Discovery of extreme [O iii] λ5007 Å outflows in high-redshift red quasars

Abstract

Black hole feedback is now a standard component of galaxy formation models.\nThese models predict that the impact of black hole activity on its host galaxy\nlikely peaked at z=2-3, the epoch of strongest star formation activity and\nblack hole accretion activity in the Universe. We used XShooter on the Very\nLarge Telescope to measure rest-frame optical spectra of four z~2.5 extremely\nred quasars with infrared luminosities ~10^47 erg/sec. We present the discovery\nof very broad (full width at half max= 2600-5000 km/sec), strongly blue-shifted\n(by up to 1500 km/sec) [OIII]5007A emission lines in these objects. In a large\nsample of obscured and red quasars, [OIII] kinematics are positively correlated\nwith infrared luminosity, and the four objects in our sample are on the extreme\nend both in [OIII] kinematics and infrared luminosity. We estimate that ~3% of\nthe bolometric luminosity in these objects is being converted into the kinetic\npower of the observed wind. Photo-ionization estimates suggest that the [OIII]\nemission might be extended on a few kpc scales, which would suggest that the\nextreme outflow is affecting the entire host galaxy of the quasar. These\nsources may be the signposts of the most extreme form of quasar feedback at the\npeak epoch of galaxy formation, and may represent an active "blow-out" phase of\nquasar evolution.\n