Imaging Spectroscopy of Ionized Gaseous Nebulae around Optically Faint AGNs at Redshift z ∼ 2

David R. Law; Charles C. Steidel; Yuguang Chen; Allison L. Strom; Gwen C. Rudie; Ryan F. Trainor

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aae156

Imaging Spectroscopy of Ionized Gaseous Nebulae around Optically Faint AGNs at Redshift z ∼ 2

David R. Law, Charles C. Steidel, Yuguang Chen, Allison L. Strom, Gwen C. Rudie, Ryan F. Trainor

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present Keck/OSIRIS laser guide-star assisted adaptive optics (LGSAO) integral-field spectroscopy of [O iii] λ5007 nebular emission from 12 galaxies hosting optically faint ( = 20-25; erg s^-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshift z ∼ 2-3. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) rest-frame optical imaging, Keck/MOSFIRE rest-optical spectroscopy, and Keck/KCWI rest-UV integral-field spectroscopy, we demonstrate that both the continuum and emission-line structures of these sources exhibit a wide range of morphologies, from compact, isolated point sources to double-AGN merging systems with extensive ∼50 kpc tidal tails. One of the 12 galaxies previously known to exhibit a proximate damped Lyα system coincident in redshift with the galaxy shows evidence for both an extended [O iii] narrow-line emission region and spatially offset Lyα emission (with morphologically distinct blueshifted and redshifted components) indicative of large-scale gas flows photoionized by the central AGN. We do not find widespread evidence of star formation in the host galaxies surrounding these AGNs; the [O iii] velocity dispersions tend to be high (σ = 100-500 ), the continuum morphologies are much more compact than a mass-matched star-forming comparison sample, and the diagnostic nebular emission-line ratios are dominated by an AGN-like ionizing spectrum. The sample is most consistent with a population of AGNs that radiate at approximately their Eddington limit and photoionize extended [O iii] nebulae whose characteristic sizes scale approximately as the square root of the AGN luminosity.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	119
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	866
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aae156
State	Published - Oct 20 2018

Keywords

galaxies: active
galaxies: fundamental parameters
galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: structure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4357/aae156

Cite this

@article{02ff01e3b3224a4ca247d235ba6773f9,

title = "Imaging Spectroscopy of Ionized Gaseous Nebulae around Optically Faint AGNs at Redshift z ∼ 2",

abstract = "We present Keck/OSIRIS laser guide-star assisted adaptive optics (LGSAO) integral-field spectroscopy of [O iii] λ5007 nebular emission from 12 galaxies hosting optically faint ( = 20-25; erg s-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshift z ∼ 2-3. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) rest-frame optical imaging, Keck/MOSFIRE rest-optical spectroscopy, and Keck/KCWI rest-UV integral-field spectroscopy, we demonstrate that both the continuum and emission-line structures of these sources exhibit a wide range of morphologies, from compact, isolated point sources to double-AGN merging systems with extensive ∼50 kpc tidal tails. One of the 12 galaxies previously known to exhibit a proximate damped Lyα system coincident in redshift with the galaxy shows evidence for both an extended [O iii] narrow-line emission region and spatially offset Lyα emission (with morphologically distinct blueshifted and redshifted components) indicative of large-scale gas flows photoionized by the central AGN. We do not find widespread evidence of star formation in the host galaxies surrounding these AGNs; the [O iii] velocity dispersions tend to be high (σ = 100-500 ), the continuum morphologies are much more compact than a mass-matched star-forming comparison sample, and the diagnostic nebular emission-line ratios are dominated by an AGN-like ionizing spectrum. The sample is most consistent with a population of AGNs that radiate at approximately their Eddington limit and photoionize extended [O iii] nebulae whose characteristic sizes scale approximately as the square root of the AGN luminosity.",

keywords = "galaxies: active, galaxies: fundamental parameters, galaxies: high-redshift, galaxies: structure",

author = "Law, {David R.} and Steidel, {Charles C.} and Yuguang Chen and Strom, {Allison L.} and Rudie, {Gwen C.} and Trainor, {Ryan F.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Alice Shapley, Dawn Erb, Naveen Reddy, and Max Pettini for their participation in early KBSS observations, particularly the near-IR and Spitzer mid-IR photometry and the Keck/LRIS spectroscopic campaign. D.R.L. also thanks Alice Shapley for assistance with early OSIRIS observations and Jay Anderson for assistance with PSF subtraction of the Q2343-BX415 HST imaging and appreciates productive conversations with Tim Heckman, Nadia Zakamska, and the STScI AGN Reading Group. This work includes observations taken by the CANDELS Multi-Cycle Treasury Program and the 3D-HST Treasury Program (GO 12177 and 12328) with the NASA/ESA HST, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Finally, we wish to extend thanks to those of Hawaiian ancestry on whose sacred mountain we are privileged to be guests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..",

year = "2018",

month = oct,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/aae156",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "866",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Imaging Spectroscopy of Ionized Gaseous Nebulae around Optically Faint AGNs at Redshift z ∼ 2

AU - Law, David R.

AU - Steidel, Charles C.

AU - Chen, Yuguang

AU - Strom, Allison L.

AU - Rudie, Gwen C.

AU - Trainor, Ryan F.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Alice Shapley, Dawn Erb, Naveen Reddy, and Max Pettini for their participation in early KBSS observations, particularly the near-IR and Spitzer mid-IR photometry and the Keck/LRIS spectroscopic campaign. D.R.L. also thanks Alice Shapley for assistance with early OSIRIS observations and Jay Anderson for assistance with PSF subtraction of the Q2343-BX415 HST imaging and appreciates productive conversations with Tim Heckman, Nadia Zakamska, and the STScI AGN Reading Group. This work includes observations taken by the CANDELS Multi-Cycle Treasury Program and the 3D-HST Treasury Program (GO 12177 and 12328) with the NASA/ESA HST, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Finally, we wish to extend thanks to those of Hawaiian ancestry on whose sacred mountain we are privileged to be guests. Publisher Copyright: © 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

PY - 2018/10/20

Y1 - 2018/10/20

N2 - We present Keck/OSIRIS laser guide-star assisted adaptive optics (LGSAO) integral-field spectroscopy of [O iii] λ5007 nebular emission from 12 galaxies hosting optically faint ( = 20-25; erg s-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshift z ∼ 2-3. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) rest-frame optical imaging, Keck/MOSFIRE rest-optical spectroscopy, and Keck/KCWI rest-UV integral-field spectroscopy, we demonstrate that both the continuum and emission-line structures of these sources exhibit a wide range of morphologies, from compact, isolated point sources to double-AGN merging systems with extensive ∼50 kpc tidal tails. One of the 12 galaxies previously known to exhibit a proximate damped Lyα system coincident in redshift with the galaxy shows evidence for both an extended [O iii] narrow-line emission region and spatially offset Lyα emission (with morphologically distinct blueshifted and redshifted components) indicative of large-scale gas flows photoionized by the central AGN. We do not find widespread evidence of star formation in the host galaxies surrounding these AGNs; the [O iii] velocity dispersions tend to be high (σ = 100-500 ), the continuum morphologies are much more compact than a mass-matched star-forming comparison sample, and the diagnostic nebular emission-line ratios are dominated by an AGN-like ionizing spectrum. The sample is most consistent with a population of AGNs that radiate at approximately their Eddington limit and photoionize extended [O iii] nebulae whose characteristic sizes scale approximately as the square root of the AGN luminosity.

AB - We present Keck/OSIRIS laser guide-star assisted adaptive optics (LGSAO) integral-field spectroscopy of [O iii] λ5007 nebular emission from 12 galaxies hosting optically faint ( = 20-25; erg s-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshift z ∼ 2-3. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) rest-frame optical imaging, Keck/MOSFIRE rest-optical spectroscopy, and Keck/KCWI rest-UV integral-field spectroscopy, we demonstrate that both the continuum and emission-line structures of these sources exhibit a wide range of morphologies, from compact, isolated point sources to double-AGN merging systems with extensive ∼50 kpc tidal tails. One of the 12 galaxies previously known to exhibit a proximate damped Lyα system coincident in redshift with the galaxy shows evidence for both an extended [O iii] narrow-line emission region and spatially offset Lyα emission (with morphologically distinct blueshifted and redshifted components) indicative of large-scale gas flows photoionized by the central AGN. We do not find widespread evidence of star formation in the host galaxies surrounding these AGNs; the [O iii] velocity dispersions tend to be high (σ = 100-500 ), the continuum morphologies are much more compact than a mass-matched star-forming comparison sample, and the diagnostic nebular emission-line ratios are dominated by an AGN-like ionizing spectrum. The sample is most consistent with a population of AGNs that radiate at approximately their Eddington limit and photoionize extended [O iii] nebulae whose characteristic sizes scale approximately as the square root of the AGN luminosity.

KW - galaxies: active

KW - galaxies: fundamental parameters

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - galaxies: structure

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U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/aae156

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/aae156

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85055561224

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 866

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 119

ER -

Imaging Spectroscopy of Ionized Gaseous Nebulae around Optically Faint AGNs at Redshift z ∼ 2

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