XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

D’Odorico, Valentina; Bañados, E; Becker, G D; Bischetti, M; Bosman, S E I; Cupani, G; Davies, R; Farina, E P; Ferrara, A; Feruglio, C; Mazzucchelli, C; Ryan-Weber, E; Schindler, J-T; Sodini, A; Venemans, B P; Walter, F; Chen, H; Lai, S; Zhu, Y; Bian, F; Campo, S; Carniani, S; Cristiani, S; Davies, F; Decarli, R; Drake, A; Eilers, A-C; Fan, X; Gaikwad, P; Gallerani, S; Greig, B; Haehnelt, M G; Hennawi, J; Keating, L; Kulkarni, G; Mesinger, A; Meyer, R A; Neeleman, M; Onoue, M; Pallottini, A; Qin, Y; Rojas-Ruiz, S; Satyavolu, S; Sebastian, A; Tripodi, R; Wang, F; Wolfson, M; Yang, J; Zanchettin, M V

doi:10.1093/mnras/stad1468

“…For higher redshifts, we use 18 and six spectra from the Keck/ESI (Sheinis et al 2002) and VLT/X-Shooter (Vernet et al 2011) archives, respectively. We include seven highquality spectra with sufficient wavelength coverage from the XQR-30 VLT large program (D'Odorico et al 2023). The rest of the data are new spectra of eight QSOs near z ∼ 5.5 from our ESI observations.…”

Section: Data and Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work, we report the first measurements of λ mfp at multiple redshifts between z = 6 and 5. In addition to archival QSO spectra used in B21, our sample includes new QSO spectra from the XQR-30 Very Large Telescope (VLT) large program (e.g., Zhu et al 2021Zhu et al , 2022Bischetti et al 2022;Bosman et al 2022;Chen et al 2022;Lai et al 2022;Davies et al 2023a;D'Odorico et al 2023;Satyavolu et al 2023) as well as from new Keck/Echellette Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) observations. This paper is organized as follows.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probing Ultralate Reionization: Direct Measurements of the Mean Free Path over 5 < z < 6

Zhu,

Becker,

Christenson

et al. 2023

ApJ

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The mean free path of ionizing photons, λ mfp, is a critical parameter for modeling the intergalactic medium (IGM) both during and after reionization. We present direct measurements of λ mfp from QSO spectra over the redshift range 5 < z < 6, including the first measurements at z ≃ 5.3 and 5.6. Our sample includes data from the XQR-30 VLT large program, as well as new Keck/ESI observations of QSOs near z ∼ 5.5, for which we also acquire new [C ii] 158 μm redshifts with ALMA. By measuring the Lyman continuum transmission profile in stacked QSO spectra, we find λ mfp = 9.33 − 1.80 + 2.06 , 5.40 − 1.40 + 1.47 , 3.31 − 1.34 + 2.74 , and 0.81 − 0.48 + 0.73 pMpc at z = 5.08, 5.31, 5.65, and 5.93, respectively. Our results demonstrate that λ mfp increases steadily and rapidly with time over 5 < z < 6. Notably, we find that λ mfp deviates significantly from predictions based on a fully ionized and relaxed IGM as late as z = 5.3. By comparing our results to model predictions and indirect λ mfp constraints based on IGM Lyα opacity, we find that the evolution of λ mfp is consistent with scenarios wherein the IGM is still undergoing reionization and/or retains large fluctuations in the ionizing UV background well below redshift 6.

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“…In this work, we analyze the connection between absorbing gas and galaxies using four quasar sight lines (J0305-3150, J0226+0302, J0224-4711, and J0923+0402) for which we have both Very Large Telescope (VLT)/X-shooter and ASPIRE JWST/WFSS data. The latter three sight lines are part of the XQR-30 sample (D'Odorico et al 2023). The absorber catalog can be found in Davies et al (2023a).…”

Section: Very Large Telescope/x-shooter Data Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): Impact of Galaxies on the Circumgalactic Medium Metal Enrichment at z > 6 Using the JWST and VLT

Zou,

Cai,

Wang

et al. 2024

ApJL

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We characterize the multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) and galaxy properties at z = 6.0–6.5 in four quasar fields from the James Webb Space Telescope A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE) program. We use the Very Large Telescope/X-shooter spectra of quasar J0305–3150 to identify one new metal absorber at z = 6.2713 with multiple transitions (O i, Mg ii, Fe ii, and C ii). They are combined with the published absorbing systems in Davies et al. at the same redshift range to form a sample of nine metal absorbers at z = 6.03–6.49. We identify eight galaxies within 1000 km s−1 and 350 kpc around the absorbing gas from the ASPIRE spectroscopic data, with their redshifts secured by [O iii] (λ λ4959, 5007) doublets and Hβ emission lines. Our spectral energy distribution fitting indicates that the absorbing galaxies have stellar masses ranging from 107.2 to 108.8 M ⊙ and metallicity between 0.02 and 0.4 solar. Notably, the z = 6.2713 system in the J0305–3150 field resides in a galaxy overdensity region, which contains two (tentatively) merging galaxies within 350 kpc and seven galaxies within 1 Mpc. We measure the relative abundances of α elements to iron ([α/Fe]) and find that the CGM gas in the most overdense region exhibits a lower [α/Fe] ratio. Our modeling of the galaxy’s chemical abundance favors a top-heavy stellar initial mass function and hints that we may be witnessing the contribution of the first generation of Population III stars to the CGM at the end of the reionization epoch.

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“…We use the spectral-synthesis code SimBAL (Leighly et al 2018) to fit the BAL features in the rest-UV spectrum of J0923 +0402, which was acquired with the Very Large Telescope (VLT)/X-Shooter spectrograph as part of the XQR-30 survey (D'Odorico et al 2023). Details on the data reduction and calibration are given in Bischetti et al (2022) andD'Odorico et al (2023).…”

Section: Bal Data and Simbal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We use the spectral-synthesis code SimBAL (Leighly et al 2018) to fit the BAL features in the rest-UV spectrum of J0923 +0402, which was acquired with the Very Large Telescope (VLT)/X-Shooter spectrograph as part of the XQR-30 survey (D'Odorico et al 2023). Details on the data reduction and calibration are given in Bischetti et al (2022) andD'Odorico et al (2023). The spectrum was shifted to the rest frame using z [C II] (Table 1, calculated as in Section 2.2) and binned to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N  5 per 100 km s −1 pixel in the C IV trough at ∼1500 Å).…”

Section: Bal Data and Simbal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiphase Black Hole Feedback and a Bright [C ii] Halo in a LoBAL Quasar at z ∼ 6.6

Bischetti,

Choi 최현,

Fiore

et al. 2024

ApJ

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Although the mass growth of supermassive black holes during the epoch of reionization is expected to play a role in shaping the concurrent growth of their host galaxies, observational evidence of feedback at z ≳ 6 is still sparse. We perform the first multiscale and multiphase characterization of black-hole-driven outflows in the z ∼ 6.6 quasar J0923+0402 and assess how these winds impact the cold gas reservoir. We employ the SimBAL spectral synthesis to fit broad absorption line features and find a powerful ionized outflow on a ≲210 pc scale, with a kinetic power ∼2%–100% of the quasar luminosity. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of [C ii] emission allow us to study the morphology and kinematics of the cold gas. We detect high-velocity [C ii] emission, likely associated with a cold neutral outflow at ∼0.5−2 kpc scale in the host galaxy, and a bright extended [C ii] halo with a size of ∼15 kpc. For the first time at such an early epoch, we accurately constrain the outflow energetics in both the ionized and the atomic neutral gas phases. We find such energetics to be consistent with expectations for an efficient feedback mechanism, and both ejective and preventative feedback modes are likely at play. The scales and energetics of the ionized and atomic outflows suggest that they might be associated with different quasar accretion episodes. The results of this work indicate that strong black hole feedback is occurring in quasars at z ≳ 6 and is likely responsible for shaping the properties of the cold gas reservoir up to circumgalactic scales.

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XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

Cited by 30 publications

References 156 publications

Probing Ultralate Reionization: Direct Measurements of the Mean Free Path over 5 < z < 6

Probing Ultralate Reionization: Direct Measurements of the Mean Free Path over 5 < z < 6

A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): Impact of Galaxies on the Circumgalactic Medium Metal Enrichment at z > 6 Using the JWST and VLT

Multiphase Black Hole Feedback and a Bright [C ii] Halo in a LoBAL Quasar at z ∼ 6.6

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