The mass-metallicity relation of high-z type-2 active galactic nuclei

TL;DR

This study investigates the relationship between host galaxy stellar mass and narrow line region metallicity in high-redshift type-2 AGNs, revealing a positive correlation similar to the galaxy mass-metallicity relation.

Contribution

First to demonstrate a positive correlation between NLR metallicities and stellar masses in high-z type-2 AGNs, linking AGN and host galaxy metallicities at z ~ 3.

Findings

NLR metallicities increase with host stellar mass.

AGNs follow a similar mass-metallicity relation as star-forming galaxies.

Inclusion of lower-mass X-ray selected AGNs is crucial for understanding NLR metallicity evolution.

Abstract

The mass-metallicity relation (MZR) of type-2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.2 < z < 4.0 is investigated by using high-z radio galaxies (HzRGs) and X-ray selected radio-quiet AGNs. We combine new rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra of two radio-quiet type-2 AGNs obtained with FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope with existing rest-frame UV emission lines, i.e., CIV1549, HeII1640, and CIII]1909, of a sample of 16 HzRGs and 6 additional X-ray selected type-2 AGNs, whose host stellar masses have been estimated in literature. We divided our sample in three stellar mass bins and calculated averaged emission-line flux ratios of CIV1549/HeII1640 and CIII]1909/CIV1549. Comparing observed emission-line flux ratios with photoionization model predictions, we estimated narrow line region (NLR) metallicities for each mass bin. We found that there is a positive correlation between NLR metallicities and stellar masses of type-2 AGNs at z ~ 3. This is the first indication that AGN metallicities are related to their hosts, i.e., stellar mass. Since NLR metallicities and stellar masses follow a similar relation as the MZR in star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts, our results indicate that NLR metallicities are related to those of the host galaxies. This study highlights the importance of considering lower-mass X-ray selected AGNs in addition to radio galaxies to explore the metallicity properties of NLRs at high redshift.