Testing the paradigm: First spectroscopic evidence of a quasar–galaxy Mpc-scale association at cosmic dawn

State-of-the-art models of massive black hole formation postulate that quasars at z > 6 reside in extreme peaks of the cosmic density structure in the early universe. Even so, direct observational evidence of these overdensities is elusive, especially on large scales (≫1 Mpc) as the spectroscopic follow-up of z > 6 galaxies is observationally expensive. Here we present Keck/DEIMOS optical and IRAM/NOEMA millimeter spectroscopy of a z ∼ 6 Lyman-break galaxy candidate originally discovered via broadband selection, at a projected separation of 4.65 physical Mpc (13.94 arcmin) from the luminous z = 6.308 quasar J1030+0524. This well-studied field presents the strongest indication to date of a large-scale overdensity around a z > 6 quasar. The Keck observations suggest a z ∼ 6.3 dropout identification of the galaxy. The NOEMA 1.2 mm spectrum shows a 3.5σ line that, if interpreted as [C II], would place the galaxy at z = 6.318 (i.e., at a line-of-sight separation of 3.9 comoving Mpc assuming that relative proper motion is negligible). The measured [C II] luminosity is 3 × 108 L⊙, in line with expectations for a galaxy with a star formation rate ∼15 M⊙ yr−1, as inferred from the rest-frame UV photometry. Our combined observations place the galaxy at the same redshift as the quasar, thus strengthening the overdensity scenario for this z > 6 quasar. This pilot experiment demonstrates the power of millimeter-wavelength observations in the characterization of the environment of early quasars.

Deep millimeter spectroscopy observations toward NGC 1068

Aims. We aim for a better understanding of gas properties in the circum-nuclear disk (CND) region of the nearby gas-rich Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. We focus on line identification and the basic physical parameters estimation of molecular gas in the CND region. Methods. We used the IRAM 30 m telescope to conduct deep millimeter spectroscopy observations toward the center of NGC 1068. Results. Thirty-two lines were detected in this galaxy, 15 lines of wich were detected for the first time. With a sensitivity better by about a factor of 4 than observations in the literature for this source at 3 mm band, we detected several weak lines for the first time in this source, such as lines from CH3CCH, CH3OCH3, and HC18O+. Column densities of these molecules were estimated based on line emissions. Some marginal detections in the literature, such as HN13C (1–0), were confirmed. CH3OCH3 was detected for the first time in external galaxies. Lines from several carbon chain molecules and shock-related molecules were also detected in this source.

SpS1-Instrumentation for sub-millimeter spectroscopy

The fields of millimeter and sub-millimeter interferometry have been developing for more than 30 years. At millimeter wavelengths the most important interferometers are the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA), the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI), and the Nobeyama Millimeter Array (NMA). At sub-millimeter wavelenghts, the most powerful interferometer is the SubMillimeter Array (SMA, for a detailed description, see Ho et al. 2004).