A Peculiar Type~II QSO Identified via Broad-band Detection of Extreme Nebular Line Emission

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of S82-20, a peculiar high-redshift Type II QSO with unusual emission features and IR properties, possibly representing a rare transitional or evolving phase of galaxy and black hole activity.

Contribution

It introduces S82-20 as a unique high-redshift Type II QSO with atypical spectral and IR characteristics, suggesting a possible new class or evolutionary stage.

Findings

High Lyα luminosity and emission line equivalent widths

Inconsistent CIV/HeII ratio with standard models

Potential evidence of a changing-look QSO or coexisting star formation and accretion

Abstract

We present S82-20, an unusual redshift $\approx$3 object identified in SDSS-Stripe 82 broad-band images. The rest-frame ultraviolet spectrum of S82-20 shows emission lines from highly ionized species, including HeII $\lambda$1640, and the CIV $\lambda\lambda$1548, 1550 and OVI $\lambda\lambda$1032, 1038 doublets. The high Ly$\alpha$ luminosity ($3.5\times 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$), the high emission line equivalent widths ($>200$\r{A} for Ly$\alpha$), the FWHM of the emission lines ($<800$km s$^{-1}$), and the high ionization OVI line strongly support the interpretation that S82-20 is a Type~II QSO. However, photoionization models using Type~II QSO do not fully explain the measured CIV/HeII line ratio, which requires either some contribution from star-formation or high velocity shocks. Additionally, S82-20 is not detected at wavelengths longer than 2$\mu$m, in tension with the expectation of isotropically IR emission of a luminous QSO. We consider the possibility that S82-20 is a rare example of a changing-look QSO, observed in a temporarily low state, where the broad line region has faded, while the narrow line region still emits emission line. Otherwise, it may be a rare case of the short phase of the life of a massive galaxy, in which active star formation and accretion onto a supermassive black hole coexist.