An Overdensity of Galaxies near the Most Distant Radio-Loud Quasar

• Main Authors: Zheng, W, Overzier, R, Bouwens, R. J, White, R. L, Ford, H. C, Benitez, N, Blakeslee, J. P, Bradley, L. D, Jee, M. K, Martel, A. R, Mei, S, Zirm, A. W, Illingworth, G. D, Clampin, M, Hartig, G. F, Ardila, D. R, Bartko, F, Broadhurst, T. J, Brown, R. A, Burrows, C. J, Cheng, E. S, Cross, N. J. G, Demarco, R, Feldman, P. D, Franx, M, Golimowski, D. A, Goto, T, Gronwall, C, Holden, B, Homeier, N, Infante, L, Kimble, R. A, Krist, J. E, Lesser, M. P, Menanteau, F, Meurer, G. R, Miley, G. K, Motta, V, Postman, M, Rosati, P, Sirianni, M, Sparks, W. B, Tran, H. D, Tsvetanov, Z. I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25.11.2005
• Subjects: Physics - Astrophysics of Galaxies; Physics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics; Physics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; Physics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics; Physics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0511734

Astrophys.J.640:574-578,2006 A five square arcminute region around the luminous radio-loud quasar SDSS J0836+0054 (z=5.8) hosts a wealth of associated galaxies, characterized by very red (1.3 < i_775 - z_{850} < 2.0) color. The surface density of these z~5.8 candidates is approximately six times higher than the number expected from deep ACS fields. This is one of the highest galaxy overdensities at high redshifts, which may develop into a group or cluster. We also find evidence for a substructure associated with one of the candidates. It has two very faint companion objects within two arcseconds, which are likely to merge. The finding supports the results of a recent simulation that luminous quasars at high redshifts lie on the most prominent dark-matter filaments and are surrounded by many fainter galaxies. The quasar activity from these regions may signal the buildup of a massive system.