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Discovery of a single faint AGN in a large sample of z > 5 Lyman break galaxies
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Douglas, L. S., Bremer, M. N. (Malcolm N.), Stanway, Elizabeth R. and Lehnert, M. D. (Matthew D.) (2007) Discovery of a single faint AGN in a large sample of z > 5 Lyman break galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 376 (Number 3). pp. 1393-1398. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11546.x
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11546.x
Abstract
As part of a large spectroscopic survey of z > 5 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs), we have identified a single source which is clearly hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Out of a sample of more than 50 spectroscopically confirmed R-band dropout galaxies at z∼ 5 and above, only J104048.6−115550.2 at z= 5.44 shows evidence for a high ionization potential emission line indicating the presence of a hard ionizing continuum from an AGN. Like most objects in our sample the rest-frame-UV spectrum shows the UV continuum breaking across a Lyα line. Uniquely within this sample of LBGs, emission from N V is also detected, a clear signature of AGN photoionization. The object is spatially resolved in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. This, and the comparatively high Lyα/N V flux ratio indicates that the majority of the Lyα (and the UV continuum longward of it) originates from stellar photoionization, a product of the ongoing starburst in the LBG. Even without the AGN emission, this object would have been photometrically selected and spectroscopically confirmed as a Lyman break in our survey. The measured optical flux (IAB= 26.1) is therefore an upper limit to that from the AGN and is of order 100 times fainter than the majority of known quasars at these redshifts. The detection of a single object in our survey volume is consistent with the best current models of high redshift AGN luminosity function, providing a substantial fraction of such AGN is found within luminous starbursting galaxies. We discuss the cosmological implications of this discovery.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science > Physics | ||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Galaxies | ||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | ||||||||
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press | ||||||||
| ISSN: | 0035-8711 | ||||||||
| Official Date: | 11 April 2007 | ||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | Volume 376 | ||||||||
| Number: | Number 3 | ||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 1393-1398 | ||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11546.x | ||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||
| Funder: | Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (Great Britain) (PPARC) |
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