Resolved Dust Emission in a Quasar at z = 3.65

Clements, D. L.; Petitpas, G.; Farrah, D.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Babbedge, T.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Pérez-Fournon, I.; Hernán-Caballero, A.; Castro-Rodríguez, N.; Lonsdale, C.; Surace, J.; Franceschini, A.; Wilkes, B. J.; Smith, H.
Bibliographical reference

The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 698, Issue 2, pp. L188-L191 (2009).

Advertised on:
6
2009
Number of authors
14
IAC number of authors
3
Citations
13
Refereed citations
12
Description
We present submillimeter observations of the z= 3.653 quasar SDSS 160705+533558 together with data in the optical and infrared. The object is unusually bright in the far-IR and submillimeter with an IR luminosity of ~1014 L sun. We ascribe this luminosity to a combination of active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst emission, with the starburst forming stars at a rate of a few thousand solar masses per year. Submillimeter Array imaging observations with a resolution ~1'' show that the submillimeter (850 μm) emission is extended on scales of 10- 35 kpc and is offset from the optical position by ~10 kpc. This morphology is dissimilar to that found in submillimeter galaxies, which are generally unresolved or marginally resolved on arcsecond scales, or submillimeter-luminous AGNs where the AGN lies at the peak of the submillimeter or molecular emission. The simplest explanation is that the object is in the early stages of a merger between a gas-rich galaxy, which hosts the starburst, and a gas-poor AGN-host galaxy, which is responsible for the quasar emission. It is also possible that jet-induced star formation might contribute to the unusual morphology.
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Formation and Evolution of Galaxies: Observations in Infrared and other Wavelengths
This IAC research group carries out several extragalactic projects in different spectral ranges, using space as well as ground-based telescopes, to study the cosmological evolution of galaxies and the origin of nuclear activity in active galaxies. The group is a member of the international consortium which built the SPIRE instrument for the
Ismael
Pérez Fournon