Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectra Research Articles

SALT-RSS Multiobject Spectroscopic Data Reduction to Reveal Physical Properties of [O ii]-emitting Galaxies from HETDEX and ODIN

Line flux ratios from [O ii] doublets can probe electron densities in the interstellar medium of galaxies. We employ the Southern African Large Telescope’s (SALT) Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS), which provides sufficient resolution (R ∼ 3000) to split the [O ii] doublets, to target galaxies from Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment and One-hundred-deg2 DECam Imaging in Narrowbands with emission line fluxes of at least 2 × 10−16 erg cm−2 s−1. Reduction is carried out using RSSMOSPipeline to reduce SALT-RSS data through wavelength calibration. Despite SALT-RSS being known for its difficulty to flux calibrate, we present spectra that have been flux calibrated using alignment stars with Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra as standards. We combine multiple spectroscopic settings to obtain full 2D spectra across a wavelength range of 3500–9500 Å. A 1D spectrum can then be extracted to calculate flux ratios and line widths, revealing important physical properties of these bright [O ii]-emitters.

Changing-look Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Tracking the Transition on the Main Sequence of Quasars

This paper is the first in a series of papers that prepare and analyze spectral and other properties for a database of already-discovered changing-look active galactic nuclei (CL AGNs). Here we focus on the spectral fitting and analysis of broad emission lines in a sample of 93 CL AGNs collected from the literature with existing Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)/Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS)/extended-BOSS spectroscopy where the Hβ emission-line profile does not completely disappear in any epochs. Additionally, we have gathered older/newer spectral epochs from all the available SDSS data releases to make the database more complete. We use PyQSOFit and perform a homogeneous spectral decomposition of all of our SDSS spectra and tabulate the AGN continuum and emission-line properties per epoch per source, chronologically. This further allows us to categorize the sources in our sample as Turn-On or Turn-Off and subsequently check for repeated occurrences of such phases. We then estimate the black hole mass (M BH) and the Eddington ratio (λ Edd) per epoch per source where the required parameters are available and well estimated. We demonstrate the movement of the source in the M BH–λ Edd plane, allowing us to check for systematic changes in the source’s fundamental properties. We then track their transition along the optical plane of the Eigenvector 1 schema and categorize sources that either stay within the same population (A or B) or make an interpopulation movement as a function of spectral epoch. We also test the Balmer decrement (Hα/Hβ) of a subset of our sample of CL AGNs as a function of time and AGN luminosity.

Classification Of Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars By Optical Activity Types

We have carried out a spectral classification by the activity types for a subsample of blazars from the BZCAT v.5 Catalogue, namely the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQ) candidates, designated in the catalogue as BZQ subtype objects. The classification is based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) homogeneous medium-resolution optical spectroscopy and along with the standard BPT-type diagnostic diagrams, we have applied our newly introduced fine classification scheme with subtypes of quasars and considering many more features. Out of 1909 BZQ objects, 618 having SDSS spectra were classified, resulting in 445 broad-line QSOs, 19 narrow-line QSOs, 138 broad-line Seyferts, 8 narrow-line Seyferts, and 2 Emission-line galaxies without a proper classification. We have calculated the absolute magnitudes and luminosities for all objects to distinguish QSOs from Seyferts, as defined by the Catalogue of QSOs and Active Galaxies, -22m.25 separation limit. This way 148 objects changed their BZCAT subtypes between BZQ to BZG, and also 6 BZQ objects to BZU.

Accretion Disk Size and Updated Time-delay Measurements in the Gravitationally Lensed Quasar SDSS J165043.44+425149.3

We analyze variability in 15-season optical lightcurves from the doubly imaged lensed quasar SDSS J165043.44+425149.3 (SDSS1650), comprising five seasons of monitoring data from the Maidanak Observatory (277 nights in total, including the two seasons of data previously presented in Vuissoz et al.), five seasons of overlapping data from the Mercator telescope (269 nights), and 12 seasons of monitoring data from the US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station at lower cadence (80 nights). We update the 2007 time-delay measurement for SDSS1650 with these new data, finding a time delay of ΔtAB=−55.1−3.7+4.0 days, with image A leading image B. We analyze the microlensing variability in these lightcurves using a Bayesian Monte Carlo technique to yield measurements of the size of the accretion disk at λ rest = 2420 Å, finding a half-light radius of log(r 1/2/cm) = 16.19−0.58+0.38 assuming a 60° inclination angle. This result is unchanged if we model 30% flux contamination from the broad-line region. We use the width of the Mg ii line in the existing Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra to estimate the mass of this system’s supermassive black hole, finding M BH = 2.47 × 109 M ⊙. We confirm that the accretion disk size in this system, whose black hole mass is on the very high end of the M BH scale, is fully consistent with the existing quasar accretion disk size–black hole mass relation.

Star formation histories of dwarf lenticular galaxies

ABSTRACT Star formation histories (SFHs) are essential for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. We present the mean SFHs of 148 dwarf lenticular galaxies (dS0s) derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra. These SFHs reveal two distinct periods of active star formation. The first period, concluding approximately 6 Gyr ago, witnessed the formation of predominantly old, metal-poor (Z = 0.0004) stars, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the stellar mass and 30 per cent of the luminosity. The scarcity of extremely metal-poor (Z = 0.0001) stars suggests pre-enrichment during the reionization era. Star formation gradually waned during this initial phase. In contrast, the second period, ending around 1 Gyr ago, exhibited a peak in the middle of the period, contributing to the formation of moderately old stellar populations with intermediate metallicity. The SFHs of dS0 galaxies show a clear dependence on stellar mass, with more massive dS0s forming stars earlier. However, we find no significant correlation with morphological properties such as outer spiral arms and nucleation. The SFHs of dS0 galaxies share many similarities with those of dwarf elliptical galaxies, suggesting a common origin, mostly not primordial.

The Near-infrared Extinction Law at High and Low Galactic Latitudes

The Milky Way dust extinction curve in the near-infrared (NIR) follows a power-law form, but the value of the slope, β NIR, is debated. Systematic variations in the slope of the Milky Way UV extinction curve are known to be correlated with variations in the optical slope (through R V ), but whether such a dependence extends to the NIR is unclear. Finally, because of low dust column densities, the NIR extinction law is poorly understood at high Galactic latitudes where most extragalactic work takes place. In this paper, we construct extinction curves from 56,649 stars with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry, based on stellar parameters from SDSS spectra. We use dust maps to identify dust-free stars, from which we calibrate the relation between stellar parameters and intrinsic colors. Furthermore, to probe the low-dust regime at high latitudes, we use aggregate curves based on many stars. We find no systematic variation of β NIR across low-to-moderate dust columns (0.02 < E(B − V) ≲ 1), and report average β NIR = 1.85 ± 0.01, in agreement with the law in the 2019 Fitzpatrick et al. study, but steeper than the Cardelli et al. and 1999 Fitzpatrick laws. Star-to-star scatter in β NIR is relatively small (σ(β NIR) = 0.13). We also find no intrinsic correlation between β NIR and R V (there is an apparent correlation that is the result of the correlated uncertainties in the two values). These results hold for typical sightlines; we do not probe very dusty regions near the Galactic Center, nor rare sightlines with R V > 4. Finally, we find R H = 0.345 ± 0.007 and comment on its bearing on Cepheid calibrations and the determination of H 0.

Extreme Variability Quasars in Their Various States. II. Spectral Variation Revealed with Multiepoch Spectra

We previously built a sample of 14,012 extremely variable quasars (EVQs) based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Pan-STARRS1 photometric observations. In this work we present the spectral fitting to their SDSS spectra and study the spectral variation in 1259 EVQs with multiepoch SDSS spectra (after prudently excluding spectra with potentially unreliable spectroscopic photometry). We find a clear “bluer-when-brighter” trend in EVQs, consistent with previous findings of normal quasars and active galactic nuclei. We detect significant intrinsic Baldwin effect (iBeff, i.e., smaller line equivalent width at higher continuum flux in individual active galactic nuclei) in the broad Mg ii and C iv lines of EVQs. Meanwhile, no systematical iBeff is found for the broad Hβ line, which could be attributed to strong host contamination at longer wavelengths. Remarkably, by comparing the iBeff slope of EVQs with archived changing-look quasars, we show that the changing-look quasars identified in the literature are most likely a biased (due to its definition) subpopulation of EVQs, rather than a distinct population of quasars. We also found no significant broad line breathing of Hβ, Mg ii, or C iv, suggesting the broad line breathing in quasars may disappear at longer timescales (∼3000 days).

Unravelling the dust attenuation scaling relations and their evolution

ABSTRACT We explore the dependence of dust attenuation, as traced by the $\rm H_{\alpha }/\rm H_{\beta }$ Balmer decrement, on galactic properties by using a large sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra. We use both partial correlation coefficients and random forest analysis to distinguish those galactic parameters that directly and primarily drive dust attenuation in galaxies, from parameters that are only indirectly correlated through secondary dependencies. We find that, once galactic inclination is controlled for, dust attenuation depends primarily on stellar mass, followed by metallicity and velocity dispersion. Once the dependence on these quantities is taken into account, there is no dependence on the star formation rate. While the dependence on stellar mass and metallicity was expected based on simple analytical equations for the interstellar medium, the dependence on velocity dispersion was not predicted, and we discuss possible scenarios to explain it. We identify a projection of this multidimensional parameters space which minimizes the dispersion in terms of the Balmer decrement and which encapsulates the primary and secondary dependences of the Balmer decrement into a single parameter defined as the reduced mass μ = log M⋆ + 3.67[O/H] + 2.96log (σv/100 km s−1). We show that the dependence of the Balmer decrement on this single parameter also holds at high redshift, suggesting that the processes regulating dust production and distribution do not change significantly through cosmic epochs at least out to z ∼ 2.

J1046+4047: an extremely low-metallicity dwarf star-forming galaxy with O32 = 57

ABSTRACT Using the optical spectrum obtained with the Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectrum, we study the properties of one of the most metal-poor dwarf star-forming galaxies (SFGs) in the local Universe, J1046+4047. The galaxy, with a redshift z = 0.04874, was selected from the Data Release 16 of the SDSS. Its properties are among the most extreme for SFGs in several ways. The oxygen abundance 12 + log(O/H) = 7.082 ± 0.016 in J1046+4047 is among the lowest ever observed. With an absolute magnitude Mg = −16.51 mag, a low stellar mass M⋆ = 1.8 × 106 M⊙, and a very low mass-to-light ratio M⋆/Lg ∼ 0.0029 (in solar units), J1046+4047 has a very high specific star formation rate sSFR ∼ 430 Gyr−1, indicating very active ongoing star formation. Another striking feature of J1046+4047 is that it possesses a ratio O32 = I([O iii] λ5007)/I([O ii] λ3727) ∼ 57. Using this extremely high O32, we have confirmed and improved the strong-line calibration for the determination of oxygen abundances in the most metal-deficient galaxies, in the range 12 + log(O/H) ≲ 7.65. This improved method is applicable for all galaxies with O32 ≤ 60. We find the H α emission line in J1046+4047 to be enhanced by some non-recombination processes and thus cannot be used for the determination of interstellar extinction.

Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Subkiloparsec Active Galactic Nuclei (VODKA): Investigating the Nature of SDSS J0823+2418 at z = 1.81, A Likely Lensed Quasar

Dual quasars at small physical separations are an important precursor phase of galaxy mergers, ultimately leading to the coalescence of the two supermassive black holes. Starting from a sample of dual and/or lensed quasar candidates discovered using astrometric jitter in Gaia data, we present a pilot case study of one of the most promising yet puzzling candidate dual quasars at cosmic noon (z ∼ 1.8). Using multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopy from X-ray to radio, we test whether the SDSS J0823+2418 system is two individual quasars in a bound pair at separation ∼0.″64, or instead a single quasar being gravitationally lensed by a foreground galaxy. We find consistent flux ratios (∼1.25−1.45) between the two sources in optical, near-IR (NIR), UV, and radio, and thus similar spectral energy distributions, suggesting a strong-lensing scenario. However, differences in the radio spectral index, as well as changing X-ray fluxes, hint at either a dual quasar with otherwise nearly identical properties or perhaps lensing-based time lag of ∼3 days paired with intrinsic variability. We find with lens mass modeling that the relative NIR positions and magnitudes of the two quasars and a marginally detected central galaxy are consistent with strong lensing. Archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra likewise suggest a foreground absorber via Mg ii absorption lines. We conclude that SDSS J0823+2418 is likely a lensed quasar, and therefore that the VODKA sample contains a population of these lensed systems (perhaps as high as 50%) as well as dual quasars.

The Eighteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: Targeting and First Spectra from SDSS-V

The eighteenth data release (DR18) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is the first one for SDSS-V, the fifth generation of the survey. SDSS-V comprises three primary scientific programs or “Mappers”: the Milky Way Mapper (MWM), the Black Hole Mapper (BHM), and the Local Volume Mapper. This data release contains extensive targeting information for the two multiobject spectroscopy programs (MWM and BHM), including input catalogs and selection functions for their numerous scientific objectives. We describe the production of the targeting databases and their calibration and scientifically focused components. DR18 also includes ∼25,000 new SDSS spectra and supplemental information for X-ray sources identified by eROSITA in its eFEDS field. We present updates to some of the SDSS software pipelines and preview changes anticipated for DR19. We also describe three value-added catalogs (VACs) based on SDSS-IV data that have been published since DR17, and one VAC based on the SDSS-V data in the eFEDS field.

A Comparison of Outflow Properties in AGN Dwarfs versus Star-forming Dwarfs

Feedback likely plays a crucial role in resolving discrepancies between observations and theoretical predictions of dwarf galaxy properties. Stellar feedback was once believed to be sufficient to explain these discrepancies, but it has thus far failed to fully reconcile theory and observations. The recent discovery of energetic galaxy-wide outflows in dwarf galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) suggests that AGN feedback may have a larger role in the evolution of dwarf galaxies than previously suspected. In order to assess the relative importance of stellar versus AGN feedback in these galaxies, we perform a detailed Keck/KCWI optical integral field spectroscopic study of a sample of low-redshift star-forming (SF) dwarf galaxies that show outflows in ionized gas in their Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra. We characterize the outflows and compare them to observations of AGN-driven outflows in dwarfs. We find that SF dwarfs have outflow components that have comparable widths (W 80) to those of outflows in AGN dwarfs, but are much less blueshifted, indicating that SF dwarfs have significantly slower outflows than their AGN counterparts. Outflows in SF dwarfs are spatially resolved and significantly more extended than those in AGN dwarfs. The mass-loss, momentum, and energy rates of star-formation-driven outflows are much lower than those of AGN-driven outflows. Our results indicate that AGN feedback in the form of gas outflows may play an important role in dwarf galaxies and should be considered along with SF feedback in models of dwarf galaxy evolution.

Abundances of CNO elements in z ∼ 0.3–0.4 Lyman continuum leaking galaxies

ABSTRACT We present observations with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of 11 Lyman continuum (LyC) leaking galaxies at redshifts, z, in the range 0.29–0.43, with oxygen abundances 12+log(O/H) = 7.64–8.16, stellar masses M⋆ ∼ 107.8–109.8 M⊙, and O32 = [O iii] λ5007/[O ii] λ3727 of ∼ 5–20 aiming to detect the C iii] λ1908 emission line. We combine these observations with the optical Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra for the determination of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundances. Our sample was supplemented by 31 galaxies from the literature, for which carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundances can be derived from the HST and SDSS spectra. These additional galaxies, however, do not have LyC observations. We find that log(C/O) for the entire sample at 12+log(O/H) &amp;lt; 8.1 does not depend on metallicity, with a small dispersion of ∼0.13 dex around the average value of ∼−0.75 dex. On the other hand, the log(N/O) in galaxies at z &amp;gt; 0.1, including LyC leakers, is systematically higher compared to the rest of the sample with lower metallicity. We find that log(C/O) slightly decreases with increasing M⋆ from ∼ −0.65 at M⋆ = 106 M⊙ to ∼ −0.80 at M⋆ = 109–1010 M⊙, whereas log(N/O) is considerably enhanced at M⋆ &amp;gt; 108 M⊙. The origin of these trends remains basically unknown. A possible solution would be to assume that the upper mass limit of the stellar initial mass function in more massive galaxies is higher. This would result in a higher production of oxygen and a larger fraction of massive stars with stellar wind polluting the interstellar medium with nitrogen.

DAHe white dwarfs from the DESI Survey

ABSTRACT A new class of white dwarfs, dubbed DAHe, that present Zeeman-split Balmer lines in emission has recently emerged. However, the physical origin of these emission lines remains unclear. We present here a sample of 21 newly identified DAHe systems and determine magnetic field strengths and (for a subset) periods that span the ranges of ≃6.5–147 MG and ≃0.4–36 h, respectively. All but four of these systems were identified from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey sample of more than 47 000 white dwarf candidates observed during its first year of observations. We present detailed analysis of the new DAHe WD J161634.36+541011.51 with a spin period of 95.3 min, which exhibits an anticorrelation between broad-band flux and Balmer line strength that is typically observed for this class of systems. All DAHe systems cluster closely on the Gaia Hertzsprung–Russell diagram where they represent ≃1 per cent of white dwarfs within that region. This grouping further solidifies their unexplained emergence at relatively late cooling times and we discuss this in context of current formation theories. Nine of the new DAHe systems are identifiable from Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra of white dwarfs that had been previously classified as featureless DC-type systems. We suggest high-S/N (signal-to-noise ratios), unbiased observations of DCs as a possible route for discovering additional DAHe systems.

Data-driven selection and spectral classification of white dwarf stars

ABSTRACT The next generation of spectroscopic surveys is expected to provide spectra for hundreds of thousands of white dwarf (WD) candidates in the upcoming years. Currently, spectroscopic classification of white dwarfs is mostly done by visual inspection, requiring substantial amounts of expert attention. We propose a data-driven pipeline for fast, automatic selection, and spectroscopic classification of WD candidates, trained using spectroscopically confirmed objects with available Gaia astrometry, photometry, and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra with signal-to-noise ratios ≥9. The pipeline selects WD candidates with improved accuracy and completeness over existing algorithms, classifies their primary spectroscopic type with ${\gtrsim}90\ \hbox{per cent}$ accuracy, and spectroscopically detects main sequence companions with similar performance. We apply our pipeline to the Gaia Data Release 3 cross-matched with the SDSS Data Release 17 (DR17), identifying 424 096 high-confidence WD candidates and providing the first catalogue of automated and quantifiable classification for 36 523 WD spectra. Both the catalogue and pipeline are made available online. Such a tool will prove particularly useful for the undergoing SDSS-V survey, allowing for rapid classification of thousands of spectra at every data release.

A New Physical Picture for Active Galactic Nuclei Lacking Optical Emission Lines

In this work, we use ∼500 low-redshift (z ∼ 0.1) X-ray active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed by XMM-Newton and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to investigate the prevalence and nature of AGNs that apparently lack optical emission lines (“optically dull AGNs”). Although one quarter of spectra appear absorption-line dominated in visual assessment, line extraction with robust continuum subtraction from the MPA/JHU catalog reveals usable [O iii] measurements in 98% of the sample, allowing us to study [O iii]-underluminous AGNs together with more typical AGNs in the context of the L [O III]–L X relation. We find that “optically dull AGNs” do not constitute a distinct population of AGNs. Instead, they are the [O iii]-underluminous tail of a single, unimodal L [O III]–L X relation that has substantial scatter (0.6 dex). We find the degree to which an AGN is underluminous in [O iii] correlates with the specific star formation rate or D 4000 index of the host, which are both linked to the molecular gas fraction. Thus the emerging physical picture for the large scatter seems to involve the gas content of the narrow-line region. We find no significant role for previously proposed scenarios for the presence of optically dull AGNs, such as host dilution or dust obscuration. Despite occasionally weak lines in SDSS spectra, >80% of X-ray AGNs are identified as such with the Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagram. More than 90% are classified as AGNs based only on [N ii]/Hα, providing more complete AGN samples when [O iii] or Hβ are weak. X-ray AGNs with LINER spectra obey essentially the same L [O III]–L X relation as Seyfert 2s, suggesting their line emission is produced by AGN activity.

SDSS J134441.83+204408.3: A Highly Asynchronous Short-period Magnetic Cataclysmic Variable with a 56 MG Field Strength

When the accreting white dwarf in a magnetic cataclysmic variable star (mCV) has a field strength in excess of 10 MG, it is expected to synchronize its rotational frequency to the binary orbit frequency, particularly at small binary separations, due to the steep radial dependence of the magnetic field. We report the discovery of an mCV (SDSS J134441.83+204408.3, hereafter J1344) that defies this expectation by displaying asynchronous rotation (P spin/P orb = 0.893) in spite of a high surface field strength (B = 56 MG) and a short orbital period (114 minutes). Previously misidentified as a synchronously rotating mCV, J1344 was observed by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite during sector 50, and the resulting power spectrum shows distinct spin and orbital frequencies, along with various sidebands and harmonics. Although there are several other asynchronous mCVs at short orbital periods, the presence of cyclotron humps in J1344's Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectrum makes it possible to directly measure the field strength in the cyclotron-emitting region, and while a previously study estimated 65 MG based on its identification of two cyclotron humps, we revise this to 56 ± 2 MG based on the detection of a third hump and on our modeling of the cyclotron spectrum. Short-period mCVs with field strengths above 10 MG are normally expected to be synchronous, so the highly asynchronous rotation in J1344 presents an interesting challenge for theoretical studies of spin-period evolution.

Nature of the galaxies on top of quasars producing Mg ii absorption

ABSTRACT Quasar–galaxy pairs at small separations are important probes of gas flows in the disc–halo interface in galaxies. We study host galaxies of 198 Mg ii absorbers at 0.39 ≤ zabs ≤ 1.05 that show detectable nebular emission lines in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. We report measurements of impact parameter (5.9 ≤ D [kpc] ≤ 16.9) and absolute B-band magnitude (−18.7 ≤ MB ≤ −22.3 mag) of host galaxies of 74 of these absorbers using multiband images from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Survey, more than doubling the number of known host galaxies with D ≤ 17 kpc. This has allowed us to quantify the relationship between Mg ii rest equivalent width (W2796) and D, with best-fitting parameters of W2796 (D = 0) = 3.44 ± 0.20 Å and an exponential scale length of 21.6$^{+2.41}_{-1.97}\, \mathrm{ kpc}$. We find a significant anticorrelation between MB and D, and MB and W2796, consistent with the brighter galaxies producing stronger Mg ii absorption. We use stacked images to detect average emissions from galaxies in the full sample. Using these images and stacked spectra, we derive the mean stellar mass (9.4 ≤ log(M*/M⊙) ≤ 9.8), star formation rate (2.3 ≤ SFR [M⊙ yr−1] ≤ 4.5), age (2.5–4 Gyr), metallicity (12 + log(O/H) ∼ 8.3), and ionization parameter (log q [cm s−1] ∼ 7.7) for these galaxies. The average M* found is less than that of Mg ii absorbers studied in the literature. The average SFR and metallicity inferred are consistent with that expected in the main sequence and the known stellar mass–metallicity relation, respectively. High spatial resolution follow-up spectroscopic and imaging observations of this sample are imperative for probing gas flows close to the star-forming regions of high-z galaxies.

The miniJPAS Survey: Detection of the double-core Lyα morphology for two high-redshift QSOs

Context. The Lyα emission is an important tracer of neutral gas in a circum-galactic medium (CGM) around high-z quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). The origin of Lyα emission around QSOs is still under debate, bringing on significant implications for galaxy formation and evolution. Aims. In this paper, we study Lyα nebulae around two high redshift QSOs, SDSS J141935.58+525710.7 at z = 3.218 (hereafter QSO1) and SDSS J141813.40+525240.4 at z = 3.287 (hereafter QSO2), from the miniJPAS survey within the All-wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS) field. Methods. Using the contiguous narrow-band (NB) images from the miniJPAS survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra, we analyzed their morphology, nature, and origin. Results. We report the serendipitous detection of double-core Lyα morphology around two QSOs, which is rarely seen among other QSOs. The separations of the two Lyα cores are 11.07 ± 2.26 kpcs (1.47 ± 0.3″) and 9.73 ± 1.55 kpcs (1.31 ± 0.21″), with Lyα line luminosities of ∼3.35 × 1044 erg s−1 and ∼6.99 × 1044 erg s −1 for QSO1 and QSO2, respectively. The miniJPAS NB images show evidence of extended Lyα and CIV morphology for both QSOs and extended HeII morphology for QSO1. Conclusions. These two QSOs may be potential candidates for the new enormous Lyman alpha nebula (ELAN) found from the miniJPAS survey due to their extended morphology in the shallow depth and relatively high Lyα luminosities. We suggest that galactic outflows are the major powering mechanism for the double-core Lyα morphology. Considering the relatively shallow exposures of miniJPAS, the objects found here could merely form the cusp of a promising number of such objects that will be uncovered in the upcoming full Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerated Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) survey and deep integral field units (IFU) observations with 8–10 m telescopes will be essential for constraining the underlying physical mechanism that is responsible for the double-cored morphology.

Transient Radio Emission from Low-redshift Galaxies at z < 0.3 Revealed by the VLASS and FIRST Surveys

We present the discovery of a sample of 18 low-redshift (z < 0.3) galaxies with transient nuclear radio emission. These galaxies are not detected or are weakly detected in the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty cm survey, performed from 1993–2009, but have brightened significantly in radio flux (by a factor of ≳5) in the epoch I (2017–2019) observations of the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS). All 18 galaxies have been detected in VLASS epoch II observations, from 2020–2021, from which the radio flux has been found to evolve slowly (with variability amplitudes of ≳40%) over a period of about 3 yr. 15 galaxies have been observed in the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey, and a flat or inverted spectral slope between 888 MHz and 3 GHz is found. Based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra taken before the radio brightening, 14 of the 18 galaxies can be classified as LINERs or normal galaxies with weak or no nuclear activity. Most galaxies are red and massive, with more than half having central black hole masses above 108M⊙. We find that only one galaxy in our sample displays an optical flare lasting for at least two months, with a long decay in the infrared light curve that can be explained as the dust-heated echo emission of a central optical flare, such as a stellar tidal disruption event. We discuss several possibilities for the transient radio emission and conclude that it is likely associated with a newborn radio jet triggered by short sporadic fueling of a supermassive black hole. Such a scenario can be tested with further multifrequency radio observations of these sources, via measuring their radio flux variability and spectral evolution.