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Akio K. Inoue

Publications and source records attributed to Akio K. Inoue.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2023

Similarity between compact extremely red objects discovered with JWST in cosmic dawn and blue-excess dust-obscured galaxies known in cosmic noon

Spatially compact objects with extremely red color in the rest-frame optical to near-infrared (0.4--1 ${\rm μm}$) and blue color in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV; 0.2--0.4 ${\rm μm}$) have been discovered at $5 < z < 9$ using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These extremely red objects (JWST-EROs) exhibit spectral energy distributions (SEDs) that are difficult to explain using a single component of either star-forming galaxies or quasars, leading to two-component models in which the blue UV and extremely red optical are explained using less-dusty and dusty spectra of galaxies or quasars, respectively. Here, we report the remarkable similarity in SEDs between JWST-EROs and blue-excess dust-obscured galaxies (BluDOGs) identified at $2 < z < 3$. BluDOGs are a population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with blackhole masses of $\sim10^{8-9}$ M$_\odot$, which are one order of magnitude larger than those in some JWST-EROs. The Eddington ratios of BluDOGs are one or higher, whereas those of JWST-EROs are in the range of 0.1--1. Therefore, JWST-EROs are less massive, less active, and more common counterparts in higher-$z$ of BluDOGs in cosmic noon. Conversely, JWST-EROs have a significantly higher fraction of those with blue-excess than DOGs. We present the average UV spectra of BluDOGs as a comparison to JWST-EROs and discuss a coherent evolutionary scenario for dusty AGN populations.

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arXiv2023

Molecular outflow in the reionization-epoch quasar J2054-0005 revealed by OH 119 $μ$m observations

Molecular outflows are expected to play a key role in galaxy evolution at high redshift. To study the impact of outflows on star formation at the epoch of reionization, we performed sensitive ALMA observations of OH 119 $μ$m toward J2054-0005, a luminous quasar at $z=6.04$. The OH line is detected and exhibits a P-Cygni profile that can be fitted with a broad blue-shifted absorption component, providing unambiguous evidence of an outflow, and an emission component at near-systemic velocity. The mean and terminal outflow velocities are estimated to be $v_\mathrm{out}\approx670~\mathrm{km~s}^{-1}$ and $1500~\mathrm{km~s}^{-1}$, respectively, making the molecular outflow in this quasar one of the fastest at the epoch of reionization. The OH line is marginally spatially resolved for the first time in a quasar at $z>6$, revealing that the outflow extends over the central 2 kpc region. The mass outflow rate is comparable to the star formation rate ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{out}/\mathrm{SFR}\sim2$), indicating rapid ($\sim10^7~\mathrm{yr}$) quenching of star formation. The mass outflow rate in a sample star-forming galaxies and quasars at $4<z<6.4$ exhibits a positive correlation with the total infrared luminosity, although the scatter is large. Owing to the high outflow velocity, a large fraction (up to $\sim50\%$) of the outflowing molecular gas may be able to escape from the host galaxy into the intergalactic medium.

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arXiv2023

Constraint on the event rate of general relativistic instability supernovae from the early JWST deep field data

General relativistic instability supernovae at ~10 < z < ~15 are predicted to be observed as red faint point sources, and they can be detected only in the reddest filters in JWST/NIRCam (F444W and F356W). They should be observed as persistent point sources with little flux variations for a couple of decades because of time dilation. We search for static point sources detected only in the F444W filter or only in the F444W and F356W filters in the early JWST deep field data. No real point source of such kind is identified. Therefore, the general relativistic instability supernova rate at ~10 < z < ~15 is constrained to be less than ~ 8e-7 Mpc-3 yr-1 for the first time.

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arXiv2023

Reionization and the ISM/Stellar Origins with JWST and ALMA (RIOJA): The core of the highest redshift galaxy overdensity at $z = 7.88$ confirmed by NIRSpec/JWST

The protoclusters in the epoch of reionization, traced by galaxies overdensity regions, are ideal laboratories for studying the process of stellar assembly and cosmic reionization. We present the spectroscopic confirmation of the core of the most distant protocluster at $z = 7.88$, A2744-z7p9OD, with the James Webb Space Telescope NIRSpec integral field unit spectroscopy. The core region includes as many as 4 galaxies detected in [OIII] 4960 Å and 5008 Å in a small area of $\sim 3\arcsec \times 3\arcsec$, corresponding to $\sim$ 11 kpc $\times$ 11 kpc, after the lensing magnification correction. Three member galaxies are also tentatively detected in dust continuum in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6, which is consistent with their red ultraviolet continuum slopes, $β\sim -1.3$. The member galaxies have stellar masses in the range of log($M_{*}/M_{\rm \odot}$) $\sim 7.6-9.2$ and star formation rates of $\sim 3-50$ $M_{\rm \odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, showing a diversity in their properties. FirstLight cosmological simulations reproduce the physical properties of the member galaxies including the stellar mass, [OIII] luminosity, and dust-to-stellar mass ratio, and predict that the member galaxies are on the verge of merging in a few to several tens Myr to become a large galaxy with $M_{\rm *}\sim 6\times10^{9} M_{\rm \odot}$. The presence of a multiple merger and evolved galaxies in the core region of A2744-z7p9OD indicates that environmental effects are already at work 650 Myr after the Big Bang.

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arXiv2023

SILVERRUSH. XIII. A Catalog of 20,567 Ly$α$ Emitters at $z=2-7$ Identified in the Full-depth Data of the Subaru/HSC-SSP and CHORUS Surveys

We present 20,567 Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) at $z=2.2-7.3$ that are photometrically identified by the SILVERRUSH program in a large survey area up to 25 deg$^2$ with deep images of five broadband filters (grizy) and seven narrowband filters targeting Ly$α$ lines at $z=2.2$, $3.3$, $4.9$, $5.7$, $6.6$, $7.0$, and $7.3$ taken by the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) and the Cosmic HydrOgen Reionization Unveiled with Subaru (CHORUS) survey. We select secure $>5σ$ sources showing narrowband color excesses via Ly$α$ break screening, taking into account the spatial inhomogeneity of limiting magnitudes. After removing spurious sources by careful masking and visual inspection of coadded and multi-epoch images obtained over the 7 yr of the surveys, we construct LAE samples consisting of 6995, 4641, 726, 6124, 2058, 18, and 5 LAEs at $z=2.2$, 3.3, 4.9, 5.7, 6.6, 7.0, and 7.3, respectively, although the $z=7.3$ candidates are tentative. Our LAE catalogs contain 241 spectroscopically confirmed LAEs at the expected redshifts from previous work. We demonstrate that the number counts of our LAEs are consistent with previous studies with similar LAE selection criteria. The LAE catalogs will be made public on our project webpage with detailed descriptions of the content and ancillary information about the masks and limiting magnitudes.

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arXiv2023

The 300 pc resolution imaging of a z = 8.31 galaxy: Turbulent ionized gas and potential stellar feedback 600 million years after the Big Bang

We present the results of 300 pc resolution ALMA imaging of the [OIII] 88 $μ$m line and dust continuum emission from a $z = 8.312$ Lyman break galaxy MACS0416_Y1. The velocity-integrated [OIII] emission has three peaks which are likely associated with three young stellar clumps of MACS0416_Y1, while the channel map shows a complicated velocity structure with little indication of a global velocity gradient unlike what was found in [CII] 158 $μ$m at a larger scale, suggesting random bulk motion of ionized gas clouds inside the galaxy. In contrast, dust emission appears as two individual clumps apparently separating or bridging the [OIII]/stellar clumps. The cross correlation coefficient between dust and ultraviolet-related emission (i.e., [OIII] and ultraviolet continuum) is unity on a galactic scale, while it drops at < 1 kpc, suggesting well mixed geometry of multi-phase interstellar media on sub-kpc scales. If the cutoff scale characterizes different stages of star formation, the cutoff scale can be explained by gravitational instability of turbulent gas. We also report on a kpc-scale off-center cavity embedded in the dust continuum image. This could be a superbubble producing galactic-scale outflows, since the energy injection from the 4 Myr starburst suggested by a spectral energy distribution analysis is large enough to push the surrounding media creating a kpc-scale cavity.

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arXiv2023

Big Three Dragons: Molecular Gas in a Bright Lyman-Break Galaxy at $z=7.15$

We report ALMA Band 3 observations of CO(6-5), CO(7-6), and [CI](2-1) in B14-65666 (``Big Three Dragons''), one of the brightest Lyman-Break Galaxies at $z>7$ in the rest-frame ultraviolet continuum, far-infrared continuum, and emission lines of [OIII] 88 $μ$m and [CII] 158 $μ$m. CO(6-5), CO(7-6), and [CI](2-1), whose $3σ$ upper limits on the luminosities are approximately 40 times fainter than the [CII] luminosity, are all not detected. The $L_{\rm [CII]}$/$L_{\rm CO(6-5)}$ and $L_{\rm [CII]}$/$L_{\rm CO(7-6)}$ ratios are higher than the typical ratios obtained in dusty star-forming galaxies or quasar host galaxies at similar redshifts, and they may suggest a lower gas density in the photodissociated region in B14-65666. By using the (1) [CII] luminosity, (2) dust mass-to-gas mass ratio, and (3) a dynamical mass estimate, we find that the molecular gas mass ($M_{\rm{mol}}$) is $(0.05-11)\times10^{10}$ $M_{\rm \odot}$. This value is consistent with the upper limit inferred from the nondetection of mid-$J$ CO and [CI](2-1). Despite the large uncertauinty in $M_{\rm mol}$, we estimate a molecular gas-to-stellar mass ratio ($μ_{\rm{gas}}$) of $0.65-140$ and a gas depletion time ($τ_{\rm dep}$) of $2.5-550$ Myr; these values are broadly consistent with those of other high-redshift galaxies. B14-65666 could be an ancestor of a passive galaxy at $z\gtrsim4$ if no gas is fueled from outside the galaxy.

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arXiv2023

GREX-PLUS Science Book

GREX-PLUS (Galaxy Reionization EXplorer and PLanetary Universe Spectrometer) is a mission candidate for a JAXA's strategic L-class mission to be launched in the 2030s. Its primary sciences are two-fold: galaxy formation and evolution and planetary system formation and evolution. The GREX-PLUS spacecraft will carry a 1.2 m primary mirror aperture telescope cooled down to 50 K. The two science instruments will be onboard: a wide-field camera in the 2-8 $μ$m wavelength band and a high resolution spectrometer with a wavelength resolution of 30,000 in the 10-18 $μ$m band. The GREX-PLUS wide-field camera aims to detect the first generation of galaxies at redshift $z>15$. The GREX-PLUS high resolution spectrometer aims to identify the location of the water ``snow line'' in proto-planetary disks. Both instruments will provide unique data sets for a broad range of scientific topics including galaxy mass assembly, origin of supermassive blackholes, infrared background radiation, molecular spectroscopy in the interstellar medium, transit spectroscopy for exoplanet atmosphere, planetary atmosphere in the Solar system, and so on.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2023

Revisiting the Dragonfly Galaxy I. High-resolution ALMA and VLA Observations of the Radio Hotspots in a Hyper-luminous Infrared Galaxy at $z=1.92$

Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGNs) are rare among AGN populations. Lacking high-resolution and high-frequency observations, their structure and evolution stages are not well understood at high redshifts. In this work, we report ALMA 237 GHz continuum observation at $0.023''$ resolution and VLA 44 GHz continuum observation at $0.08''$ resolution of the radio continuum emission from a high-redshift radio and hyper-luminous infrared galaxy at $z=1.92$. The new observations confirm the South-East (SE) and North-West (NW) hotspots identified by previous low-resolution VLA observations at 4.7 and 8.2 GHz and identify a radio core undetected in all previous observations. The SE hotspot has a higher flux density than the NW one does by a factor of 6, suggesting that there can be a Doppler boosting effect in the SE one. In this scenario, we estimate the advance speed of the jet head, ranging from $\sim$0.1c -- 0.3c, which yields a mildly relativistic case. The projected linear distance between the two hotspots is $\sim13$ kpc, yielding a linear size ($\leq20$ kpc) of a Compact-Steep-Spectrum (CSS) source. Combined with new \black{high-frequency ($ν_\text{obs}\geq44$ GHz) and archived low-frequency observations ($ν_\text{obs}\leq8.2$ GHz)}, we find that injection spectra of both NW and SE hotspots can be fitted with a continuous injection (CI) model. Based on the CI model, the synchrotron ages of NW and SE hotspots have an order of $10^5$ yr, consistent with the order of magnitude $10^3 - 10^5$ yr observed in CSS sources associated with radio AGNs at an early evolution stage. The CI model also favors the scenario in which the double hotspots have experienced a quiescent phase, suggesting that this RLAGN may have transient or intermittent activities.

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arXiv2023

Photometric IGM tomography with Subaru/HSC: the large-scale structure of Ly$α$ emitters and IGM transmission in the COSMOS field at $z\sim5$

We present a novel technique called "photometric IGM tomography" to map the intergalactic medium (IGM) at $z\simeq4.9$ in the COSMOS field. It utilizes deep narrow-band (NB) imaging to photometrically detect faint Ly$α$ forest transmission in background galaxies across the Subaru/Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC)'s $1.8\rm\,sq.\,deg$ field of view and locate Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) in the same cosmic volume. Using ultra-deep HSC images and Bayesian spectral energy distribution fitting, we measure the Ly$α$ forest transmission at $z\simeq4.9$ along a large number ($140$) of background galaxies selected from the DEIMOS10k spectroscopic catalogue at $4.98<z<5.89$ and the SILVERRUSH LAEs at $z\simeq5.7$. We photometrically measure the mean Ly$α$ forest transmission and achieve a result consistent with previous measurements based on quasar spectra. We also measure the angular LAE-Ly$α$ forest cross-correlation and Ly$α$ forest auto-correlation functions and place an observational constraint on the large-scale fluctuations of the IGM around LAEs at $z\simeq4.9$. Finally, we present the reconstructed 2D tomographic map of the IGM, co-spatial with the large-scale structure of LAEs, at a transverse resolution of $11 \,h^{-1}\rm cMpc$ across $140\,h^{-1}\rm cMpc$ in the COSMOS field at $z\simeq4.9$. We discuss the observational requirements and the potential applications of this new technique for understanding the sources of reionization, quasar radiative history, and galaxy-IGM correlations across $z\sim3-6$. Our results represent the first proof-of-concept of photometric IGM tomography, offering a new route to examining early galaxy evolution in the context of the large-scale cosmic web from the epoch of reionization to cosmic noon.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2023

EMPRESS. IX. Extremely Metal-Poor Galaxies are Very Gas-Rich Dispersion-Dominated Systems: Will JWST Witness Gaseous Turbulent High-z Primordial Galaxies?

We present kinematics of 6 local extremely metal-poor galaxies (EMPGs) with low metallicities ($0.016-0.098\ Z_{\odot}$) and low stellar masses ($10^{4.7}-10^{7.6} M_{\odot}$). Taking deep medium-high resolution ($R\sim7500$) integral-field spectra with 8.2-m Subaru, we resolve the small inner velocity gradients and dispersions of the EMPGs with H$α$ emission. Carefully masking out sub-structures originated by inflow and/or outflow, we fit 3-dimensional disk models to the observed H$α$ flux, velocity, and velocity-dispersion maps. All the EMPGs show rotational velocities ($v_{\rm rot}$) of 5--23 km s$^{-1}$ smaller than the velocity dispersions ($σ_{0}$) of 17--31 km s$^{-1}$, indicating dispersion-dominated ($v_{\rm rot}/σ_{0}=0.29-0.80<1$) systems affected by inflow and/or outflow. Except for two EMPGs with large uncertainties, we find that the EMPGs have very large gas-mass fractions of $f_{\rm gas}\simeq 0.9-1.0$. Comparing our results with other H$α$ kinematics studies, we find that $v_{\rm rot}/σ_{0}$ decreases and $f_{\rm gas}$ increases with decreasing metallicity, decreasing stellar mass, and increasing specific star-formation rate. We also find that simulated high-$z$ ($z\sim 7$) forming galaxies have gas fractions and dynamics similar to the observed EMPGs. Our EMPG observations and the simulations suggest that primordial galaxies are gas-rich dispersion-dominated systems, which would be identified by the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations at $z\sim 7$.

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arXiv2023

Detections of [C II] 158 $μ$m and [O III] 88 $μ$m in a Local Lyman Continuum Emitter, Mrk 54, and its Implications to High-redshift ALMA Studies

We present integral field, far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy of Mrk 54, a local Lyman Continuum Emitter (LCE), obtained with FIFI-LS on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. This is only the second time, after Haro 11, that [C II] 158 $μ$m and [O III] 88 $μ$m spectroscopy of the known LCEs have been obtained. We find that Mrk 54 has a strong [C II] emission that accounts for $\sim1$% of the total FIR luminosity, whereas it has only moderate [O III] emission, resulting in the low [O III]/[C II] luminosity ratio of $0.22\pm0.06$. In order to investigate whether [O III]/[C II] is a useful tracer of $f_{\rm esc}$ (LyC escape fraction), we examine the correlations of [O III]/[C II] and (i) the optical line ratio of $\rm O_{32} \equiv$ [O III] 5007 Å/[O II] 3727 Å, (ii) specific star formation rate, (iii) [O III] 88 $μ$m/[O I] 63 $μ$m ratio, (iv) gas phase metallicity, and (v) dust temperature based on a combined sample of Mrk 54 and the literature data from the Herschel Dwarf Galaxy Survey and the LITTLE THINGS Survey. We find that galaxies with high [O III]/[C II] luminosity ratios could be the result of high ionization (traced by $\rm O_{32}$), bursty star formation, high ionized-to-neutral gas volume filling factors (traced by [O III] 88 $μ$m/[O I] 63 $μ$m), and low gas-phase metallicities, which is in agreement with theoretical predictions. We present an empirical relation between the [O III]/[C II] ratio and $f_{\rm esc}$ based on the combination of the [O III]/[C II] and $\rm O_{32}$ correlation, and the known relation between $\rm O_{32}$ and $f_{\rm esc}$. The relation implies that high-redshift galaxies with high [O III]/[C II] ratios revealed by ALMA may have $f_{\rm esc}\gtrsim0.1$, significantly contributing to the cosmic reionization.

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arXiv2023

The Extended [CII] under Construction? Observation of the brightest high-z lensed star-forming galaxy at z = 6.2

We present results of [CII]$\,158\,\rm{μm}$ emission line observations, and report the spectroscopic redshift confirmation of a strongly lensed ($μ\sim20$) star-forming galaxy, MACS0308-zD1 at $z=6.2078\pm0.0002$. The [CII] emission line is detected with a signal-to-noise ratio $>6$ within the rest-frame UV bright clump of the lensed galaxy (zD1.1) and exhibits multiple velocity components; the narrow [CII] has a velocity full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) of $110\pm20\,\rm{km/s}$, while broader [CII] is seen with an FWHM of $230\pm20\,\rm{km/s}$. The broader [CII] component is blueshifted ($-80\pm20\,\rm{km/s}$) with respect to the narrow [CII] component, and has a morphology which extends beyond the UV-bright clump. We find that while the narrow [CII] emission is most likely associated with zD1.1, the broader component is possibly associated with outflowing gas. Based on the non-detection of $λ_{\rm 158\,μm}$ dust continuum, we find that MACS0308-zD1's star-formation activity occurs in a dust-free environment with the stringent upper limit of infrared luminosity $\lesssim9\times10^{8}\,{\rm L_{\odot}}$. Targeting this strongly lensed faint galaxy for follow-up ALMA and JWST observations will be crucial to characterize the details of typical galaxy growth in the early Universe.

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arXiv2023

The SSA22 HI Tomography Survey (SSA22-HIT). I. Data Set and Compiled Redshift Catalog

We conducted a deep spectroscopic survey, named SSA22-HIT, in the SSA22 field with the DEep Imaging MultiObject Spectrograph (DEIMOS) on the Keck telescope, designed to tomographically map high-z HI gas through analysis of Lya absorption in background galaxies' spectra. In total, 198 galaxies were spectroscopically confirmed at 2.5 < z < 6 with a few low-z exceptions in the 26 x 15 arcmin^2 area, of which 148 were newly determined in this study. Our redshift measurements were merged with previously confirmed redshifts available in the 34 x 27 arcmin^2 area of the SSA22 field. This compiled catalog containing 730 galaxies of various types at z > 2 is useful for various applications, and it is made publicly available. Our SSA22-HIT survey has increased by approximately twice the number of spectroscopic redshifts of sources at z > 3.2 in the observed field. From a comparison with publicly available redshift catalogs, we show that our compiled redshift catalog in the SSA22 field is comparable to those among major extragalactic survey fields in terms of a combination of wide area and high surface number density of objects at z > 2. About 40 % of the spectroscopically confirmed objects in SSA22-HIT show reasonable quality of spectra in the wavelengths shorter than Lya when a sufficient amount of smoothing is adopted. Our data set enables us to make the HI tomographic map at z > 3, which we present in a parallel study.

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arXiv2023

Updated measurements of [O III] 88 $μ$m, [C II] 158 $μ$m, and Dust Continuum Emission from a z=7.2 Galaxy

We present updated measurements of the [O III] 88 $μ$m, [C II] 158 $μ$m, and dust continuum emission from a star-forming galaxy at $z=7.212$, SXDF-NB1006-2, by utilizing Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) archival data sets analysed in previous studies and data sets that have not been analysed before. The follow-up ALMA observations with higher angular resolution and sensitivity reveal a clumpy structure of the [O III] emission on a scale of $0.32-0.85\,\rm{kpc}$. We also combined all the ALMA [O III] ([C II]) data sets and updated the [O III] ([C II]) detection to $5.9σ$ ($3.6σ-4.5σ$). The non-detection of [C II] with data from the REBELS large program implies the incompleteness of spectral-scan surveys using [C II] to detect galaxies with high star formation rates (SFRs) but marginal [C II] emission at high-$z$. The dust continuum at 90 $μ$m and 160 $μ$m remains undetected, indicating little dust content of $<3.9\times10^{6}\,M_\odot\,(3σ)$, and we obtained a more stringent constraint on the total infrared luminosity. We updated the [O III]/[C II] luminosity ratios to $10.2\pm4.7~(6.1\pm3.5$) and $20\pm12~(9.6\pm6.1$) for $4.5σ$ and $3.6σ$ [C II] detections, respectively, where the ratios in the parentheses are corrected for the surface brightness dimming effect on the extended [C II] emission. We also found a strong [C II] deficit ($0.6-1.3$ dex) between SXDF-NB1006-2 and the mean $L_{\rm{[CII]}}-\rm{SFR}$ relation of galaxies at $0<z<9$.

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arXiv2023

Hidden Little Monsters: Spectroscopic Identification of Low-Mass, Broad-Line AGN at $z>5$ with CEERS

We report on the discovery of two low-luminosity, broad-line AGN at $z>5$ identified using JWST NIRSpec spectroscopy from the CEERS Survey. We detect broad H$α$ emission from both sources, with FWHM of $2038\pm286$ and $1807\pm207$ km s$^{-1}$, resulting in black hole (BH) masses that are 1-2 dex below that of existing samples of luminous quasars at $z>5$. The first source, CEERS 1670 at $z=5.242$, is 2-3 dex fainter than known quasars at similar redshifts and was previously identified as a candidate low-luminosity AGN based on its rest-frame optical SED. We measure a BH mass of $M_{\rm BH}=1.3\pm0.4\times 10^{7}~M_{\odot}$, confirming that this AGN is powered by the least-massive BH known in the universe at the end of cosmic reionization. The second source, CEERS 3210 at $z=5.624$, is inferred to be a heavily obscured, broad-line AGN caught in a transition phase between a dust-obscured starburst and an unobscured quasar. We estimate its BH mass to be $M_{\rm BH}\simeq 0.9-4.7 \times 10^{7}~M_{\odot}$, depending on the level of dust obscuration assumed. We derive host stellar masses, $M_\star$, allowing us to place constraints on the BH-galaxy mass relationship in the lowest mass range yet probed in the early universe. The $M_{\rm BH}/M_\star$ ratio for CEERS 1670, in particular, is consistent with or higher than the empirical relationship seen in massive galaxies at $z=0$. We examine the emission-line ratios of both sources and find that their location on the BPT and OHNO diagrams is consistent with model predictions for low-metallicity AGN with $Z/Z_\odot \simeq 0.2-0.4$. The spectroscopic identification of low-luminosity, broad-line AGN at $z>5$ with $M_{\rm BH}\simeq 10^{7}~M_{\odot}$ demonstrates the capability of JWST to push BH masses closer to the range predicted for the BH seed population and provides a unique opportunity to study the early stages of BH-galaxy assembly.

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arXiv2022

A Candidate of a Least-Massive Black Hole at the First 1.1 Billion Years of the Universe

We report a candidate of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) at z=5 that was selected from the first near-infrared images of the JWST CEERS project. This source, named CEERS-AGN-z5-1 at absolute 1450 A magnitude M1450=-19.5 +/- 0.3, was found via a visual selection of compact sources from a catalog of Lyman break galaxies at z>4, taking advantage of the superb spatial resolution of the JWST/NIRCam images. The 20 photometric data available from CFHT, HST, Spitzer, and JWST suggest that the continuum shape of this source is reminiscent of that for an unobscured AGN, and there is a clear color excess in the filters where the redshifted Hbeta+[OIII] and Halpha are covered. The estimated line luminosity is L_Hbeta+[OIII] =10^43.0 erg s-1 and L_Halpha =10^42.9 erg s-1 with the corresponding rest-frame equivalent width EW_{Hbeta+[OIII]} =1100 A and EW_Halpha =1600 A, respectively. Our SED fitting analysis favors the scenario that this object is either a strong broad-line emitter or even a super-Eddington accreting black hole (BH), although a possibility of an extremely young galaxy with moderate dust attenuation is not completely ruled out. The bolometric luminosity, L_bol=2.5 +/- 0.3 \times 10^44 erg s-1, is consistent with those of z<0.35 broad-line AGNs with M_BH = 10^6 M_sun accreting at the Eddington limit. This new AGN population at the first 1.1 billion years of the universe may close the gap between the observed BH mass range at high redshift and that of BH seeds. Spectroscopic confirmation is awaited to secure the redshift and its AGN nature.

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