arXiv subjects

Nahir Muñoz-Elgueta

Publications and source records attributed to Nahir Muñoz-Elgueta.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

ALMA visits the QSO MUSEUM: Connecting molecular gas and the cool circumgalactic medium around 37 z~3 quasars

Extended Ly$α$ emission is ubiquitous around quasars and traces the cool circumgalactic medium, providing insights into halo gas dynamics and active galactic nucleus feedback. However, its connection to the cold molecular gas of the host galaxies remains largely unexplored. We characterize the molecular gas reservoirs of quasars at cosmic noon and investigate their connection to extended Ly$α$ emission using ALMA CO(4-3) observations of 37 quasars at $z\sim3$ from the QSO MUSEUM survey, previously mapped in Ly$α$ with VLT/MUSE. We derive molecular gas masses and gas fractions, explore correlations with Ly$α$ nebula and quasar properties, and search for CO-emitting companions. We detect 21/37 quasars in CO(4-3), with gas masses of $M_\mathrm{gas}\approx(3-40) \times10^9\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$. Quasars with the most massive molecular gas reservoirs are associated with the centrally dimmest Ly$α$ nebulae, while those hosting the centrally brightest Ly$α$ nebulae are generally not detected in CO. This suggests that gas and dust in the hosts regulate Ly$α$ escape and consequently affect the emission from halo gas. We find evidence that lower-Eddington-ratio quasars harbor more massive gas reservoirs, while strongly accreting quasars ($λ_\mathrm{Edd} \gtrapprox 0.9$) likely deplete their gas; for example, through powerful quasar-driven outflows. Despite their higher molecular gas masses within the sample, CO-detected low-Eddington quasars exhibit low gas fractions with a median $M_\mathrm{gas}/M_* \sim 0.10$, below what is typically found for inactive star-forming galaxies. Six quasars are marginally resolved in CO, with effective radii up to $\sim 8\,\mathrm{kpc}$. In addition, we detect 14 high-fidelity companion galaxies, indicating overdense quasar environments with a quasar-galaxy cross-correlation length of $9.81^{+2.22}_{-2.05}\,h^{-1}\mathrm{cMpc}$.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

JCMT/SCUBA-2 uncovers an excess of $850μ$m counts on megaparsec scales around high-redshift quasars. Characterization of the overdensities and their alignment with the quasars' Ly$α$ nebulae

We conducted a systematic survey of the environment of high-z quasars at submillimeter wavelengths to unveil and characterize the surrounding distribution of dusty submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). We took sensitive JCMT/SCUBA-2 observations for 3 enormous Lyman-alpha nebulae (ELANe) and 17 quasar fields in the redshift range 2 4 or detected in both bands at S/N>3. We ran Monte Carlo simulations to construct 850$μ$m number counts and unveil an excess of sources in 75% of the targeted fields. Overall, regions around ELANe and quasars are overabundant with respect to blank fields by a factor of $3.4\pm0.4$ and $2.5\pm0.2$, respectively. Therefore, the excess of SMGs is likely part of the Mpc-scale environment around these systems. By combining all fields and repeating the count analysis in radial apertures, we find a decrease in the overdensity factor from >3 within $\sim 2$ cMpc to $\sim2$ at the edge of the surveyed field ($\sim10$ cMpc), suggesting that the physical extent of the overdensities is larger than our maps. We computed preferred directions for the overdensities of SMGs from the positions of the sources and used them to orient and create stacked maps of source densities for the quasars' environment. This stacking unveils an elongated structure reminiscent of a large-scale filament with a scale width of $\approx 3$ cMpc. Finally, the directions of the overdensities are roughly aligned with the major axis of the Ly$α$ nebulae, suggesting that the latter trace, on hundreds of kpc, the central regions of the projected large-scale structure described by the SMGs on Mpc scales. Confirming member associations of the SMGs is required to further characterize their spatial and kinematic distribution around ELANe and quasars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The Gravity Collective: A Search for the Electromagnetic Counterpart to the Neutron Star-Black Hole Merger GW190814

We present optical follow-up imaging obtained with the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Nickel Telescope, Swope Telescope, and Thacher Telescope of the LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave (GW) signal from the neutron star-black hole (NSBH) merger GW190814. We searched the GW190814 localization region (19 deg$^{2}$ for the 90th percentile best localization), covering a total of 51 deg$^{2}$ and 94.6% of the two-dimensional localization region. Analyzing the properties of 189 transients that we consider as candidate counterparts to the NSBH merger, including their localizations, discovery times from merger, optical spectra, likely host-galaxy redshifts, and photometric evolution, we conclude that none of these objects are likely to be associated with GW190814. Based on this finding, we consider the likely optical properties of an electromagnetic counterpart to GW190814, including possible kilonovae and short gamma-ray burst afterglows. Using the joint limits from our follow-up imaging, we conclude that a counterpart with an $r$-band decline rate of 0.68 mag day$^{-1}$, similar to the kilonova AT 2017gfo, could peak at an absolute magnitude of at most $-17.8$ mag (50% confidence). Our data are not constraining for ''red'' kilonovae and rule out ''blue'' kilonovae with $M>0.5 M_{\odot}$ (30% confidence). We strongly rule out all known types of short gamma-ray burst afterglows with viewing angles $<$17$^{\circ}$ assuming an initial jet opening angle of $\sim$$5.2^{\circ}$ and explosion energies and circumburst densities similar to afterglows explored in the literature. Finally, we explore the possibility that GW190814 merged in the disk of an active galactic nucleus, of which we find four in the localization region, but we do not find any candidate counterparts among these sources.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv: Two Sibling Type Ia Supernovae in the spiral galaxy NGC 5643

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv, two nearly identical type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the host galaxy NGC 5643. The optical photometry has been obtained using the same telescope and instruments used by the Carnegie Supernova Project. This eliminates most instrumental systematics and provides light curves in a stable and well-understood photometric system. Having the same host galaxy also eliminates systematics due to distance and peculiar velocity, providing an opportunity to directly test the relative precision of SNe Ia as standard candles. The two SNe have nearly identical decline rates, negligible reddening, and remarkably similar spectra and, at a distance of $\sim 20$ Mpc, are ideal as potential calibrators for the absolute distance using primary indicators such as Cepheid variables. We discuss to what extent these two SNe can be considered twins and compare them with other supernova "siblings" in the literature and their likely progenitor scenarios. Using 12 galaxies that hosted 2 or more SNe~Ia, we find that when using SNe~Ia, and after accounting for all sources of observational error, one gets consistency in distance to 3 percent.

astro-ph.SR↗