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arXiv · 2411.16838

Monster radio jet (>66 kpc) observed in quasar at z$\sim$5

Anniek J. Gloudemans·Frits Sweijen·Leah K. Morabito·Emanuele Paolo Farina·Kenneth J. Duncan·Yuichi Harikane·Huub J. A. Röttgering·Aayush Saxena·Jan-Torge Schindler
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Abstract

We present the discovery of a large extended radio jet associated with the extremely radio-loud quasar J1601+3102 at $z\sim5$ from sub-arcsecond resolution imaging at 144 MHz with the LOFAR International Telescope. These large radio lobes have been argued to remain elusive at $z>4$ due to energy losses in the synchrotron emitting plasma as a result of scattering of the strong CMB at these high redshifts. Nonetheless, the 0.3" resolution radio image of J1601+3102 reveals a Northern and Southern radio lobe located at 9 and 57 kpc from the optical quasar, respectively. The measured jet size of 66 kpc makes J1601+3102 the largest extended radio jet at $z>4$ to date. However, it is expected to have an even larger physical size in reality due to projection effects brought about by the viewing angle. Furthermore, we observe the rest-frame UV spectrum of J1601+3102 with Gemini/GNIRS to examine its black hole properties, which results in a mass of 4.5$\times$10$^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$ with an Eddington luminosity ratio of 0.45. The BH mass is relatively low compared to the known high-$z$ quasar population, which suggests that a high BH mass is not strictly necessary to generate a powerful jet. This discovery of the first $\sim100$ kpc radio jet at $z>4$ shows that these objects exist despite energy losses from Inverse Compton scattering and can put invaluable constraints on the formation of the first radio-loud sources in the early Universe.

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Anniek J. Gloudemans, Frits Sweijen, Leah K. Morabito, Emanuele Paolo Farina, Kenneth J. Duncan, Yuichi Harikane, Huub J. A. Röttgering, Aayush Saxena, Jan-Torge Schindler. 2024-11-25. Monster radio jet (>66 kpc) observed in quasar at z$\sim$5. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213%2Fad9609

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