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Qiusheng Gu

Publications and source records attributed to Qiusheng Gu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

No Detectable One-halo Galactic Conformity Signal with Halo-mass Estimates Consistent with Weak-lensing Constraints

One-halo galactic conformity is the tendency for satellites in halos with quenched centrals to have lower star-formation activity than those in halos with star-forming centrals at fixed halo mass. It is an important probe of the galaxy--halo connection and halo-wide quenching processes that may couple central and satellite evolution. However, its existence remains controversial, because conformity must be measured at fixed halo mass, while halo masses are difficult to estimate accurately. In this Letter, we measure one-halo conformity in SDSS using five stellar-mass-complete samples and three halo-mass estimates: an ML estimate whose star-forming and quenched stellar mass--halo mass relations (SHMRs) agree with independent weak-lensing constraints, and two conventional abundance-matching (AM) estimates. We quantify conformity as the difference in median $\log({\rm sSFR})$ between satellites of star-forming and quenched centrals, using both satellite-level and halo-level statistics. The two AM estimates produce strong positive conformity signals, consistent with previous AM-based measurements, but these signals are not reproduced with the ML halo masses. For the halo-level statistic, the representative AM-based signals are $+0.38\pm0.04$ dex and $+0.23\pm0.04$ dex for the luminosity-ranking and mass-ranking AM halo masses, detected relative to no conformity at about $10\sigma$ and $6\sigma$, respectively. In contrast, the ML result is consistent with no conformity, $+0.00\pm0.03$ dex; the satellite-level statistic gives a similar result. Thus, with halo-mass estimates consistent with weak-lensing constraints, we find no detectable one-halo conformity signal in the present SDSS sample, suggesting that the strong AM-based signal is largely driven by halo-mass estimation biases.

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A Wandering 35,000-Solar-Mass Black Hole Fed by a Gravitational Wake

Intermediate-mass black holes are widely considered to be the seeds of supermassive black holes, a substantial population of which is expected to remain displaced from galactic nuclei owing to hierarchical galaxy assembly and inefficient dynamical friction. While several fueling channels can sustain central black holes, those pathways are largely inaccessible to off-nuclear black holes, leaving their fuel supply uncertain. As these wandering black holes move through the interstellar medium of their host galaxies, theory predicts that they can capture gas from the dense wake produced by gravitational focusing. However, direct observational evidence for this process has remained elusive. Here we report evidence for a wandering intermediate-mass black hole of 35,000 solar mass accreting through such a gravitational wake. Its black-hole nature is supported by broad-line emission, a compact continuum counterpart, long-term optical variability, and a power-law-like spectral energy distribution. Multi-epoch spectroscopy reveals three distinct gas components: a blueshifted, low-density upstream flow; a redshifted, dense downstream wake; and optically thick absorbers well within the capture radius that drive rapid changing-look variability in the broad-line emission. This discovery establishes a previously unobserved channel for the growth of wandering intermediate-mass black holes.

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From Starburst to Quenching: Physical Properties of Extremely Compact Starbursts at z$\sim$0.1

The compaction phase plays a crucial role in galaxy evolution, as it is strongly linked to star formation activities and structural transformation. We have identified a sample of extremely compact starburst galaxies (eCSBs) at low redshift~(z$\sim$0.1), which represent this critical evolutionary stage. These eCSBs are massive outliers with intense star formation and high infrared luminosities comparable to (U)LIRGs, while their structure already resembles quiescent galaxies. To investigate their molecular gas properties, we conducted IRAM 30m observations of $^{12}$CO J = 1--0 and $^{12}$CO J = 2--1 emission lines. Our results indicate that eCSBs exhibit a notably low molecular gas fraction~($\sim3\%$), and short gas depletion time~($\sim$ 20 Myr), suggesting that these galaxies are rapidly exhausting their remaining gas reservoir. Compared to normal (U)LIRGs, eCSBs show systematically lower $^{12}$CO(2-1)/$^{12}$CO(1-0) ratio~($R_{21} \sim 0.65 \pm 0.06$), similar to main sequence galaxies. The relatively low CO excitation may be associated with their high central stellar mass densities. These findings provide new insight into the molecular gas properties of galaxies during the compaction phase, highlighting their unique condition and rapid evolution toward quiescence.

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Direct Evidence for Outflow Driven by Wolf-Rayet Stars in the Nearby Galaxy PGC44685

Wolf--Rayet (WR) stars are evolved massive stars which can drive strong stellar winds, injecting energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM). However, the geometry and kinematics of WR-dominated outflows, specially in low-metallicity environments, is still poorly constrained by observations. We present a spatially resolved spectroscopic study of a WR region in a nearby dwarf galaxy, PGC\,44685, using high-resolution MEGARA IFU data from the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). After decomposing the [\textsc{O iii}]~$\lambda5007$ emission line with narrow and broad components, we verify a WR-driven outflow with a velocity reaching up to $20\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ relative to the systemic velocity. By use of the velocity and flux of the [\textsc{O iii}] broad component, we estimate an outflow mass of $(8.25 \pm 3.03)\times10^{3}\,M_\odot$ and a mass-loss rate of $(9.47 \pm 3.48)\times10^{-4}\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. The corresponding kinetic power and momentum injection rate are $(4.77 \pm 1.77)\times10^{41}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$ and $(8.20 \pm 3.02)\times10^{28}\,\mathrm{g\,cm\,s^{-2}}$, respectively. The inferred low energy-loading efficiency ($\sim0.35\%$), together with the low metallicity of the WR region ($\sim0.1\,Z_\odot$), suggests that the system is observed in an early feedback phase in which stellar winds have not yet efficiently coupled their energy into the ISM. These results support the ability of WR feedback to shape the ISM on sub-kiloparsec scales, while these winds fail to launch galactic-scale outflows.

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Post-starburst Galaxies with Active Galactic Nucleus: Properties and Evolutionary Sequences

Post-starburst (PSB) galaxies, identified by strong Balmer absorption and weak nebular emission, provide a key laboratory for studying rapid quenching. Using the final data release of the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey, we follow the traditional PSB selection criteria of Chen et al. (2019) and develop a new method to identify regions that simultaneously exhibit PSB features and nuclear activities (AGN-PSBs). Our final sample comprises 48 AGN-PSBs, 92 central PSBs (CPSBs), 89 ring-like PSBs (RPSBs), and 828 irregular PSBs (IPSBs). We find the global and spatially resolved properties of CPSBs and RPSBs are consistent with the results of Chen et al. (2019). In this work, we focus on the properties of AGN-PSBs, comparing them with CPSBs, RPSBs, and control galaxies. Similar to CPSBs and RPSBs, AGN-PSBs show positive $\mathrm{D}_{n}4000$ gradients relative to negative $\mathrm{D}_{n}4000$ gradients of their controls, which indicates younger stellar populations in the central region than that in the outskirt. Among the three sub-types, high-mass CPSBs (H-CPSBs, with $\log(M_{*}/M_{\odot})>9.5$) display the highest incidence of merger remnants and gas--star kinematic misalignment, consistent with a merger/interaction-dominated origin. AGN-PSBs and RPSBs, however, show lower and comparable fractions of merger remnants and gas--star kinematic misalignment, favoring less violent external mechanisms. Based on radial profiles of mass-weighted age and $V_{\rm star}/\sigma_{\rm star}$, we suggest that RPSBs can evolve into AGN-PSBs, whereas H-CPSBs likely follow a distinct evolutionary pathway. The existence of RPSBs and IPSBs also indicates that AGN feedback is not a necessary condition for the formation of PSB.

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A Strong Stellar Age-Metallicity Gradient Relation in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies Driven by Stellar Migration and Environmental Quenching

Stellar metallicity gradients ($\nabla[Z/H]$) provide a fossil record of the assembly history of galaxies. We present an analysis of $\nabla[Z/H]$ for 90 nearby low-mass galaxies using VLT/MUSE IFU spectroscopy, spanning stellar masses from $10^{6.5}$ to $10^{10} M_\odot$ (median $\sim 10^{8.5} M_\odot$) and significantly extending the mass coverage of existing IFU surveys into the classical dwarf regime. Our primary finding is a robust negative correlation between $\nabla[Z/H]$ and light-weighted stellar age ($|r|\gtrsim 0.7$) measured out to $\sim$ 2$\times$ effective radius: older dwarf galaxies have steeper (more negative) gradients. This holds regardless of stellar mass, structural compactness, or large-scale environment (group/field), and is strongest in the intermediate-mass regime ($8.2\lesssim\log M_\star/M_\odot\lesssim9.0$). The slope of the age-$\nabla[Z/H]$ relation is close to that in the FIRE-2 simulations, indicating that stellar radial migration driven by feedback-induced potential fluctuations may be fundamental in dwarf evolution. But this apparent consistency is likely coincidental given the simulations' overly efficient feedback and chemical mixing. On the other hand, the H\,\textsc{i} deficiency parameter, an indicator of past environmental stripping, shows a moderate yet highly significant correlation with $\nabla[Z/H]$, second only to stellar age in strength: galaxies with higher H\,\textsc{i} deficiency tend to have more negative gradients, strongly indicating that environment-driven outside-in quenching and the ensuing gradual truncation of metal enrichment re-shape the stellar metallicity distribution. Our analysis suggests that the chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies likely arises from a synergy of feedback-driven dynamical heating and external environmental processing, though only the latter has robust observational support.

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Mrk 382: A Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy with Recurrent X-ray State Transitions

We report recurrent X-ray state transitions in the nearby narrow-line Seyfert~1 galaxy Mrk~382 using multi-epoch observations from \textit{Swift}, \textit{Chandra}, \textit{XMM-Newton}, and eROSITA, together with archival ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data. The 0.3--2 keV flux varies by nearly an order of magnitude over the past $\sim15$ yr, with multiple transitions between bright and faint states. The source brightened by a factor of $\sim10$ between the 2010 \textit{Chandra} observation and the 2011 \textit{XMM-Newton} high state, then declined by $\sim6$--7 to a low state in 2019, followed by renewed brightening in recent \textit{Swift} monitoring. The X-ray spectrum shows strong state-dependent evolution, changing from a steep high-state continuum ($\Gamma=2.32\pm0.04$) to a much harder low-state spectrum ($\Gamma=1.39\pm0.06$). The low-state spectrum also exhibits a narrow Fe K$\alpha$ line with an equivalent width of $\sim330$ eV. Reflection modeling indicates that the low-flux state is strongly reflection dominated, with the reflection fraction increasing from $R_{\rm refl}\sim4$ to $\sim34$, consistent with a compact corona subject to strong light-bending effects. The ultraviolet emission broadly follows the long-term X-ray variability but with smaller amplitude, while the optical and mid-infrared bands vary more mildly. Despite the dramatic X-ray variability, Mrk~382 does not enter an extreme X-ray-weak state, and we did not detect clear optical spectral-type changes based on the currently available observations. Mrk~382 is therefore a rare nearby Seyfert galaxy undergoing recurrent X-ray state transitions, providing a valuable laboratory for studying changing coronal geometry and multiwavelength AGN variability.

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Circular polarization effects induced by photon-axion mixing in astrophysical environments

Axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) are compelling candidates for dark matter and new physics beyond the Standard Model. Photon-axion mixing in external magnetic fields modifies the photon energy spectrum and linear polarization state, and also induces circular polarization signals. Compared to spectral and linear polarization methods, circular polarization benefits from lower astrophysical background contamination, providing an independent probe for axion searches. In this work, we study the circular polarization induced by photon-axion mixing within the chiral basis framework. By analytically solving the evolution equations under the single-domain approximation, we derive an expression for the circular polarization degree $P_C$, applicable in the resonant, strong coupling, and weak coupling regimes. Within single-domain magnetic field models, we compare the energy-dependent circular polarization in four astrophysical environments (AGN jets, intracluster medium, intergalactic medium, and Galactic magnetic fields). We find that the X-ray to MeV band represents the most sensitive observational window. Using the blazar S4 0954+65 as a case study, phase accumulation in random magnetic domains causes the circular polarization degree to fluctuate with redshift and exhibit pronounced energy structures. Using the optical circular polarization upper limit $P_C < 0.184\%$ (measured in the z-SDSS band) from this source, we statistically constrain $g_{a\gamma\gamma} \lesssim 3\times 10^{-11}\,\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ (95\% confidence level) for $m_a \sim 10^{-16}$--$10^{-10}\ \mathrm{eV}$, with the strongest constraint reaching $g_{a\gamma\gamma}\sim6\times10^{-12}\,\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ near $m_a \sim 10^{-14}\,\mathrm{eV}$. These results establish circular polarization as a complementary axion probe.

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The FAST Hundred-Deg$^2$ HI Deep (HD$^2$) Survey: Early Results from the Pilot Survey

The Hundred-deg$^2$ HI Deep (HD$^2$) survey carried out with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is planned to map a contiguous region within the DESI DR1 footprint, achieving an effective integration time of 20 minutes for each pointing and a uniform detection sensitivity of 0.28 mJy beam$^{-1}$ at 4.8 km s$^{-1}$ resolution. We present early results from the pilot HD$^2$ survey: a 10 deg$^2$ field overlapping with HSC-SSP and the DESI EDR SV3, observed with an integration time of 7.3 minutes per beam and the rms of 0.45 mJy beam$^{-1}$ at 4.8 km s$^{-1}$ resolution. We identify 339 HI sources at $z<0.09$, corresponding to $\sim$34 detections per deg$^2$, nearly six times higher than the detection rate of the wide-field surveys. Optical counterparts are primarily identified using DESI redshifts, yielding a matching rate and correctness exceeding 90% for galaxies with $r<19.5$ mag, a substantial improvement over SDSS. Under the constraint of $r < 17.8$ mag and $0.01 < z < 0.05$, nearly 50% of galaxies in the DESI BGS samples have HI detections in this pilot survey. The optical properties of these HI-detected galaxies span nearly the entire parameter range of the DESI sample. The gas fraction scaling relations versus stellar mass, stellar mass surface density, NUV-r, and specific star formation rate are consistent with previous surveys, e.g., ALFALFA, DINGO, and xGASS. These results justify the feasibility of the full HD$^2$ survey, which will build a high-completeness HI census over a contiguous area to probe the cold gas scaling relations of galaxies over different scales.

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Characterizing the origins of gamma-ray variability of the jetted active galactic nuclei observed with the Fermi-LAT

We conducted an analysis of gamma-ray variability in a large sample of jetted active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by utilizing archival Fermi-LAT light curves and applying damped random walk modeling to obtain variability amplitude. Our primary findings are summarized as follows: (1) The mean variability damping timescales of our sources are approximately 100 days. This damping timescale may imply that the diffusive shock acceleration plays an important role in the variability of gamma-ray emission. (2) Flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) demonstrate greater variability amplitude compared to BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs). (3) The ratio of the distance of the emission region from the central supermassive black hole to the dusty torus radius for our sources is $R\approx2-4.5R_{\rm DT}$. In contrast, the ratio of the distance of the emission region from the central supermassive black hole to the BLR radius for our sources is $R\approx135-295R_{\rm BLR-in}$ and $R\approx123-270R_{\rm BLR-out}$. These findings indicate that the $\gamma$-ray emission region in jetted AGNs is likely located beyond the BLR, potentially could be associated with the dusty torus. (4) A statistical correlation is observed between variability amplitude and radio luminosity, radio loudness, X-ray luminosity, X-ray loudness, gamma-ray luminosity, and gamma-ray loudness, indicating a potential relationship between gamma-ray variability and jet activity. (5) Variability amplitude also shows a statistical correlations with synchrotron peak frequency luminosity, inverse Compton peak frequency luminosity, and Compton dominance. (6) Variability amplitude also correlates with black hole mass, accretion disk luminosity, and Eddington ratio, implying that the accretion disk may also contribute to gamma-ray variability.

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A universal relationship between the variability timescale and black hole mass in black hole jetted and non-jetted accreting systems

A long-term variability study spanning a range of black hole mass systems, from microquasars hosting stellar-mass black holes to active galactic nuclei (AGNs) harboring supermassive black holes, provides new insights into the physics of relativistic jets. In this work, we investigate the optical variability of both jetted and nonjetted AGNs. We apply a stochastic process known as the Damped Random Walk (DRW) to model light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) DR23. Our results show that the mass-scaled characteristic timescales across the black hole mass exhibit a linear relationship with a slope of 0.35-0.50. This analysis confirms a previously observed correlation between the damping timescales and black hole mass and extends it by incorporating 125 newly identified non-jetted AGNs selected from the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) AGN catalogue. The derived slope of the relation between the damping timescales and black hole mass aligns with recent theoretical predictions, supporting the presence of a universal accretion mechanism in AGNs across different mass scales. Furthermore, our findings suggest a novel implication: the properties and production mechanisms of relativistic jets may be largely independent of black hole mass.

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The cold molecular gas regulates the activity of active galactic nuclei in massive galaxies

The physical quantities that directly regulate AGN feedback in massive galaxies remain poorly understood. Observations of molecular gas surrounding AGNs suggest that this gas serves as a fuel source for AGN activity. Accordingly, we study the relationship between AGN activity and molecular gas properties. In this study, we analyze a large sample of nearby AGNs with available measurements of molecular gas mass, radio luminosity, and \oiii~luminosity. Our results show that radio luminosity and \oiii~luminosity exhibit stronger correlations with molecular gas mass than with other physical parameters such as black hole mass, stellar mass, and bulge mass. Moreover, when controlling for the correlations between radio luminosity, \oiii~luminosity, and molecular gas mass, the relationships between these luminosities and other key physical parameters become significantly weaker or disappear entirely. This suggests that, of all the properties we have considered, it is the molecular gas mass that is most tightly correlated with radio and \oiii~luminosity, and may thus be the most important driver of nuclear activity.

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Properties of Galaxies with Counter-rotating Stellar Disks in the MaNGA Survey

Gas accretion process can fuel both star formation and black hole activity, playing a critical role in galaxy evolution. The counter-rotating structures are believed to originate from gas accretion, serving as an ideal laboratory for studying its impact on galaxy evolution. Based on the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, we built a sample of 147 galaxies with counter-rotating stellar disks (CRDs). This is the largest CRD sample to date, accounting for $\sim$1.5% of the MaNGA survey. For a subset of 138 CRDs, global stellar mass ($M_\ast$) and star formation rate (SFR) were measured in reference. We constructed a control sample with similar $M_\ast$ and SFR but lacking counter-rotating structures. The CRDs relatively exhibit more bulge-dominated morphology, lower molecular gas mass fraction and reside in less dense environment, supporting the hypothesis that they primarily originate from gas accretion. We classified 96 out of 138 CRDs into four types based on their stellar and gas kinematics following the criteria from Bao et al. (2022). There are two additional CRD types: 8 CRDs show misalignment between both stellar disks and gas disk, indicating multiple gas accretion events with differing angular momentum directions; 34 CRDs lack ionized gas emission, showing the highest $M_\ast$ among all the CRD types, which may represent a final stage of CRD evolution. We compared the radial gradients of gas-phase metallicity and stellar population properties between CRD types, and found that the impact of gas accretion on galaxy evolution primarily depends on the abundance of pre-existing gas in progenitors.

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Identifying Compton-thick active galactic nuclei in the COSMOS. II. Searching among mid-infrared selected AGNs

Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CT-AGNs), defined by column density $\mathrm{N_H} \geqslant 1.5 \times 10^{24} \ \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$, are so heavily absorbed that their X-ray emission is often feeble, even undetectable by X-ray instruments. Nevertheless, their radiation is expected to be a substantial contributor to the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), predicting that CT-AGNs should comprise at least $\sim$30% of the total AGN population. In the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS), the identified CT-AGN fraction falls far below theoretical expectations, indicating that a substantial population of CT-AGNs is hidden due to their low photon counts or their flux below the current flux limits of X-ray instruments. This work focuses on identifying CT-AGNs hidden in mid-infrared (MIR)-selected AGNs. First, we selected a sample of 1,104 MIR-selected AGNs that were covered but individually undetected by X-ray. Next, we reduced the X-ray data in the COSMOS and analyzed multiwavelength data in our sample to derive the key physical parameters required for CT-AGN identification. Using MIR diagnostics, we first find out 7 to 23 CT-AGN candidates. Their subsequent X-ray stacking analysis reveals a clear detection at $>3\sigma$ significance in the soft band and only $>1\sigma$ significance in the hard band. We fit the stacked soft- and hard-band fluxes with a physical model and confirm that these sources are absorbed by Compton-thick material. However, CT-AGNs constitute only 2.1% (23/1104) of our sample, significantly below the fraction predicted by CXB synthesis models, indicating that a considerable population of CT-AGNs remains missed by our selection. A comparison of host-galaxy properties between CT-AGNs and non-CT-AGNs reveals no significant differences.

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From Grism to IFU: Revising the Redshift and Nature of the Massive Dusty Galaxy S1 with JWST and ALMA

We report a revised spectroscopic redshift for the dusty massive galaxy S1, previously inferred with an exceptionally high baryon-to-star conversion efficiency from NIRCam slitless grism data at $z_{\rm grism}=5.58$. Our new JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations reveal multiple rest-frame optical and NIR emission lines, yielding a secure spectroscopic redshift of $z_{\rm spec}=3.2439\pm0.0002$. We show that the earlier grism-based redshift resulted from contamination by a nearby galaxy whose dispersed spectral trace overlaps with S1, illustrating a known challenge of slitless spectroscopy when only a single dispersion angle and single emission feature are available. In addition, we present new ALMA 1 mm observations, which robustly detect dust emission ($S_{\rm 1mm}=0.99\pm0.03$ mJy) and show a dust half-light radius ($R_{\rm e,1mm}=0.73\pm0.10$ kpc) slightly smaller than the stellar size ($R_{\rm e, F444W} = 0.97\pm0.01$ kpc). Using the revised redshift and compiled multi-wavelength photometry, we update the UV-to-FIR SED and find that S1 is less extreme than previously inferred, yet remains a very massive (log$M_{\star}/M_{\odot}\sim10.6$), heavily obscured star-forming galaxy. The updated SED modeling reveals S1 to be a very dust- and gas-rich system with a moderate star formation rate and a long gas depletion time ($\tau_{\rm dep} \sim 1.4$ Gyr), deviating from SMGs and OFGs, but more closely resembling typical massive main-sequence galaxies. We note that, although this revision reduces the number of ultra-massive galaxies reported in Xiao et al. 2024, it does not alter the main conclusions of that work. Overall, our study clarifies the nature of S1 and underscores the importance of multi-line spectroscopic confirmation, slitless observations at multiple position angles, and IFU data for robust redshift and physical characterization of rare massive galaxies in the early Universe.

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The relation between the optical variability timescale, magnetic field of jets and black hole spin in active galactic nuclei

We investigate the relationship among the jet magnetic field, black hole spin, black hole mass, Eddington ratio, and optical variability timescales in jetted active galactic nuclei (AGNs). By fitting a damped random walk (DRW) model to the g-band light curves, we obtain the characteristic variability timescale ($\tau_{\rm DRW}$) for 41 jetted AGNs with precise supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass measurements. Our main results are as follows: (i) Our analysis reveals a significant correlation between the jet magnetic field ($B_{\rm 1pc}$), black hole spin ($j$) and the characteristic variability timescale within our sample. These findings suggest that the optical variability of jetted AGNs is influenced by the jet magnetic field and black hole spin. Furthermore, the characteristic variability timescale aligns with the electron escape timescale, as evidenced by the relationship between the characteristic variability timescale and jet magnetic field ($\tau_{\rm DRW}\propto B_{\rm 1pc}^{0.76\pm0.22}$). (ii) We confirm a significant correlation between the characteristic variability timescale and SMBH mass, expressed as: $\log \rm \tau_{\rm DRW} = 0.52(\pm0.21)\log M _{\rm BH}/M_{\rm \odot}-3.12(\pm1.90)$, with an intrinsic scatter of 0.08 dex. The slope of this relationship is consistent with that between the thermal timescale and black hole mass. Our results support the hypothesis that magnetorotational instability (MRI) fluctuations drive the intrinsic variability observed in the light curves emitted by the AGNs accretion disk.

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Molecular gas content of gravitational-lensed quasars at cosmic noon

Star-forming activity in the host galaxies of high-redshift quasars is crucial to understanding the connection between supermassive black hole (SMBH) activity and galaxy evolution. While most existing studies are biased toward luminous quasars, we conduct carbon monoxide (CO) observations of 17 gravitationally lensed quasars that have four images using the IRAM 30m telescope to investigate the molecular gas content of moderate- to low-luminosity quasars. CO emissions are detected in five out of 17 quasars, corresponding to a detection rate of about 30\%. Analysis of their star formation activity reveals that these quasars live in gas-rich environments but exhibit weaker starbursts and lower star formation efficiencies compared to other luminous high-redshift quasars. In addition, the CO spectral line energy distributions of the two quasars (SDSS J0924+0219, SDSS J1330+1810) are also consistent with mild star formation instead of extreme starbursts. These results suggest that these lensed quasars reside in weaker starburst environments.

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Noema formIng Cluster survEy (NICE): A Census of Star Formation and Cold Gas Properties in Massive protoclusters at 1.5<z<4

Massive protoclusters at z~1.5-4, the peak of the cosmic star formation history, are key to understanding the formation mechanisms of massive galaxies in today's clusters. However, studies of protoclusters at these high redshifts remain limited, primarily due to small sample sizes and heterogeneous selection criteria. In this work, we conduct a systematic investigation of the star formation and cold gas properties of member galaxies of eight massive protoclusters in the COSMOS field, using the statistical and homogeneously selected sample from the Noema formIng Cluster survEy (NICE). Our analysis reveals a steep increase in the star formation rates per halo mass ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR} /M_{\rm halo}$) with redshifts in these intensively star-forming protoclusters, reaching values one to two orders of magnitude higher than those observed in the field at z>2. We further show that, instead of an enhancement of starbursts, this increase is largely driven by the concentration of massive and gas-rich star-forming galaxies in the protocluster cores. The member galaxies still generally follow the same star formation main sequence as in the field, with a moderate enhancement at the low mass end. Notably, the most massive protocluster galaxies ($M_\star$>8$\times$10$^{10}$M$_\odot$) exhibit higher $f_{\rm gas}$ and $\tau_{\rm gas}$ than their field counterparts, while remaining on the star forming main sequence. These gas-rich, massive, and star-forming galaxies are predominantly concentrated in the protocluster cores and are likely progenitors of massive ellipticals in the center of today's clusters. These results suggest that the formation of massive galaxies in such environments is sustained by substantial gas reservoirs, which support persistent star formation and drive early mass assembly in forming cluster cores.

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