Kavli Affiliate: Roberto Maiolino
| First 5 Authors: Madeline A. Marshall, Minghao Yue, Anna-Christina Eilers, Jan Scholtz, Michele Perna
| Summary:
The James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionising our ability to understand
the host galaxies and local environments of high-z quasars. Here we obtain a
comprehensive understanding of the host galaxy of the z=7.08 quasar J1120+0641
by combining NIRSpec integral field spectroscopy with NIRCam photometry of the
host continuum emission. Our emission line maps reveal that this quasar host is
undergoing a merger with a bright companion galaxy. The quasar host and the
companion have similar dynamical masses of $sim10^{10}M_odot$, suggesting
that this is a major galaxy interaction. Through detailed quasar subtraction
and SED fitting using the NIRCam data, we obtain an estimate of the host
stellar mass of $M_{ast}simeq2.6times10^9M_odot$, with
$M_{*}simeq5.0times10^9M_odot$ for the companion galaxy. Using the H$beta$
Balmer line we estimate a virial black hole mass of
$M_{rm{BH}}simeq1.4times10^9 M_odot$. Thus, J1120+0641 has an extreme black
hole – stellar mass ratio of $M_{rm{BH}}/M_astsimeq0.54$, which is ~3 dex
larger than expected by the local scaling relations between black hole and
stellar mass. J1120+0641 is powered by an overmassive black hole with the
highest reported black hole – stellar mass ratio, in a quasar host that is
currently undergoing a major merger — these new insights highlight the power
of JWST for measuring and understanding these extreme first quasars.
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