GA-NIFS: AGN activity in a Ly α emitter within a triple-AGN system anchored by a passive galaxy at z = 3
Abstract
Context. Massive quenched galaxies at z > 3 challenge models of early galaxy evolution, as their rapid formation and abrupt quenching require efficient feedback, which is often linked to active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The quiescent galaxy GS10578 at z = 3.064 is a key example of this population. Previous JWST/NIRSpec integral field unit (IFU) observations revealed an AGN-driven outflow and uncovered a compact pair of AGNs separated by ∼5 kpc. In addition, VLT/MUSE spectroscopy identified a third AGN candidate at a projected distance of ∼30 kpc, associated with a luminous Ly α emitter (LAE2) characterised by high-ionisation UV lines, although rest-frame optical diagnostics were not previously available. Aims. We aim to confirm the nature of LAE2 using rest-frame optical diagnostics enabled by new JWST observations, and to characterise the physical and ionisation properties of both LAE2 and a distinct nearby Ly α emitter (LAE1) that lacks any detectable continuum counterpart. Through this analysis, we investigated the interplay among low-mass satellites, black-hole growth, and the ionised environment of a quenched massive galaxy at high redshift. Methods. We analysed new JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations targeting the optical nebular lines of LAE1 and LAE2, including H β , [O III ], H α , and [N II ], complemented with VLT/MUSE IFU spectroscopy, as part of the GA-NIFS project. We extracted integrated and spatially resolved spectra, constructed emission-line maps, and used standard diagnostic diagrams to determine ionisation sources and kinematics. Results. LAE2 exhibits rest-frame UV–optical-line ratios fully consistent with an embedded AGN. Its [O III ] and H α emission displays a clumpy morphology and irregular, non-rotating kinematics on sub-kiloparsec scales. Except for Ly α , LAE1 remains undetected in all nebular lines and in JWST imaging; its Ly α emission is broad ( σ ∼ 200 km s −1 ) and asymmetric. The similarity of the LAE1 and LAE2 Ly α profiles in both velocity and flux suggests that LAE1 traces resonantly scattered emission powered by LAE2 rather than in situ star formation (although the latter cannot be completely ruled out). Conclusions. Our analysis reveals that the environment of GS10578 contains both multi-black-hole activity and gas structures on tens-of-kiloparsec scales, offering new insights into how feedback, accretion, and satellite interactions influence the late evolutionary stages of quenched massive galaxies.
Related
- Deep X-ray View of a Distant Protocluster Anchored by a Quasar at z=6.63: No Evidence for Enhanced X-ray AGN Activity
- ATLAS22kjn (AT 2022fpx): A Coronal Line Emitter with an Early Light Curve Bump and Mid-Infrared Dust Echo
- Hunting the nature of the Seyfert 1 galaxy GRS 1734-292: can it be a gamma-ray emitter?
- PEACC—Precision Emitter for 21 cm Array Coherent Calibration
- Constraining reionization with persistent homology: a novel summary statistic for wide-field Lyman-α emitter observations
BibTeX
@article{perna2026ganifs,
title = {{GA-NIFS: AGN activity in a Ly α emitter within a triple-AGN system anchored by a passive galaxy at z = 3}},
author = {Michele Perna and Santiago Arribas and Mahmoud Hamed and Francesco D’eugenio and Isabella Lamperti and Andrew Bunker and Stefano Carniani and Stéphane Charlot and Roberto Maiolino and Bruno Rodríguez del Pino and Hannah Übler and Torsten Böker and Elena Bertola and Giovanni Cresci and Giacomo Venturi and Michele Ginolfi and Montserrat Villar Martín and Sandra Zamora},
journal = {Astronomy \& Astrophysics - A\&A},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202658847},
eprint = {2601.00960},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05760829v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - GA-NIFS: AGN activity in a Ly α emitter within a triple-AGN system anchored by a passive galaxy at z = 3
AU - Michele Perna
AU - Santiago Arribas
AU - Mahmoud Hamed
AU - Francesco D’eugenio
AU - Isabella Lamperti
AU - Andrew Bunker
AU - Stefano Carniani
AU - Stéphane Charlot
AU - Roberto Maiolino
AU - Bruno Rodríguez del Pino
AU - Hannah Übler
AU - Torsten Böker
AU - Elena Bertola
AU - Giovanni Cresci
AU - Giacomo Venturi
AU - Michele Ginolfi
AU - Montserrat Villar Martín
AU - Sandra Zamora
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/10
JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202658847
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05760829v1
AB - Context. Massive quenched galaxies at z > 3 challenge models of early galaxy evolution, as their rapid formation and abrupt quenching require efficient feedback, which is often linked to active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The quiescent galaxy GS10578 at z = 3.064 is a key example of this population. Previous JWST/NIRSpec integral field unit (IFU) observations revealed an AGN-driven outflow and uncovered a compact pair of AGNs separated by ∼5 kpc. In addition, VLT/MUSE spectroscopy identified a third AGN candidate at a projected distance of ∼30 kpc, associated with a luminous Ly α emitter (LAE2) characterised by high-ionisation UV lines, although rest-frame optical diagnostics were not previously available. Aims. We aim to confirm the nature of LAE2 using rest-frame optical diagnostics enabled by new JWST observations, and to characterise the physical and ionisation properties of both LAE2 and a distinct nearby Ly α emitter (LAE1) that lacks any detectable continuum counterpart. Through this analysis, we investigated the interplay among low-mass satellites, black-hole growth, and the ionised environment of a quenched massive galaxy at high redshift. Methods. We analysed new JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations targeting the optical nebular lines of LAE1 and LAE2, including H β , [O III ], H α , and [N II ], complemented with VLT/MUSE IFU spectroscopy, as part of the GA-NIFS project. We extracted integrated and spatially resolved spectra, constructed emission-line maps, and used standard diagnostic diagrams to determine ionisation sources and kinematics. Results. LAE2 exhibits rest-frame UV–optical-line ratios fully consistent with an embedded AGN. Its [O III ] and H α emission displays a clumpy morphology and irregular, non-rotating kinematics on sub-kiloparsec scales. Except for Ly α , LAE1 remains undetected in all nebular lines and in JWST imaging; its Ly α emission is broad ( σ ∼ 200 km s −1 ) and asymmetric. The similarity of the LAE1 and LAE2 Ly α profiles in both velocity and flux suggests that LAE1 traces resonantly scattered emission powered by LAE2 rather than in situ star formation (although the latter cannot be completely ruled out). Conclusions. Our analysis reveals that the environment of GS10578 contains both multi-black-hole activity and gas structures on tens-of-kiloparsec scales, offering new insights into how feedback, accretion, and satellite interactions influence the late evolutionary stages of quenched massive galaxies.
SN - 0004-6361
SN - 1432-0746
ER -