GA-NIFS: AGN activity in a Lyα emitter within a triple-AGN system anchored by a passive galaxy at z=3

Abstract

Massive quenched galaxies at z>3 challenge models of early galaxy evolution, as their rapid formation and abrupt quenching require efficient feedback, often linked to active galactic nuclei (AGN). The quiescent galaxy GS10578 at z=3.1 is a key example of this population. Previous JWST/NIRSpec IFU data revealed an AGN outflow and uncovered a compact pair of AGN separated by ~5 kpc. In addition, VLT/MUSE spectroscopy has identified a third AGN candidate at a projected distance of ~30 kpc, associated with a luminous Lya emitter (LAE2) characterised by high-ionisation UV lines, although rest-frame optical diagnostics were not previously available. We aim to confirm the nature of LAE2 using rest-frame optical diagnostics enabled by new JWST data, and to characterise the physical and ionisation properties of both LAE2 and a distinct nearby Lya emitter (LAE1) that lacks any detectable continuum counterpart. We analyse new NIRSpec IFU observations targeting the optical nebular lines of LAE1 and LAE2, complemented with MUSE data, as part of the GA-NIFS project. We extract integrated and spatially resolved spectra, construct emission-line maps, and use standard diagnostic diagrams to determine ionisation sources and kinematics. LAE2 exhibits line ratios fully consistent with an embedded AGN. Its optical lines display a clumpy morphology and irregular kinematics on sub-kpc scales. Except for Lya, LAE1 remains undetected in all nebular lines and in JWST imaging. The similarity of the LAE1 and LAE2 Lya profiles in both velocity and flux suggests that LAE1 traces resonantly scattered emission rather than in-situ star formation. Our analysis reveals that the environment of GS10578 contains both multi-black-hole activity and gas structures on tens-of-kpc scales, offering new insights into how feedback and satellite interactions influence the late evolutionary stages of quenched massive galaxies.