---
_id: '11526'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: We present the results from a MUSE survey of twelve z ≃ 3.15 quasars, which
    were selected to be much fainter (20 < iSDSS < 23) than in previous studies of
    giant Ly α nebulae around the brightest quasars (16.6 < iAB < 18.7). We detect
    H I Ly α nebulae around 100 per cent of our target quasars, with emission extending
    to scales of at least 60 physical kpc, and up to 190 pkpc. We explore correlations
    between properties of the nebulae and their host quasars, with the goal of connecting
    variations in the properties of the illuminating QSO to the response in nebular
    emission. We show that the surface brightness profiles of the nebulae are similar
    to those of nebulae around bright quasars, but with a lower normalization. Our
    targeted quasars are on average 3.7 mag (≃30 times) fainter in UV continuum than
    our bright reference sample, and yet the nebulae around them are only 4.3 times
    fainter in mean Ly α surface brightness, measured between 20 and 50 pkpc. We find
    significant correlations between the surface brightness of the nebula and the
    luminosity of the quasar in both UV continuum and Ly α. The latter can be interpreted
    as evidence for a substantial contribution from unresolved inner parts of the
    nebulae to the narrow components seen in the Ly α lines of some of our faint quasars,
    possibly from the inner circumgalactic medium or from the host galaxy’s interstellar
    medium.
acknowledgement: The authors thank Daichi Kashino, for providing access to unpublished
  zCOSMOS Deep data, and Jakob S. den Brok for sharing code used in den Brok et al.
  (2020). GP and SC acknowledge the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation
  [grant PP00P2163824]. SM is supported by the Experienced Researchers Fellowship,
  Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Germany. This work is based on observations collected
  at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere
  under the MUSE GTO programme. The major analysis and production of figures in this
  work was conducted in Python, using standard libraries which include NumPy (Harris
  et al. 2020), SciPy (Virtanen et al. 2020), Matplotlib (Hunter 2007) and the interactive
  command shell IPython (Pérez & Granger 2007). This research also made use of Astropy,
  a community-developed core Python package for Astronomy (Astropy Collaboration et
  al. 2013), and Photutils, an Astropy package for detection and photometry of astronomica
  sources (Bradley et al. 2019). The python interface dustmaps (Green 2018) was used
  to query galactic extinction maps. topcat, a graphical tool for manipulating tabular
  data, was also utilized in this analysis (Taylor 2005). This research has made use
  of the "Aladin sky atlas" developed at CDS, Strasbourg Observatory, France (Bonnarel
  et al. 2000).
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Ruari
  full_name: Mackenzie, Ruari
  last_name: Mackenzie
- first_name: Gabriele
  full_name: Pezzulli, Gabriele
  last_name: Pezzulli
- first_name: Sebastiano
  full_name: Cantalupo, Sebastiano
  last_name: Cantalupo
- first_name: Raffaella A
  full_name: Marino, Raffaella A
  last_name: Marino
- first_name: Simon
  full_name: Lilly, Simon
  last_name: Lilly
- first_name: Sowgat
  full_name: Muzahid, Sowgat
  last_name: Muzahid
- first_name: Jorryt J
  full_name: Matthee, Jorryt J
  id: 7439a258-f3c0-11ec-9501-9df22fe06720
  last_name: Matthee
  orcid: 0000-0003-2871-127X
- first_name: Joop
  full_name: Schaye, Joop
  last_name: Schaye
- first_name: Lutz
  full_name: Wisotzki, Lutz
  last_name: Wisotzki
citation:
  ama: Mackenzie R, Pezzulli G, Cantalupo S, et al. Revealing the impact of quasar
    luminosity on giant Lyα nebulae. <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
    Society</i>. 2021;502(1):494-509. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277">10.1093/mnras/staa3277</a>
  apa: Mackenzie, R., Pezzulli, G., Cantalupo, S., Marino, R. A., Lilly, S., Muzahid,
    S., … Wisotzki, L. (2021). Revealing the impact of quasar luminosity on giant
    Lyα nebulae. <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. Oxford
    University Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277</a>
  chicago: Mackenzie, Ruari, Gabriele Pezzulli, Sebastiano Cantalupo, Raffaella A
    Marino, Simon Lilly, Sowgat Muzahid, Jorryt J Matthee, Joop Schaye, and Lutz Wisotzki.
    “Revealing the Impact of Quasar Luminosity on Giant Lyα Nebulae.” <i>Monthly Notices
    of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. Oxford University Press, 2021. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277</a>.
  ieee: R. Mackenzie <i>et al.</i>, “Revealing the impact of quasar luminosity on
    giant Lyα nebulae,” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>,
    vol. 502, no. 1. Oxford University Press, pp. 494–509, 2021.
  ista: Mackenzie R, Pezzulli G, Cantalupo S, Marino RA, Lilly S, Muzahid S, Matthee
    JJ, Schaye J, Wisotzki L. 2021. Revealing the impact of quasar luminosity on giant
    Lyα nebulae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 502(1), 494–509.
  mla: Mackenzie, Ruari, et al. “Revealing the Impact of Quasar Luminosity on Giant
    Lyα Nebulae.” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>, vol. 502,
    no. 1, Oxford University Press, 2021, pp. 494–509, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3277">10.1093/mnras/staa3277</a>.
  short: R. Mackenzie, G. Pezzulli, S. Cantalupo, R.A. Marino, S. Lilly, S. Muzahid,
    J.J. Matthee, J. Schaye, L. Wisotzki, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
    Society 502 (2021) 494–509.
date_created: 2022-07-07T10:11:15Z
date_published: 2021-03-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2022-08-18T10:56:28Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa3277
extern: '1'
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2010.12589'
intvolume: '       502'
issue: '1'
keyword:
- Space and Planetary Science
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- 'techniques: imaging spectroscopy'
- intergalactic medium
- 'quasars: emission lines'
- 'quasars: general'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.12589
month: '03'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 494-509
publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1365-2966
  issn:
  - 0035-8711
publication_status: published
publisher: Oxford University Press
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Revealing the impact of quasar luminosity on giant Lyα nebulae
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 502
year: '2021'
...
---
_id: '11530'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: A prediction of the classic active galactic nucleus (AGN) unification model
    is the presence of ionization cones with different orientations depending on the
    AGN type. Confirmations of this model exist for present times, but it is less
    clear in the early Universe. Here, we use the morphology of giant Ly α nebulae
    around AGNs at redshift z ∼ 3 to probe AGN emission and therefore the validity
    of the AGN unification model at this redshift. We compare the spatial morphology
    of 19 nebulae previously found around type I AGNs with a new sample of four Ly α
    nebulae detected around type II AGNs. Using two independent techniques, we find
    that nebulae around type II AGNs are more asymmetric than around type I, at least
    at radial distances r > 30 physical kpc (pkpc) from the ionizing source. We conclude
    that the type I and type II AGNs in our sample show evidence of different surrounding
    ionizing geometries. This suggests that the classical AGN unification model is
    also valid for high-redshift sources. Finally, we discuss how the lack of asymmetry
    in the inner parts (r ≲ 30 pkpc) and the associated high values of the He II to
    Ly α ratios in these regions could indicate additional sources of (hard) ionizing
    radiation originating within or in proximity of the AGN host galaxies. This work
    demonstrates that the morphologies of giant Ly α nebulae can be used to understand
    and study the geometry of high-redshift AGNs on circumnuclear scales and it lays
    the foundation for future studies using much larger statistical samples.
acknowledgement: SC and GP gratefully acknowledge support from Swiss National Science
  Foundation grant PP00P2 163824. MK acknowledges support by DLR500R1904.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: J S
  full_name: den Brok, J S
  last_name: den Brok
- first_name: S
  full_name: Cantalupo, S
  last_name: Cantalupo
- first_name: R
  full_name: Mackenzie, R
  last_name: Mackenzie
- first_name: R A
  full_name: Marino, R A
  last_name: Marino
- first_name: G
  full_name: Pezzulli, G
  last_name: Pezzulli
- first_name: Jorryt J
  full_name: Matthee, Jorryt J
  id: 7439a258-f3c0-11ec-9501-9df22fe06720
  last_name: Matthee
  orcid: 0000-0003-2871-127X
- first_name: S D
  full_name: Johnson, S D
  last_name: Johnson
- first_name: M
  full_name: Krumpe, M
  last_name: Krumpe
- first_name: T
  full_name: Urrutia, T
  last_name: Urrutia
- first_name: W
  full_name: Kollatschny, W
  last_name: Kollatschny
citation:
  ama: den Brok JS, Cantalupo S, Mackenzie R, et al. Probing the AGN unification model
    at redshift z ∼ 3 with MUSE observations of giant Lyα nebulae. <i>Monthly Notices
    of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. 2020;495(2):1874-1887. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269">10.1093/mnras/staa1269</a>
  apa: den Brok, J. S., Cantalupo, S., Mackenzie, R., Marino, R. A., Pezzulli, G.,
    Matthee, J. J., … Kollatschny, W. (2020). Probing the AGN unification model at
    redshift z ∼ 3 with MUSE observations of giant Lyα nebulae. <i>Monthly Notices
    of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. Oxford University Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269</a>
  chicago: den Brok, J S, S Cantalupo, R Mackenzie, R A Marino, G Pezzulli, Jorryt
    J Matthee, S D Johnson, M Krumpe, T Urrutia, and W Kollatschny. “Probing the AGN
    Unification Model at Redshift z ∼ 3 with MUSE Observations of Giant Lyα Nebulae.”
    <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. Oxford University Press,
    2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269</a>.
  ieee: J. S. den Brok <i>et al.</i>, “Probing the AGN unification model at redshift
    z ∼ 3 with MUSE observations of giant Lyα nebulae,” <i>Monthly Notices of the
    Royal Astronomical Society</i>, vol. 495, no. 2. Oxford University Press, pp.
    1874–1887, 2020.
  ista: den Brok JS, Cantalupo S, Mackenzie R, Marino RA, Pezzulli G, Matthee JJ,
    Johnson SD, Krumpe M, Urrutia T, Kollatschny W. 2020. Probing the AGN unification
    model at redshift z ∼ 3 with MUSE observations of giant Lyα nebulae. Monthly Notices
    of the Royal Astronomical Society. 495(2), 1874–1887.
  mla: den Brok, J. S., et al. “Probing the AGN Unification Model at Redshift z ∼
    3 with MUSE Observations of Giant Lyα Nebulae.” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal
    Astronomical Society</i>, vol. 495, no. 2, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp.
    1874–87, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1269">10.1093/mnras/staa1269</a>.
  short: J.S. den Brok, S. Cantalupo, R. Mackenzie, R.A. Marino, G. Pezzulli, J.J.
    Matthee, S.D. Johnson, M. Krumpe, T. Urrutia, W. Kollatschny, Monthly Notices
    of the Royal Astronomical Society 495 (2020) 1874–1887.
date_created: 2022-07-07T10:40:17Z
date_published: 2020-06-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2022-08-18T11:17:47Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa1269
extern: '1'
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2005.01732'
intvolume: '       495'
issue: '2'
keyword:
- Space and Planetary Science
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- 'galaxies: active'
- 'galaxies: high-redshift'
- intergalactic medium
- 'quasars: emission lines'
- 'quasars: general'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.01732
month: '06'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 1874-1887
publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1365-2966
  issn:
  - 0035-8711
publication_status: published
publisher: Oxford University Press
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Probing the AGN unification model at redshift z ∼ 3 with MUSE observations
  of giant Lyα nebulae
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 495
year: '2020'
...