2024ApJ...977..190X -
Astrophys. J., 977, 190 (2024/December-3)
Constraining the Excitation of Molecular Gas in Two Quasar-starburst Systems at z ∼ 6.
XU F., WANG R., LI J., NERI R., PENSABENE A., DECARLI R., SHAO Y., BANADOS E., COX P., BERTOLDI F., FERUGLIO C., WALTER F., VENEMANS B.P., OMONT A., RIECHERS D., WAGG J., MENTEN K.M. and FAN X.
Abstract (from CDS):
We present NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array observations of CO(8-7), (9-8), and (10-9) lines, as well as the underlying continuum for two far-infrared luminous quasars: SDSS J2054-0005 at z = 6.0389 and SDSS J0129-0035 at z = 5.7788. Both quasars were previously detected in CO (2-1) and (6-5) transitions, making them candidates for studying the CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of quasars at z ∼ 6. Utilizing the radiative transfer code CLOUDY, we fit the CO SLED with two heating mechanisms, including the photodissociation region (PDR) and X-ray-dominated region (XDR) for both objects. The CO SLEDs can be fitted by either a dense PDR component with an extremely strong far-ultraviolet radiation field (gas density nH ∼ 106 cm–3 and field strength G0 ≳ 106) or a two-component model including a PDR and an XDR. However, the line ratios, including LTIR and previous [C II]_158 μm_ and [C I]_369 μm_ measurements, argue against a very high PDR radiation field strength. Thus, the results prefer a PDR+XDR origin for the CO SLED. The excitation of the high-J CO lines in both objects is likely dominated by the central active galactic nucleus (AGN). We then check the CO (9-8)-to-(6-5) line luminosity ratio r96 for all z ∼ 6 quasars with available CO SLEDs (seven in total) and find that there are no clear correlations between r96 and both LFIR and the AGN UV luminosities. This further demonstrates the complexity of the CO excitation powered by both the AGN and nuclear star formation in these young quasar host galaxies.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
AGN host galaxies - Galaxies - Quasars - Molecular gas - Submillimeter astronomy
Simbad objects:
8
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