Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon
Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs), a phase in some galaxy mergers during which both central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are active, are expected to be a key observable stage leading up to SMBH mergers. Constraining the population of dual AGNs in both the nearby and high- z Universe has proven...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade671 |
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| author | Arran C. Gross Yu-Ching Chen Masamune Oguri Liam Nolan Xin Liu Yue Shen Ming-Yang Zhuang Junyao Li Nadia L. Zakamska Hsiang-Chih Hwang Yuzo Ishikawa |
| author_facet | Arran C. Gross Yu-Ching Chen Masamune Oguri Liam Nolan Xin Liu Yue Shen Ming-Yang Zhuang Junyao Li Nadia L. Zakamska Hsiang-Chih Hwang Yuzo Ishikawa |
| author_sort | Arran C. Gross |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs), a phase in some galaxy mergers during which both central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are active, are expected to be a key observable stage leading up to SMBH mergers. Constraining the population of dual AGNs in both the nearby and high- z Universe has proven to be elusive until very recently. We present a multiwavelength follow-up campaign to confirm the nature of a sample of 20 candidate dual AGNs at cosmic noon ( z ∼ 2) from the VODKA sample. Through a combination of Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Array imaging, we refute the possibility of gravitational lensing in all but one target. We find evidence of dual AGNs in three systems, while seven exhibit a single AGN in galaxy pairs, through either strong radio emission or ancillary emission-line data. The remaining systems are confirmed as either quasar−star superpositions (seven) or nonlensed pairs (two) that require further investigations to establish AGN activity. Among the systems with radio detections, we find a variety of radio spectral slopes and UV/optical colors suggesting that our sample contains a range of AGN properties, from obscured radio-quiet objects to those with powerful synchrotron-emitting jets. This study presents one of the largest dedicated multiwavelength follow-up campaigns to date searching for dual AGNs at high redshift. We confirm several of the highest- z systems at small physical separations, thus representing some of the most evolved dual-AGN systems at the epoch of peak quasar activity known to date. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-38f7b46fc2d442a194d5b759422fa8e9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-38f7b46fc2d442a194d5b759422fa8e92025-08-20T04:00:32ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01989111210.3847/1538-4357/ade671Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic NoonArran C. Gross0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7681-9213Yu-Ching Chen1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9932-1298Masamune Oguri2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3484-399XLiam Nolan3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5769-0821Xin Liu4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0049-5210Yue Shen5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1659-7035Ming-Yang Zhuang6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5105-2837Junyao Li7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1605-915XNadia L. Zakamska8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6100-6869Hsiang-Chih Hwang9https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4250-4437Yuzo Ishikawa10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7572-5231Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USACenter for Frontier Science, Chiba University , Chiba 263-8522, Japan; Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University , Chiba 263-8522, JapanDepartment of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.eduDepartment of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.edu; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.edu; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.eduDepartment of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA ; acgross@illinois.edu, xinliuxl@illinois.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USASchool of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study , Princeton, 1 Einstein Drive, NJ 08540, USAKavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA 02139, USADual active galactic nuclei (AGNs), a phase in some galaxy mergers during which both central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are active, are expected to be a key observable stage leading up to SMBH mergers. Constraining the population of dual AGNs in both the nearby and high- z Universe has proven to be elusive until very recently. We present a multiwavelength follow-up campaign to confirm the nature of a sample of 20 candidate dual AGNs at cosmic noon ( z ∼ 2) from the VODKA sample. Through a combination of Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Array imaging, we refute the possibility of gravitational lensing in all but one target. We find evidence of dual AGNs in three systems, while seven exhibit a single AGN in galaxy pairs, through either strong radio emission or ancillary emission-line data. The remaining systems are confirmed as either quasar−star superpositions (seven) or nonlensed pairs (two) that require further investigations to establish AGN activity. Among the systems with radio detections, we find a variety of radio spectral slopes and UV/optical colors suggesting that our sample contains a range of AGN properties, from obscured radio-quiet objects to those with powerful synchrotron-emitting jets. This study presents one of the largest dedicated multiwavelength follow-up campaigns to date searching for dual AGNs at high redshift. We confirm several of the highest- z systems at small physical separations, thus representing some of the most evolved dual-AGN systems at the epoch of peak quasar activity known to date.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade671Double quasarsQuasarsBlack hole physicsSurveysActive galaxies |
| spellingShingle | Arran C. Gross Yu-Ching Chen Masamune Oguri Liam Nolan Xin Liu Yue Shen Ming-Yang Zhuang Junyao Li Nadia L. Zakamska Hsiang-Chih Hwang Yuzo Ishikawa Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon The Astrophysical Journal Double quasars Quasars Black hole physics Surveys Active galaxies |
| title | Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon |
| title_full | Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon |
| title_fullStr | Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon |
| title_short | Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual Sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): A Mix of Singles, Lenses, and True Duals at Cosmic Noon |
| title_sort | varstrometry for off nucleus and dual sub kpc agn vodka a mix of singles lenses and true duals at cosmic noon |
| topic | Double quasars Quasars Black hole physics Surveys Active galaxies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade671 |
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