Sub Sun Research Articles

RESOLVING THE DYNAMICAL MASS OF A z {approx} 1.3 QUASI-STELLAR OBJECT HOST GALAXY USING SINFONI AND LASER GUIDE STAR ASSISTED ADAPTIVE OPTICS

Recent studies of the tight scaling relations between the masses of supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies have suggested that in the past BHs constituted a larger fraction of their host galaxies' mass. However, these arguments are limited by selection effects and difficulties in determining robust host galaxy masses at high redshifts. Here we report the first results of a new, complementary diagnostic route: we directly determine a dynamical host galaxy mass for the z = 1.3 luminous quasar J090543.56+043347.3 through high spatial resolution (0.''47, 4 kpc FWHM) observations of the host galaxy gas kinematics over 30 x 40 kpc using the European Southern Observatory/Very Large Telescope/SINFONI with laser guide star adaptive optics. Combining our result of M{sub dyn} = 2.05{sup +1.68}{sub -0.74} x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun} (within a radius 5.25 {+-} 1.05 kpc) with M{sub BH,MgII} = 9.02 {+-} 1.43 x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, M{sub BH,H{alpha}} = 2.83{sup +1.93}{sub -1.13} x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, we find that the ratio of BH mass to host galaxy dynamical mass for J090543.56+043347.3 matches the present-day relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}, well within the IR scatter, and deviating at most by a factor of two frommore » the mean. J090543.56+043347.3 displays clear signs of an ongoing tidal interaction and of spatially extended star formation at a rate of 50-100 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, above the cosmic average for a galaxy of this mass and redshift. We argue that its subsequent evolution may move J090543.56+043347.3 even closer to the z = 0 relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}. Our results support the picture in which any substantive evolution in these relations must occur prior to z {approx} 1.3. Having demonstrated the power of this modeling approach, we are currently analyzing similar data on seven further objects to better constrain such evolution.« less

THE WYOMING SURVEY FOR H{alpha}. II. H{alpha} LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS AT z{approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, AND 0.40

The Wyoming Survey for H{alpha}, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based imaging survey for H{alpha}-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z {approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40. The survey spans up to 4 deg{sup 2} in a set of fields of low Galactic cirrus emission, using twin narrowband filters at each epoch for improved stellar continuum subtraction. H{alpha} luminosity functions are presented for each {delta}z {approx} 0.02 epoch based on a total of nearly 1200 galaxies. These data clearly show an evolution with look-back time in the volume-averaged cosmic star formation rate. Integrals of Schechter fits to the incompleteness- and extinction-corrected H{alpha} luminosity functions indicate star formation rates per comoving volume of 0.010, 0.013, 0.020, 0.022 h {sub 70} M {sub sun} yr{sup -1} Mpc{sup -3} at z {approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40, respectively. Combined statistical and systematic measurement uncertainties are on the order of 25%, while the effects of cosmic variance are at the 20% level. The bulk of this evolution is driven by changes in the characteristic luminosity L {sub *} of the H{alpha} luminosity functions, with L {sub *} for the earlier two epochs being a factor of 2 larger than L {sub *} at the lattermore » two epochs; it is more difficult with this data set to decipher systematic evolutionary differences in the luminosity function amplitude and faint-end slope. Coupling these results with a comprehensive compilation of results from the literature on emission line surveys, the evolution in the cosmic star formation rate density over 0 {approx}< z {approx}< 1.5 is measured.« less

THE REDSHIFT SEARCH RECEIVER OBSERVATIONS OF {sup 12}CO J = 1 {yields} 0 IN 29 ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We present {sup 12} CO J = 1 {yields} 0 observations of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) obtained using the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the 14 m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory. The RSR is a novel, dual-beam, dual-polarization receiver equipped with an ultra-wideband spectrometer backend that is being built as a facility receiver for the Large Millimeter Telescope. Our sample consists of 29 ULIRGs in the redshift range of 0.04-0.11, including 10 objects with no prior {sup 12} CO measurements. We have detected 27 systems (a detection rate of 93%), including 9 ULIRGs that are detected in CO for the first time. Our study has increased the number of local ULIRGs with CO measurements by {approx}15%. The CO line luminosity L'{sub CO}, correlates well with far-infrared luminosity L {sub FIR}, following the general trend of other local ULIRGs. However, compared to previous surveys we probe deeper into the low CO luminosity end of the ULIRG population as a single study by including a number of CO faint objects in the sample. As a result, we find (1) a smoother transition between the ULIRG population and local quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in L {sub FIR}-L'{sub CO} ('star formationmore » efficiency') space, and (2) a broader range of L {sub FIR}/L'{sub CO} flux ratio ({approx} 60-10{sup 3} L {sub sun}/(K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2})) than previously reported. In our new survey, we also have found a small number of ULIRGs with extreme L {sub FIR}/L'{sub CO}, which had been known to be rare. The mid-IR color and radio-excess of 56 local ULIRGs as a function of FIR-to-CO flux ratio is examined and compared with those of spirals/starburst galaxies and low-z QSOs. In this paper, using a large sample of local ULIRGs we explore the origin of their current power source and potential evolution to QSOs.« less

NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF SDSS J0303 - 0019: A LOW-LUMINOSITY, HIGH-EDDINGTON-RATIO QUASAR AT z {approx} 6

We present sensitive near-infrared (NIR) VLT ISAAC spectroscopic observations of the z = 6.08 quasar SDSS J030331.40-001912.9. This quasi-stellar object (QSO) is more than a magnitude fainter than other QSOs at z {approx} 6 for which NIR spectroscopy has been obtained to date and is therefore presumably more representative of the QSO population at the end of cosmic reionization. Combining rest-frame UV continuum luminosity with the width measurements of the Mg II and C IV lines, we derive a black hole mass of 2{sup +1.0} {sub -0.5} x 10{sup 8} M {sub sun}, the lowest mass observed for z {approx} 6 QSOs to date, and derive an Eddington ratio of 1.6{sup +0.4} {sub -0.6}, among the highest value derived for QSOs at any redshift. The Spitzer 24 {mu}m nondetection of this QSO does not leave space for a significant hot dust component in its optical/NIR spectral energy distribution, in common with one other faint QSO at z = 6, but in contrast to more than 20 more z = 6 QSOs and all known lower redshift QSOs with sufficiently deep multiwavelength photometry. We conclude that we have found evidence for differences in the intrinsic properties of at least one z more » {approx} 6 QSO as compared to the lower redshift population. « less

HOST GALAXIES OF LUMINOUS TYPE 2 QUASARS AT z {approx} 0.5

We present deep Gemini GMOS optical spectroscopy of nine luminous quasars at redshifts z {approx} 0.5, drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey type 2 quasar sample. Our targets were selected to have high intrinsic luminosities (M{sub V} 1 Gyr) which dominates the stellar mass. Broad emission complexes around He II {lambda}4686 A with luminosities up to 10{sup 8.3} L{sub sun} are unambiguously detected in three out of themore » nine targets, indicative of Wolf-Rayet (WR) populations. Population synthesis shows that {approx}5 Myr poststarburst populations contribute substantially to the luminosities (>50% of L{sub 5100}) of all three objects with WR detections. We find two objects with double cores and four with close companions. Our results may suggest that luminous type 2 quasars trace an early stage of galaxy interaction, perhaps responsible for both the quasar and the starburst activity.« less