2017ApJ...841..128K

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the high-redshift universe are thought to reside in overdense environments. However, recent works provide controversial results, partly due to the use of different techniques and possible suppression of nearby galaxy formation by AGN feedback. We conducted deep and wide-field imaging observations with the Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope and searched for Lyα emitters (LAEs) around two quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) at z ∼ 4.9 and a radio galaxy at z ∼ 4.5 by using narrowband filters to address these issues more robustly. In the QSO fields, we obtained additional broadband images to select Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z ∼ 5 for comparison. We constructed a photometric sample of 301 LAEs and 170 LBGs in total. A wide field of view (34' x 27', corresponding to 80 x 60 comoving Mpc²) of the Suprime-Cam enabled us to probe galaxies in the immediate vicinities of the AGNs and in the blank fields simultaneously and compare various properties of them in a consistent manner. The two QSOs are located near local density peaks (<2σ), and one of the QSOs has a close companion LAE with projected separation of 80 physical kpc. The radio galaxy is found to be near a void of LAEs. The number densities of LAEs/LGBs in a larger spatial scale around the AGNs are not significantly different from those in blank fields. No sign of feedback is found down to L_Lyα∼10^41.8 erg s^–1. Our results suggest that high-redshift AGNs are not associated with extreme galaxy overdensity and that this cannot be attributed to the effect of AGN feedback.