Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5

Marcin Glowacki; Jordan D. Collier; Amir Kazemi-Moridani; Bradley Frank; Hayley Roberts; Jeremy Darling; Hans Rainer Klöckner; Nathan Adams; Andrew J. Baker; Matthew Bershady; Tariq Blecher; Sarah Louise Blyth; Rebecca Bowler; Barbara Catinella; Laurent Chemin; Steven M. Crawford; Catherine Cress; Romeel Davé; Roger Deane; Erwin De Blok; Jacinta Delhaize; Kenneth Duncan; Ed Elson; Sean February; Eric Gawiser; Peter Hatfield; Julia Healy; Patricia Henning; Kelley M. Hess; Ian Heywood; Benne W. Holwerda; Munira Hoosain; John P. Hughes; Zackary L. Hutchens; Matt Jarvis; Sheila Kannappan; Neal Katz; Dušan Kereš; Marie Korsaga; Renée C. Kraan-Korteweg; Philip Lah; Michelle Lochner; Natasha Maddox; Sphesihle Makhathini; Gerhardt R. Meurer; Martin Meyer; Danail Obreschkow; Se Heon Oh; Tom Oosterloo; Joshua Oppor; Hengxing Pan; D. J. Pisano; Nandrianina Randriamiarinarivo; Swara Ravindranath; Anja C. Schröder; Rosalind Skelton; Oleg Smirnov; Mathew Smith; Rachel S. Somerville; Raghunathan Srianand; Lister Staveley-Smith; Masayuki Tanaka; Mattia Vaccari; Wim Van Driel; Marc Verheijen; Fabian Walter; John F. Wu; Martin A. Zwaan

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5

Marcin Glowacki, Jordan D. Collier, Amir Kazemi-Moridani, Bradley Frank, Hayley Roberts, Jeremy Darling, Hans Rainer Klöckner, Nathan Adams, Andrew J. Baker, Matthew Bershady, Tariq Blecher, Sarah Louise Blyth, Rebecca Bowler, Barbara Catinella, Laurent Chemin, Steven M. Crawford, Catherine Cress, Romeel Davé, Roger Deane, Erwin De BlokJacinta Delhaize, Kenneth Duncan, Ed Elson, Sean February, Eric Gawiser, Peter Hatfield, Julia Healy, Patricia Henning, Kelley M. Hess, Ian Heywood, Benne W. Holwerda, Munira Hoosain, John P. Hughes, Zackary L. Hutchens, Matt Jarvis, Sheila Kannappan, Neal Katz, Dušan Kereš, Marie Korsaga, Renée C. Kraan-Korteweg, Philip Lah, Michelle Lochner, Natasha Maddox, Sphesihle Makhathini, Gerhardt R. Meurer, Martin Meyer, Danail Obreschkow, Se Heon Oh, Tom Oosterloo, Joshua Oppor, Hengxing Pan, D. J. Pisano, Nandrianina Randriamiarinarivo, Swara Ravindranath, Anja C. Schröder, Rosalind Skelton, Oleg Smirnov, Mathew Smith, Rachel S. Somerville, Raghunathan Srianand, Lister Staveley-Smith, Masayuki Tanaka, Mattia Vaccari, Wim Van Driel, Marc Verheijen, Fabian Walter, John F. Wu, Martin A. Zwaan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

In the local universe, OH megamasers (OHMs) are detected almost exclusively in infrared-luminous galaxies, with a prevalence that increases with IR luminosity, suggesting that they trace gas-rich galaxy mergers. Given the proximity of the rest frequencies of OH and the hyperfine transition of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i), radio surveys to probe the cosmic evolution of H i in galaxies also offer exciting prospects for exploiting OHMs to probe the cosmic history of gas-rich mergers. Using observations for the Looking At the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array (LADUMA) deep H i survey, we report the first untargeted detection of an OHM at z > 0.5, LADUMA J033046.20-275518.1 (nicknamed "Nkalakatha"). The host system, WISEA J033046.26-275518.3, is an infrared-luminous radio galaxy whose optical redshift z ≈ 0.52 confirms the MeerKAT emission-line detection as OH at a redshift z OH = 0.5225 ± 0.0001 rather than H i at lower redshift. The detected spectral line has 18.4σ peak significance, a width of 459 ± 59 km s-1, and an integrated luminosity of (6.31 ± 0.18 [statistical] ± 0.31 [systematic]) × 103 L ⊙, placing it among the most luminous OHMs known. The galaxy's far-infrared luminosity L FIR = (1.576 ±0.013) × 1012 L ⊙ marks it as an ultraluminous infrared galaxy; its ratio of OH and infrared luminosities is similar to those for lower-redshift OHMs. A comparison between optical and OH redshifts offers a slight indication of an OH outflow. This detection represents the first step toward a systematic exploitation of OHMs as a tracer of galaxy growth at high redshifts.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	L7
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	931
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0
State	Published - May 1 2022
Externally published	Yes

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© 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

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10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

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Glowacki, M., Collier, J. D., Kazemi-Moridani, A., Frank, B., Roberts, H., Darling, J., Klöckner, H. R., Adams, N., Baker, A. J., Bershady, M., Blecher, T., Blyth, S. L., Bowler, R., Catinella, B., Chemin, L., Crawford, S. M., Cress, C., Davé, R., Deane, R., ... Zwaan, M. A. (2022). Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 931(1), Article L7. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

Glowacki, M, Collier, JD, Kazemi-Moridani, A, Frank, B, Roberts, H, Darling, J, Klöckner, HR, Adams, N, Baker, AJ, Bershady, M, Blecher, T, Blyth, SL, Bowler, R, Catinella, B, Chemin, L, Crawford, SM, Cress, C, Davé, R, Deane, R, De Blok, E, Delhaize, J, Duncan, K, Elson, E, February, S, Gawiser, E, Hatfield, P, Healy, J, Henning, P, Hess, KM, Heywood, I, Holwerda, BW, Hoosain, M, Hughes, JP, Hutchens, ZL, Jarvis, M, Kannappan, S, Katz, N, Kereš, D, Korsaga, M, Kraan-Korteweg, RC, Lah, P, Lochner, M, Maddox, N, Makhathini, S, Meurer, GR, Meyer, M, Obreschkow, D, Oh, SH, Oosterloo, T, Oppor, J, Pan, H, Pisano, DJ, Randriamiarinarivo, N, Ravindranath, S, Schröder, AC, Skelton, R, Smirnov, O, Smith, M, Somerville, RS, Srianand, R, Staveley-Smith, L, Tanaka, M, Vaccari, M, Van Driel, W, Verheijen, M, Walter, F, Wu, JF & Zwaan, MA 2022, 'Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 931, no. 1, L7. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

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title = "Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5",

abstract = "In the local universe, OH megamasers (OHMs) are detected almost exclusively in infrared-luminous galaxies, with a prevalence that increases with IR luminosity, suggesting that they trace gas-rich galaxy mergers. Given the proximity of the rest frequencies of OH and the hyperfine transition of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i), radio surveys to probe the cosmic evolution of H i in galaxies also offer exciting prospects for exploiting OHMs to probe the cosmic history of gas-rich mergers. Using observations for the Looking At the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array (LADUMA) deep H i survey, we report the first untargeted detection of an OHM at z > 0.5, LADUMA J033046.20-275518.1 (nicknamed {"}Nkalakatha{"}). The host system, WISEA J033046.26-275518.3, is an infrared-luminous radio galaxy whose optical redshift z ≈ 0.52 confirms the MeerKAT emission-line detection as OH at a redshift z OH = 0.5225 ± 0.0001 rather than H i at lower redshift. The detected spectral line has 18.4σ peak significance, a width of 459 ± 59 km s-1, and an integrated luminosity of (6.31 ± 0.18 [statistical] ± 0.31 [systematic]) × 103 L ⊙, placing it among the most luminous OHMs known. The galaxy's far-infrared luminosity L FIR = (1.576 ±0.013) × 1012 L ⊙ marks it as an ultraluminous infrared galaxy; its ratio of OH and infrared luminosities is similar to those for lower-redshift OHMs. A comparison between optical and OH redshifts offers a slight indication of an OH outflow. This detection represents the first step toward a systematic exploitation of OHMs as a tracer of galaxy growth at high redshifts.",

author = "Marcin Glowacki and Collier, {Jordan D.} and Amir Kazemi-Moridani and Bradley Frank and Hayley Roberts and Jeremy Darling and Kl{\"o}ckner, {Hans Rainer} and Nathan Adams and Baker, {Andrew J.} and Matthew Bershady and Tariq Blecher and Blyth, {Sarah Louise} and Rebecca Bowler and Barbara Catinella and Laurent Chemin and Crawford, {Steven M.} and Catherine Cress and Romeel Dav{\'e} and Roger Deane and {De Blok}, Erwin and Jacinta Delhaize and Kenneth Duncan and Ed Elson and Sean February and Eric Gawiser and Peter Hatfield and Julia Healy and Patricia Henning and Hess, {Kelley M.} and Ian Heywood and Holwerda, {Benne W.} and Munira Hoosain and Hughes, {John P.} and Hutchens, {Zackary L.} and Matt Jarvis and Sheila Kannappan and Neal Katz and Du{\v s}an Kere{\v s} and Marie Korsaga and Kraan-Korteweg, {Ren{\'e}e C.} and Philip Lah and Michelle Lochner and Natasha Maddox and Sphesihle Makhathini and Meurer, {Gerhardt R.} and Martin Meyer and Danail Obreschkow and Oh, {Se Heon} and Tom Oosterloo and Joshua Oppor and Hengxing Pan and Pisano, {D. J.} and Nandrianina Randriamiarinarivo and Swara Ravindranath and Schr{\"o}der, {Anja C.} and Rosalind Skelton and Oleg Smirnov and Mathew Smith and Somerville, {Rachel S.} and Raghunathan Srianand and Lister Staveley-Smith and Masayuki Tanaka and Mattia Vaccari and {Van Driel}, Wim and Marc Verheijen and Fabian Walter and Wu, {John F.} and Zwaan, {Martin A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2022",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "931",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array

T2 - Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5

AU - Glowacki, Marcin

AU - Collier, Jordan D.

AU - Kazemi-Moridani, Amir

AU - Frank, Bradley

AU - Roberts, Hayley

AU - Darling, Jeremy

AU - Klöckner, Hans Rainer

AU - Adams, Nathan

AU - Baker, Andrew J.

AU - Bershady, Matthew

AU - Blecher, Tariq

AU - Blyth, Sarah Louise

AU - Bowler, Rebecca

AU - Catinella, Barbara

AU - Chemin, Laurent

AU - Crawford, Steven M.

AU - Cress, Catherine

AU - Davé, Romeel

AU - Deane, Roger

AU - De Blok, Erwin

AU - Delhaize, Jacinta

AU - Duncan, Kenneth

AU - Elson, Ed

AU - February, Sean

AU - Gawiser, Eric

AU - Hatfield, Peter

AU - Healy, Julia

AU - Henning, Patricia

AU - Hess, Kelley M.

AU - Heywood, Ian

AU - Holwerda, Benne W.

AU - Hoosain, Munira

AU - Hughes, John P.

AU - Hutchens, Zackary L.

AU - Jarvis, Matt

AU - Kannappan, Sheila

AU - Katz, Neal

AU - Kereš, Dušan

AU - Korsaga, Marie

AU - Kraan-Korteweg, Renée C.

AU - Lah, Philip

AU - Lochner, Michelle

AU - Maddox, Natasha

AU - Makhathini, Sphesihle

AU - Meurer, Gerhardt R.

AU - Meyer, Martin

AU - Obreschkow, Danail

AU - Oh, Se Heon

AU - Oosterloo, Tom

AU - Oppor, Joshua

AU - Pan, Hengxing

AU - Pisano, D. J.

AU - Randriamiarinarivo, Nandrianina

AU - Ravindranath, Swara

AU - Schröder, Anja C.

AU - Skelton, Rosalind

AU - Smirnov, Oleg

AU - Smith, Mathew

AU - Somerville, Rachel S.

AU - Srianand, Raghunathan

AU - Staveley-Smith, Lister

AU - Tanaka, Masayuki

AU - Vaccari, Mattia

AU - Van Driel, Wim

AU - Verheijen, Marc

AU - Walter, Fabian

AU - Wu, John F.

AU - Zwaan, Martin A.

PY - 2022/5/1

Y1 - 2022/5/1

N2 - In the local universe, OH megamasers (OHMs) are detected almost exclusively in infrared-luminous galaxies, with a prevalence that increases with IR luminosity, suggesting that they trace gas-rich galaxy mergers. Given the proximity of the rest frequencies of OH and the hyperfine transition of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i), radio surveys to probe the cosmic evolution of H i in galaxies also offer exciting prospects for exploiting OHMs to probe the cosmic history of gas-rich mergers. Using observations for the Looking At the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array (LADUMA) deep H i survey, we report the first untargeted detection of an OHM at z > 0.5, LADUMA J033046.20-275518.1 (nicknamed "Nkalakatha"). The host system, WISEA J033046.26-275518.3, is an infrared-luminous radio galaxy whose optical redshift z ≈ 0.52 confirms the MeerKAT emission-line detection as OH at a redshift z OH = 0.5225 ± 0.0001 rather than H i at lower redshift. The detected spectral line has 18.4σ peak significance, a width of 459 ± 59 km s-1, and an integrated luminosity of (6.31 ± 0.18 [statistical] ± 0.31 [systematic]) × 103 L ⊙, placing it among the most luminous OHMs known. The galaxy's far-infrared luminosity L FIR = (1.576 ±0.013) × 1012 L ⊙ marks it as an ultraluminous infrared galaxy; its ratio of OH and infrared luminosities is similar to those for lower-redshift OHMs. A comparison between optical and OH redshifts offers a slight indication of an OH outflow. This detection represents the first step toward a systematic exploitation of OHMs as a tracer of galaxy growth at high redshifts.

AB - In the local universe, OH megamasers (OHMs) are detected almost exclusively in infrared-luminous galaxies, with a prevalence that increases with IR luminosity, suggesting that they trace gas-rich galaxy mergers. Given the proximity of the rest frequencies of OH and the hyperfine transition of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i), radio surveys to probe the cosmic evolution of H i in galaxies also offer exciting prospects for exploiting OHMs to probe the cosmic history of gas-rich mergers. Using observations for the Looking At the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array (LADUMA) deep H i survey, we report the first untargeted detection of an OHM at z > 0.5, LADUMA J033046.20-275518.1 (nicknamed "Nkalakatha"). The host system, WISEA J033046.26-275518.3, is an infrared-luminous radio galaxy whose optical redshift z ≈ 0.52 confirms the MeerKAT emission-line detection as OH at a redshift z OH = 0.5225 ± 0.0001 rather than H i at lower redshift. The detected spectral line has 18.4σ peak significance, a width of 459 ± 59 km s-1, and an integrated luminosity of (6.31 ± 0.18 [statistical] ± 0.31 [systematic]) × 103 L ⊙, placing it among the most luminous OHMs known. The galaxy's far-infrared luminosity L FIR = (1.576 ±0.013) × 1012 L ⊙ marks it as an ultraluminous infrared galaxy; its ratio of OH and infrared luminosities is similar to those for lower-redshift OHMs. A comparison between optical and OH redshifts offers a slight indication of an OH outflow. This detection represents the first step toward a systematic exploitation of OHMs as a tracer of galaxy growth at high redshifts.

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U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/ac63b0

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VL - 931

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 1

M1 - L7

ER -

Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array: Discovery of a Luminous OH Megamaser at z > 0.5

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