The WISSH quasars project: IX. Cold gas content and environment of luminous QSOs at z ~2.4-4.7

Bischetti, M. ; Feruglio, C. ; Piconcelli, E. ; Duras, F. ; Perez-Torres, M. ; Herrero, R. ; Venturi, G. ; Carniani, S. ; Bruni, G. ; Gavignaud, I. ; Testa, V. ; Bongiorno, A. ; Brusa, M. ; Circosta, C. ; Cresci, G. ; D'Odorico, V. ; Maiolino, R. ; Marconi, A. ; Mingozzi, M. ; Pappalardo, C. ; Perna, M. ; Traianou, E. ; Travascio, A. ; Vietri, G. ; Zappacosta, L. ; Fiore, F.

Resumen: Context. Sources at the brightest end of the quasi-stellar object (QSO) luminosity function, during the peak epoch in the history of star formation and black hole accretion (z  ∼  2-4, often referred to as "Cosmic noon") are privileged sites to study the cycle of feeding & feedback processes in massive galaxies.
Aims. We aim to perform the first systematic study of cold gas properties in the most luminous QSOs, by characterising their host-galaxies and environment. These targets exhibit indeed widespread evidence of outflows at nuclear and galactic scales. Methods. We analyse ALMA, NOEMA and JVLA observations of the far-infrared continuum, CO and [CII] emission lines in eight QSOs (bolometric luminosity LBol ≳  3  ×  1047 erg s-1) from the WISE-SDSS selected hyper-luminous (WISSH) QSOs sample at z  ∼  2.4-4.7.
Results. We report a 100% emission line detection rate and a 80% detection rate in continuum emission, and we find CO emission to be consistent with the steepest CO ladders observed so far. Sub-millimetre data reveal presence of (one or more) bright companion galaxies around ∼80% of WISSH QSOs, at projected distances of ∼6-130 kpc. We observe a variety of sizes for the molecular gas reservoirs (∼1.7-10 kpc), mostly associated with rotating disks with disturbed kinematics. WISSH QSOs typically show lower CO luminosity and higher star formation efficiency than infrared matched, z  ∼  0-3 main-sequence galaxies, implying that, given the observed SFR ∼170-1100 M⊙ yr-1, molecular gas is converted into stars in ≲ 50 Myr. Most targets show extreme dynamical to black-hole mass ratios Mdyn/MBH  ∼  3-10, two orders of magnitude smaller than local relations. The molecular gas fraction in the host-galaxies of WISSH is lower by a factor of ∼10-100 than in star forming galaxies with similar M∗.
Conclusions. Our analysis reveals that hyper-luminous QSOs at Cosmic noon undergo an intense growth phase of both the central super-massive black hole and of the host-galaxy. These systems pinpoint the high-density sites where giant galaxies assemble, where we show that mergers play a major role in the build-up of the final host-galaxy mass. We suggest that the observed low molecular gas fraction and short depletion timescale are due to AGN feedback, whose presence is indicated by fast AGN-driven ionised outflows in all our targets.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202039057

Año: 2021

Publicado en: Astronomy and Astrophysics 645 (2021), A33 [21 pp]
ISSN: 0004-6361

Factor impacto JCR: 6.24 (2021)

Categ. JCR: ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS rank: 12 / 69 = 0.174 (2021) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 9.9 - Earth and Planetary Sciences (Q1) - Physics and Astronomy (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.918 - Space and Planetary Science (Q1) - Astronomy and Astrophysics (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCI-AEI-FEDER/PGC2018-098915-B-C21

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Astronomía y Astrofísica (Dpto. Física Teórica)