arXiv subjects

Thomas Connor

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Connor.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Pilot-WINGS: An extended MUSE view of the structure of Abell 370

We investigate the strong-lensing cluster Abell 370 (A370) using a wide Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopic mosaic from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). IFU spectroscopy provides significant insight into the structure and mass content of galaxy clusters, yet IFU-based cluster studies focus almost exclusively on the central Einstein-radius region. Covering over 14 arcmin$^2$, the new MUSE mosaic extends significantly beyond the A370 Einstein radius, providing, for the first time, a detailed look at the cluster outskirts. Combining these data with wide-field, multi-band Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging from the BUFFALO project, we analyse the distribution of objects within the cluster and along the line of sight. Identifying 416 cluster galaxies, we use kinematics to trace the radial mass profile of the halo, providing a mass estimate independent from the lens model. We also measure radially-averaged properties of the cluster members, tracking their evolution as a function of infall. Thanks to the high spatial resolution of our data, we identify six cluster members acting as galaxy-galaxy lenses, which constrain localized mass distributions beyond the Einstein radius. Finally, taking advantage of MUSE's 3D capabilities, we detect and analyse multiple spatially extended overdensities outside of the cluster that influence lensing-derived halo mass estimates. We stress that much of this work is only possible thanks to the robust, extended IFU coverage, highlighting its importance even in less optically dense cluster regions. Overall, this work showcases the power of combining HST+MUSE, and serves as the initial step towards a larger and wider program targeting several clusters.

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arXiv2021

The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey XI: Stellar Mass Fractions and Luminosity Functions of MaDCoWS Clusters at $z \sim 1$

We present stellar mass fractions and composite luminosity functions (LFs) for a sample of \Ncl\ clusters from the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS) at a redshift range of $0.951 \leq z \leq 1.43$. Using SED fitting of optical and deep mid-infrared photometry, we establish the membership of objects along the lines-of-sight to these clusters and calculate the stellar masses of member galaxies. We find stellar mass fractions for these clusters largely consistent with previous works, including appearing to display a negative correlation with total cluster mass. We measure a composite $3.6~\mathrm{μm}$ LF down to $m^*+2.5$ for all 12 clusters. Fitting a Schechter function to the LF, we find a characteristic $3.6~\mathrm{μm}$ magnitude of $m^*=19.83\pm0.12$ and faint-end slope of $α=-0.81\pm0.10$ for the full sample at a mean redshift of $\bar{z} = 1.18$. We also divide the clusters into high- and low-redshift bins at $\bar{z}=1.29$ and $\bar{z}=1.06$ respectively and measure a composite LF for each bin. We see a small, but statistically significant evolution in $m^*$ and $α$ -- consistent with passive evolution -- when we study the joint fit to the two parameters, which is probing the evolution of faint cluster galaxies at $z\sim1$. This highlights the importance of deep IR data in studying the evolution of cluster galaxy populations at high-redshift.

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arXiv2021

X-Ray Evidence Against the Hypothesis that the Hyper-Luminous z=6.3 Quasar J0100+2802 is Lensed

The $z=6.327$ quasar SDSS J010013.02+280225.8 (hereafter J0100+2802) is believed to be powered by a black hole more massive than $10^{10}\ {\rm M}_\odot$, making it the most massive black hole known in the first billion years of the Universe. However, recent high-resolution ALMA imaging shows four structures at the location of this quasar, potentially implying that it is lensed with a magnification of $μ\sim450$ and thus its black hole is significantly less massive. Furthermore, for the underlying distribution of magnifications of $z\gtrsim6$ quasars to produce such an extreme value, theoretical models predict that a larger number of quasars in this epoch should be lensed, implying further overestimates of early black hole masses. To provide an independent constraint on the possibility that J0100+2802 is lensed, we re-analyzed archival XMM-Newton observations of the quasar and compared the expected ratios of X-ray luminosity to rest-frame UV and IR luminosities. For both cases, J0100+2802's X-ray flux is consistent with the no-lensing scenario; while this could be explained by J0100+2802 being X-ray faint, we find it does not have the X-ray or optical spectral features expected for an X-ray faint quasar. Finally, we compare the overall distribution of X-ray fluxes for known, typical $z\gtrsim6$ quasars. We find a $3σ$ tension between the observed and predicted X-ray-to-UV flux ratios when adopting the magnification probability distribution required to produce a $μ=450$ quasar.

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arXiv2021

Gaia GraL: Gaia DR2 Gravitational Lens Systems. VII. XMM-Newton Observations of Lensed Quasars

We present XMM-Newton X-ray observations of nine confirmed lensed quasars at $1 \lesssim z \lesssim 3$ identified by the Gaia Gravitational Lens program. Eight systems are strongly detected, with 0.3--8.0 keV fluxes $F_{0.3-8.0} \gtrsim 5 \times 10^{-14}\ {\rm erg}\ {\rm cm}^{-2}\ {\rm s}^{-1}$. Modeling the X-ray spectra with an absorbed power law, we derive power law photon indices and 2--10 keV luminosities for the eight detected quasars. In addition to presenting sample properties for larger quasar population studies and for use in planning for future caustic crossing events, we also identify three quasars of interest: a quasar that shows evidence of flux variability from previous ROSAT observations, the most closely-separated individual lensed sources resolved by XMM-Newton, and one of the X-ray brightest quasars known at $z>3$. These sources represent the tip of discovery that will be enabled by SRG/eROSITA.

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arXiv2021

The Impact of Powerful Jets on the Far-infrared Emission of an Extreme Radio Quasar at z~6

The interactions between radio jets and the interstellar medium play a defining role for the co-evolution of central supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, but observational constraints on these feedback processes are still very limited at redshifts $z > 2$. We investigate the radio-loud quasar PSO J352.4034-15.3373 at $z \sim 6$ at the edge of the Epoch of Reionization. This quasar is among the most powerful radio emitters and the first one with direct evidence of extended radio jets ($\sim$1.6 kpc) at these high redshifts. We analyze NOEMA and ALMA millimeter data targeting the CO (6-5) and [CII] far-infrared emission lines, respectively, and the underlying continuum. The broad $440\pm 80$ km s$^{-1}$ and marginally resolved [CII] emission line yields a systemic redshift of $z\!=\!5.832 \pm 0.001$. Additionally, we report a strong 215 MHz radio continuum detection, $88\pm 7$ mJy, using the GMRT. This measurement significantly improves the constraints at the low-frequency end of the spectral energy distribution of this quasar. In contrast to what is typically observed in high-redshift radio-quiet quasars, we show that cold dust emission alone cannot reproduce the millimeter continuum measurements. This is evidence that the strong synchrotron emission from the quasar contributes substantially to the emission even at millimeter (far-infrared in the rest-frame) wavelengths. This quasar is an ideal system to probe the effects of radio jets during the formation of a massive galaxy within the first Gyr of the Universe.

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arXiv2021

Discovery of a Possible Splashback Feature in the Intracluster Light of MACS J1149.5+2223

We present an analysis of the intracluster light in the Frontier Field Cluster MACS J1149.5+2223 (z=0.544), which combines new and archival Hubble WFC3/IR imaging to provide continuous radial coverage out to 2.8 Mpc from the brightest cluster galaxy. Employing careful treatment of potential systematic biases and using data at the largest radii to determine the background sky level, we reconstruct the surface brightness profile out to a radius of 2 Mpc. This radius is the largest to which the intracluster light (ICL) has been measured for an individual cluster. Within this radius, we measure a total luminosity of 1.5e13 Lsun for the brightest cluster galaxy plus ICL light. From the profile and its logarithmic slope, we identify the transition from the brightest cluster galaxy to ICL at r~70 kpc. Remarkably, we also detect an inflection in the profile centered in the 1.2-1.7 Mpc (0.37-0.52 r200m) radial bin, a signature of an infall caustic in the stellar distribution. Based upon the shape and strength of the feature, we interpret it as potentially being at the splashback radius, although the radius is smaller than theoretical predictions. If this is the splashback radius, then it is the first such detection in the ICL and the first detection of the splashback radius for an individual cluster. Similar analyses should be possible with the other Frontier Field clusters, and eventually with clusters from the Euclid and Roman missions.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Chandra and Magellan/FIRE follow-up observations of PSO167-13: an X-ray weak QSO at $z=6.515$

The discovery of hundreds of QSOs in the first Gyr of the Universe powered by already grown SMBHs challenges our knowledge of SMBH formation. In particular, investigations of $z>6$ QSOs presenting notable properties can provide unique information on the physics of fast SMBH growth in the early universe. We present the results of follow-up observations of the $z=6.515$ radio-quiet QSO PSO167-13, which is interacting with a close companion galaxy. The PSO167-13 system has been recently proposed to host the first heavily obscured X-ray source at high redshift. We observed PSO167-13 with Chandra/ACIS-S (177 ks), and obtained new spectroscopic observations (7.2 h) with Magellan/FIRE. No significant X-ray emission is detected from the PSO167-13 system, suggesting that the obscured X-ray source previously tentatively detected was either due to a strong background fluctuation or is highly variable. The upper limit (90% confidence level) on the X-ray emission of PSO167-13 ($L_{2-10\,\mathrm{keV}}<8.3\times10^{43}\,\mathrm{erg s^{-1}}$) is the lowest available for a $z>6$ QSO. The ratio between the X-ray and UV luminosity of $α_{ox}<-1.95$ makes PSO167-13 a strong outlier from the $α_{ox}-L_{UV}$ and $L_X-L_{\mathrm{bol}}$ relations. In particular, its X-ray emission is $>6$ times weaker than the expectation based on its UV luminosity. The new Magellan/FIRE spectrum of PSO167-13 is strongly affected by the unfavorable sky conditions, but the tentatively detected C IV and Mg II emission lines appear strongly blueshifted. The most plausible explanations for the X-ray weakness of PSO167-13 are intrinsic weakness or small-scale absorption by Compton-thick material. The possible strong blueshift of its emission lines hints at the presence of nuclear winds, which could be related to its X-ray weakness.

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arXiv2021

Enhanced X-ray Emission from the Most Radio-Powerful Quasar in the Universe's First Billion Years

We present deep (265 ks) Chandra X-ray observations of PSO J352.4034$-$15.3373, a quasar at z=5.831 that, with a radio-to-optical flux ratio of R>1000, is one of the radio-loudest quasars in the early universe and is the only quasar with observed extended radio jets of kpc-scale at $z \gtrsim 6$. Modeling the X-ray spectrum of the quasar with a power law, we find a best fit of $Γ= 1.99^{+0.29}_{-0.28}$, leading to an X-ray luminosity of $L_{2-10} = 1.26^{+0.45}_{-0.33} \times 10^{45}\ {\rm erg}\ {\rm s}^{-1}$ and an X-ray to UV brightness ratio of $α_{\rm OX} = -1.36 \pm 0.11$. We identify a diffuse structure 50 kpc (${\sim}8^{\prime\prime}$) to the NW of the quasar along the jet axis that corresponds to a $3σ$ enhancement in the angular density of emission and can be ruled out as a background fluctuation with a probability of P=0.9985. While with few detected photons the spectral fit of the structure is uncertain, we find that it has a luminosity of $L_{2-10}\sim10^{44}\ {\rm erg}\ {\rm s}^{-1}$. These observations therefore potentially represent the most distant quasar jet yet seen in X-rays. We find no evidence for excess X-ray emission where the previously-reported radio jets are seen (which have an overall linear extent of $0.^{\prime\prime}28$), and a bright X-ray point source located along the jet axis to the SE is revealed by optical and NIR imaging to not be associated with the quasar.

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arXiv2021

The discovery of a highly accreting, radio-loud quasar at z=6.82

Radio sources at the highest redshifts can provide unique information on the first massive galaxies and black holes, the densest primordial environments, and the epoch of reionization. The number of astronomical objects identified at z>6 has increased dramatically over the last few years, but previously only three radio-loud (R2500>10) sources had been reported at z>6, with the most distant being a quasar at z=6.18. Here we present the discovery and characterization of P172+18, a radio-loud quasar at z=6.823. This source has an MgII-based black hole mass of ~3x10^8 Msun and is one of the fastest accreting quasars, consistent with super-Eddington accretion. The ionized region around the quasar is among the largest measured at these redshifts, implying an active phase longer than the average lifetime of the z>6 quasar population. From archival data, there is evidence that its 1.4 GHz emission has decreased by a factor of two over the last two decades. The quasar's radio spectrum between 1.4 and 3.0 GHz is steep (alpha=-1.31) and has a radio-loudness parameter R2500~90. A second steep radio source (alpha=-0.83) of comparable brightness to the quasar is only 23.1" away (~120 kpc at z=6.82; projection probability <2%), but shows no optical or near-infrared counterpart. Further follow-up is required to establish whether these two sources are physically associated.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey IX: High Radio Activity in a Merging Cluster

We present a multi-wavelength investigation of the radio galaxy population in the galaxy cluster MOO J1506+5137 at $z$=1.09$\pm$0.03, which in previous work we identified as having multiple complex radio sources. The combined dataset used in this work includes data from the Low-Frequency Array Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS), NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS). We find that there are five radio sources which are all located within 500 kpc ($\sim$1$^{\prime}$) of the cluster center and have radio luminosities $P_{\mathrm{1.4GHz}}$ > 1.6$\times$10$^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$. The typical host galaxies are among the highest stellar mass galaxies in the cluster. The exceptional radio activity among the massive galaxy population appears to be linked to the dynamical state of the cluster. The galaxy distribution suggests an ongoing merger, with a subgroup found to the northwest of the main cluster. Further, two of the five sources are classified as bent-tail sources with one being a potential wide-angle tail (WAT)/hybrid morphology radio source (HyMoRS) indicating a dynamic environment. The cluster also lies in a region of the mass-richness plane occupied by other merging clusters in the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS). The data suggest that during the merger phase radio activity can be dramatically enhanced, which would contribute to the observed trend of increased radio activity in clusters with increasing redshift.

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arXiv2021

A Luminous Quasar at Redshift 7.642

Distant quasars are unique tracers to study the formation of the earliest supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and the history of cosmic reionization. Despite extensive efforts, only two quasars have been found at $z\ge7.5$, due to a combination of their low spatial density and the high contamination rate in quasar selection. We report the discovery of a luminous quasar at $z=7.642$, J0313$-$1806, the most distant quasar yet known. This quasar has a bolometric luminosity of $3.6\times10^{13} L_\odot$. Deep spectroscopic observations reveal a SMBH with a mass of $(1.6\pm0.4) \times10^9M_\odot$ in this quasar. The existence of such a massive SMBH just $\sim$670 million years after the Big Bang challenges significantly theoretical models of SMBH growth. In addition, the quasar spectrum exhibits strong broad absorption line (BAL) features in CIV and SiIV, with a maximum velocity close to 20% of the speed of light. The relativistic BAL features, combined with a strongly blueshifted CIV emission line, indicate that there is a strong active galactic nucleus (AGN) driven outflow in this system. ALMA observations detect the dust continuum and [CII] emission from the quasar host galaxy, yielding an accurate redshift of $7.6423 \pm 0.0013$ and suggesting that the quasar is hosted by an intensely star-forming galaxy, with a star formation rate of $\rm\sim 200 ~M_\odot ~yr^{-1}$ and a dust mass of $\sim7\times10^7~M_\odot$. Followup observations of this reionization-era BAL quasar will provide a powerful probe of the effects of AGN feedback on the growth of the earliest massive galaxies.

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arXiv2020

The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey X: Initial Results from a Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect Study of Massive Galaxy Clusters at z>1 using MUSTANG2 on the GBT

The properties of galaxy clusters as a function of redshift can be utilized as an important cosmological tool. We present initial results from a program of follow-up observations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) in high redshift galaxy clusters detected at infrared wavelengths in the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS). Using typical on-source integration times of 3-4 hours per cluster, MUSTANG2 on the Green Bank Telescope was able to measure strong detections of SZE decrements and statistically significant masses on 14 out of 16 targets. On the remaining two, weaker (3.7 sigma) detections of the SZE signal and strong upper limits on the masses were obtained. In this paper we present masses and pressure profiles of each target and outline the data analysis used to recover these quantities. Of the clusters with strong detections, three show significantly flatter pressure profiles while, from the MUSTANG2 data, five others show signs of disruption at their cores. However, outside of the cores of the clusters, we were unable to detect significant amounts of asymmetry. Finally, there are indications that the relationship between optical richness used by MaDCoWS and SZE-inferred mass may be significantly flatter than indicated in previous studies.

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arXiv2020

X-ray Observations of a [C II]-bright, z=6.59 Quasar/Companion System

We present deep Chandra observations of PSO J231.6576$-$20.8335, a quasar at redshift z=6.59 with a nearby (${\sim}8$ proper kpc) companion galaxy. ALMA observed both the quasar and companion to be bright in [C II], and the system has significant extended Ly$α$ emission around the quasar, suggesting that a galaxy merger is ongoing. Unlike previous studies of two similar systems, and despite observing the system with Chandra for 140 ks, we do not detect the companion in X-rays. The quasar itself is detected, but only $13.3^{+4.8}_{-3.7}$ net counts are observed. From a basic spectral analysis, the X-ray spectrum of the quasar is soft (hardness ratio of $\mathcal{HR} = -0.60_{-0.27}^{+0.17}$, power-law index of $Γ=2.6^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$), which results in a rest-frame X-ray luminosity comparable to other bright quasars ($L_{2-10} = 1.09^{+2.20}_{-0.70}\times 10^{45}\ \textrm{erg}\ \textrm{s}^{-1}$) despite the faint observed X-ray flux. We highlight two possible interpretations of this result: the quasar has a steep value of $Γ$ -- potentially related to observed ongoing Eddington accretion -- thereby pushing much of the emission out of our observed band, or the quasar has a more normal spectrum ($Γ{\sim}2$) but is therefore less X-ray luminous ($L_{2-10} \sim 0.6 \times 10^{45}\ \textrm{ erg}\ \textrm{ s}^{-1}$).

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arXiv2020

Properties of the Hot Ambient Medium of Early-type Galaxies Hosting Powerful Radio Sources

We present an archival analysis of Chandra X-ray observations for twelve nearby early-type galaxies hosting radio sources with radio power $>10^{23} \, \rm{W}~\rm{Hz}^{-1}$ at 1.4 GHz, similar to the radio power of the radio source in NGC 4261. Previously, in a similar analysis of eight nearby X-ray and optically-bright elliptical galaxies, Werner et al. 2012, found that NGC 4261 exhibited unusually low central gas entropy compared to the full sample. In the central 0.3 kpc of NGC 4261, the ratio of cooling time to freefall time ($t_{\rm{cool}}/t_{\rm ff}$) is less than $10$, indicating that cold clouds may be precipitating out of the hot ambient medium and providing fuel for accretion in the central region. NGC 4261 also hosts the most powerful radio source in the original sample. Because NGC 4261 may represent an important phase during which powerful feedback from a central active galactic nucleus (AGN) is fueled by multiphase condensation in the central kpc, we searched the Chandra archive for analogs to NGC 4261. We present entropy profiles of those galaxies as well as profiles of $t_{\rm{cool}}/t_{\rm ff}$. We find that one of them, IC 4296, exhibits properties similar to NGC 4261, including the presence of only single phase gas outside of $r \sim 2$ kpc and a similar central velocity dispersion. We compare the properties of NGC 4261 and IC 4296 to hydrodynamic simulations of AGN feedback fueled by precipitation. Over the course of those simulations, the single phase galaxy has an entropy gradient that remains similar to the entropy profiles inferred from our observations.

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arXiv2020

The Rise and Fall of ASASSN-18pg: Following a TDE from Early To Late Times

We present nearly 500 days of observations of the tidal disruption event ASASSN-18pg, spanning from 54 days before peak light to 441 days after peak light. Our dataset includes X-ray, UV, and optical photometry, optical spectroscopy, radio observations, and the first published spectropolarimetric observations of a TDE. ASASSN-18pg was discovered on 2018 July 11 by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) at a distance of $d=78.6$ Mpc, and with a peak UV magnitude of $m\simeq14$ it is both one of the nearest and brightest TDEs discovered to-date. The photometric data allow us to track both the rise to peak and the long-term evolution of the TDE. ASASSN-18pg peaked at a luminosity of $L\simeq2.2\times10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$, and its late-time evolution is shallower than a flux $\propto t^{-5/3}$ power-law model, similar to what has been seen in other TDEs. ASASSN-18pg exhibited Balmer lines and spectroscopic features consistent with Bowen fluorescence prior to peak which remained detectable for roughly 225 days after peak. Analysis of the two-component H$α$ profile indicates that, if they are the result of reprocessing of emission from the accretion disk, the different spectroscopic lines may be coming from regions between $\sim10$ and $\sim60$ light-days from the black hole. No X-ray emission is detected from the TDE and there is no evidence of a jet or strong outflow detected in the radio. Our spectropolarimetric observations give no strong evidence for significant asphericity in the emission region, with the emission region having an axis ratio of at least $\sim0.65$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

The BUFFALO HST Survey

The Beyond Ultra-deep Frontier Fields and Legacy Observations (BUFFALO) is a 101 orbit + 101 parallel Cycle 25 Hubble Space Telescope Treasury program taking data from 2018-2020. BUFFALO will expand existing coverage of the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) in WFC3/IR F105W, F125W, and F160W and ACS/WFC F606W and F814W around each of the six HFF clusters and flanking fields. This additional area has not been observed by HST but is already covered by deep multi-wavelength datasets, including Spitzer and Chandra. As with the original HFF program, BUFFALO is designed to take advantage of gravitational lensing from massive clusters to simultaneously find high-redshift galaxies which would otherwise lie below HST detection limits and model foreground clusters to study properties of dark matter and galaxy assembly. The expanded area will provide a first opportunity to study both cosmic variance at high redshift and galaxy assembly in the outskirts of the large HFF clusters. Five additional orbits are reserved for transient followup. BUFFALO data including mosaics, value-added catalogs and cluster mass distribution models will be released via MAST on a regular basis, as the observations and analysis are completed for the six individual clusters.

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arXiv2020

The Most Rapidly Declining Type I Supernova 2019bkc/ATLAS19dqr

We report observations of the hydrogen-deficient supernova (SN) 2019bkc/ATLAS19dqr. With B- and r-band decline between peak and 10 days post peak of Delta m_10(B)=5.24+/-0.07 mag and Delta m_10(r)=3.85+/-0.10$ mag, respectively, SN 2019bkc is the most rapidly declining SN I discovered so far. While its closest matches are the rapidly declining SN 2005ek and SN 2010X, the light curves and spectra of SN 2019bkc show some unprecedented characteristics. SN 2019bkc appears "hostless," with no identifiable host galaxy near its location, although it may be associated with the galaxy cluster MKW1 at z = 0.02. We evaluate a number of existing models of fast-evolving SNe, and we find that none of them can satisfactorily explain all aspects of SN 2019bkc observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

X-ray Observations of a $z\sim6.2$ Quasar/Galaxy Merger

Quasars at early redshifts ($z > 6$) with companion galaxies offer unique insights into the growth and evolution of the first supermassive black holes. Here, we report on a 150 ks Chandra observation of PSO J308.0416$-$21.2339, a $z=6.23$ quasar with a merging companion galaxy identified in [C II] and rest-frame UV emission. With $72.3^{+9.6}_{-8.6}$ net counts, we find that PSO J308.0416$-$21.2339 is powerful ($L_X = 2.31^{+1.14}_{-0.76} \times 10^{45}\ \textrm{erg}\,\textrm{s}^{-1}\,\textrm{cm}^{-2}$ in rest-frame $2.0-10.0$ keV) yet soft (spectral power-law index $Γ=2.39^{+0.37}_{-0.36}$ and optical-to-X-ray slope $α_{\rm OX} = -1.41 \pm 0.11$). In addition, we detect three hard-energy photons $2.''0$ to the west of the main quasar, cospatial with the brightest UV emission of the merging companion. As no soft-energy photons are detected in the same area, this is potentially indicative of a highly-obscured source. With conservative assumptions, and accounting for both background fluctuations and the extended wings of the quasar's emission, these photons only have a probability $P=0.021$ of happening by chance. If confirmed by deeper observations, this system is the first high redshift quasar and companion individually detected in X-rays and is likely a dual AGN.

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