2025ApJ...994L...6T -
Astrophys. J., 994, L6 (2025/November-3)
A Deep Dive down the Broad-line Region: Permitted O I, Ca II, and Fe II Emission in an Active Galactic Nucleus Little Red Dot at z = 5.3.
TRIPODI R., BRADAC M., D'EUGENIO F., MARTIS N., RIHTARSIC G., WILLOTT C., PENTERICCI L., MORESCHINI B., MARKEVITCH M., ASADA Y., CALABRO A., DESPREZ G., FELICIONI G., GASPAR G., GONZALEZ A.H., HARSHAN A., JI X., JUDEZ J., LEMAUX B.C., MARCONI A., MARKOV V., MERIDA R.M., NAPOLITANO L., NOIROT G., PARENTE M., PETER A.H.G., ROBBINS L., ROBERTSON A., SARROUH G.T.E. and SAWICKI M.
Abstract (from CDS):
We present a spectroscopic analysis of a broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) selected as a little red dot (LRD) at z = 5.3 behind the Bullet cluster (Bz5.3) based on JWST/NIRCam and NIRSpec data. The detection of strong Fe II, O I, and Ca II triplet emission lines, along with the evidence of broad Balmer lines, provides strong evidence of a broad-line region (BLR) and an accreting supermassive black hole. Notably, we report the first detection of the λ1304 bump (i.e., a blend of O Iλ1304 and Si II) at high redshift, a feature commonly seen in local AGNs but not yet reported in the early Universe. The O Iλ1304/λ8446 photon ratio provides an independent measurement of dust attenuation in galaxies. In Bz5.3, this ratio is highly suppressed (0.1-0.3), implying significant internal dust extinction, with estimated dust attenuation AV ∼ 0.4-1.0. We identify Lyβ fluorescence as the dominant excitation mechanism of the low-ionization lines, with additional contributions from collisional excitation. High O Iλ8446 equivalent width and weak O Iλ7774 support this interpretation. The detection of iron emission, whether from broad permitted or narrow forbidden lines, supports the presence of a stratified BLR, as also recently proposed in local LRDs. Photoionization modeling of O Iλ8446 and Ca II further suggests the coexistence of multiple gas phases with distinct densities and ionization states, highlighting the complexity of the BLR. Bz5.3 thus offers a rare window into early AGN activity and BLR physics at early times.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Astrophysical black holes - AGN host galaxies - Galaxy spectroscopy
Simbad objects:
5
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