightest cluster galaxy needs to be further tested by galaxy overdensity studies on large scales around the quadruple AGN candidate. If confirmed as a quadruple AGN with X-ray observations or rest-frame optical line ratios, this system would represent the second AGN quartet, the highest-redshift multiplet and the closest high-redshift triplet known.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_00974
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A candidate quadruple AGN system at $z \sim 3$
Herwig, Eileen
Battaia, Fabrizio Arrigoni
Bañados, Eduardo
Farina, Emanuele Paolo
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Multiple galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at kiloparsec separation from each other are exceedingly rare, and in fact, only one quadruple AGN is known so far. These extreme density peaks are expected to pinpoint protocluster environments and therefore be surrounded by large galaxy overdensities. In this letter, we present another quadruple AGN candidate at $z \sim 3$ including two SDSS quasars at a separation of roughly 480 kpc. The brighter quasar is accompanied by two AGN candidates (a type 1 AGN and a likely type 2 quasar) at close ($\sim 20$ kpc) separation identified through emission line ratios, line widths and high ionization lines like NV$\lambda1240$. The extended Ly$α$ emission associated with the close triple system is more modest in extent and brightness compared to similar multiple AGN systems and could be caused by ram-pressure stripping of the type-2 quasar host during infall into the central dark matter halo. The predicted evolution of the system into a $z=0$ galaxy cluster with the AGN host galaxies forming the brightest cluster galaxy needs to be further tested by galaxy overdensity studies on large scales around the quadruple AGN candidate. If confirmed as a quadruple AGN with X-ray observations or rest-frame optical line ratios, this system would represent the second AGN quartet, the highest-redshift multiplet and the closest high-redshift triplet known.
title A candidate quadruple AGN system at $z \sim 3$
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.00974