Gemini Near-infrared Spectroscopy of Luminous z~6 Quasars: Chemical Abundances, Black Hole Masses, and MgII Absorption

TL;DR

This study uses Gemini near-infrared spectroscopy to analyze six luminous quasars at z~6, revealing supersolar metallicities, massive black holes, and stable MgII absorber densities up to high redshifts, indicating little evolution in early universe conditions.

Contribution

First detailed near-infrared spectral analysis of luminous z~6 quasars, measuring metallicity, black hole masses, and MgII absorption features to understand early universe properties.

Findings

Supersolar metallicity (~4 Z_sun) in quasar broad-line regions.

Black hole masses estimated between 10^9 and 10^{10} solar masses.

MgII absorber density shows no significant evolution up to z>4.

Abstract

We present Gemini near-infrared spectroscopic observations of six luminous quasars at z=5.8$\sim$6.3. Five of them were observed using Gemini-South/GNIRS, which provides a simultaneous wavelength coverage of 0.9--2.5 $\mu$m in cross dispersion mode. The other source was observed in K band with Gemini-North/NIRI. We calculate line strengths for all detected emission lines and use their ratios to estimate gas metallicity in the broad-line regions of the quasars. The metallicity is found to be supersolar with a typical value of $\sim$4 Z_{\sun}, and a comparison with low-redshift observations shows no strong evolution in metallicity up to z$\sim$6. The FeII/MgII ratio of the quasars is 4.9+/-1.4, consistent with low-redshift measurements. We estimate central BH masses of 10^9 to 10^{10} M_{\sun} and Eddington luminosity ratios of order unity. We identify two MgII $\lambda\lambda$2796,2803 absorbers with rest equivalent width W_0^{\lambda2796}>1 \AA at 2.2<z<3 and three MgII absorbers with W_0^{\lambda2796}>1.5 \AA at z>3 in the spectra, with the two most distant absorbers at z=4.8668 and 4.8823, respectively. The redshift number densities (dN/dz) of MgII absorbers with W_0^{\lambda2796}>1.5 \AA are consistent with no cosmic evolution up to z>4.