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We aim at characterizing the X-ray-to-optical/near-infrared broad-band emission of luminous QSOs in the first Gyr of cosmic evolution to understand whether they exhibit differences compared to the lower-\textit{z} QSO population. Our goal is also to provide for these objects a reliable and uniform catalog of SED fitting derivable properties such as bolometric and monochromatic luminosities, Eddington ratios, dust extinction, strength of the hot dust emission. We characterize the X-ray/UV emission of each QSO using average SEDs from luminous Type 1 sources and calculate bolometric and monochromatic luminosities. Finally we construct a mean SED extending from the X-rays to the NIR bands. We find that the UV-optical emission of these QSOs can be modelled with templates of $z\sim$2 luminous QSOs. We observe that the bolometric luminosities derived adopting some bolometric corrections at 3000 \AA\ ($BC_{3000\text{\AA}}$) largely used in the literature are slightly overestimated by 0.13 dex as they also include reprocessed IR emission. We estimate a revised value, i.e. $BC_{3000\text{\AA}}=3.3 $ which can be used for deriving $L_\text{bol}$ in \textit{z} $\geq$ 6 QSOs. A sub-sample of 11 QSOs is provided with rest-frame NIR photometry, showing a broad range of hot dust emission strength, with two sources exhibiting low levels of emission. Despite potential observational biases arising from non-uniform photometric coverage and selection biases, we produce a X-ray-to-NIR mean SED for QSOs at \textit{z} $\gtrsim$ 6, revealing a good match with templates of lower-redshift, luminous QSOs up to the UV-optical range, with a slightly enhanced contribution from hot dust in the NIR.

One of the main open questions in the field of luminous ($L_{\rm bol}>10^{47}\,\rm erg\,s^{-1}$) quasars (QSOs) at $z \gtrsim 6$ is the rapid formation ($< 1\,$Gyr) of their supermassive black holes (SMBHs). For this work we analysed the relation between the X-ray properties and other properties describing the physics and growth of both the accretion disc and the SMBH in QSOs at the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The sample consists of 21 $z>6$ QSOs, which includes 16 sources from the rapidly grown QSOs from the HYPERION sample and five other luminous QSOs with available high-quality archival X-ray data. We discovered a strong and statistically significant ($>3\sigma$) relation between the X-ray continuum photon index ($\Gamma$) and the $\rm C\,IV$ disc wind velocity ($v_{\rm C\,IV}$) in $z>6$ luminous QSOs, whereby the higher the $v_{\rm C\,IV}$, the steeper the $\Gamma$. This relation suggests a link between the disc-corona configuration and the kinematics of disc winds. Furthermore, we find evidence at $>2-3\sigma$ level that $\Gamma$ and $v_{\rm C\,IV}$ are correlated to the growth rate history of the SMBH. Although additional data are needed to confirm it, this result may suggest that, in luminous $z>6$ QSOs, the SMBH predominantly grows via fast accretion rather than via initial high seed BH mass., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

In the past, high-z AGNs were given a minor role as possible drivers of reionization, despite initial evidences in favor of their large space densities at low luminosities by Chandra and HST. Recent observations from JWST are finding relatively large numbers of faint AGNs at z>4, convincingly confirming these early results. We present a sample of z~5 AGNs (both from wide, shallow ground-based surveys and from deep, pencil-beam observations from JWST), allowing to estimate their space densities with unprecedented accuracy. The bright end (M1450<-26) of the z~5 AGN luminosity function is well constrained, with a rather steep slope. The faint end (M1450>-22) indicates a high space density, the scatter is significant and the knee (M1450~-24) is mostly undetermined. Comparisons with state-of-the-art models find reasonable agreement with the observed AGN luminosity function at z=5, while the predicted space density evolution at higher redshifts appears to be too fast with respect to observational constraints. Given the large variance at the faint end, we consider different options in fitting the luminosity functions and deriving the ionizing emissivity. Even in the most conservative scenario, the photo-ionization rate produced by z~5 AGNs is consistent with the UV background measurements. A slow evolution of the space density of faint AGNs is observed, indicating that active SMBHs are probably producing large amounts of ionizing photons at z>6, well into the epoch of reionization. This is an important indication that high-z AGNs could be the major contributors to the reionization of the Universe., Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ, 20 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables

Deep surveys with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed an emergent population of moderate-luminosity, broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 4< z< 14 powered by accretion onto early massive black holes. The high number densities reported, together with the large Lyman-continuum (LyC) production efficiency and leakiness into the intergalactic medium (IGM) that are typical of UV-selected AGNs, lead us to reassess a scenario where AGNs are the sole drivers of the cosmic hydrogen/helium reionization process. Our approach is based on the assumptions, grounded in recent observations, that: (a) the fraction of broad-line AGNs among galaxies is around 10-15%; (b) the mean escape fraction of hydrogen LyC radiation is high, >80%, in AGN hosts and is negligible otherwise; and (c) internal absorption at 4 ryd or a steep ionizing EUV spectrum delay full reionization of HeII until z~2.8-3.0, in agreement with observations of the HeII Lyman-alpha forest. In our fiducial models: 1) hydrogen reionization is 99% completed by redshift z~5.3-5.5, and reaches its midpoint at z~6.5-6.7; (2) the integrated Thomson scattering optical depth to reionization is ~0.05, consistent with constraints from cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy data; and (3) the abundant AGN population detected by JWST does not violate constraints on the unresolved X-ray background., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, matches version accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

One of the key open questions in Cosmology is the nature of the sources that completed the cosmological hydrogen Reionization at z~5.2. High-z primeval galaxies have been long considered the main drivers for Reionization, with a minor role played by high-z AGN. However, in order to confirm this scenario, it is fundamental to measure the photo-ionization rate produced by active SMBHs close to the epoch of Reionization. Given the pivotal role played by spectroscopically complete observations of high-z QSOs, in this paper we present the first results of the RUBICON (Reionizing the Universe with BrIght COsmological Nuclei) survey. It consists of a color selected sample of bona-fide z~5 QSO candidates from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Survey. Our QSO candidates have been validated both by photometric redshifts based on SED fitting and by spectroscopic redshifts, confirming that they lie at 4.5

We present the results of deep, ground based U-band imaging with the Large Binocular Telescope of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field as part of the near-UV imaging program, UVCANDELS. We utilize a seeing sorted stacking method along with night-to-night relative transparency corrections to create optimal depth and optimal resolution mosaics in the U-band, which are capable of reaching point source magnitudes of AB 26.5 mag at 3 sigma. These ground based mosaics bridge the wavelength gap between the HST WFC3 F27W and ACS F435W images and are necessary to understand galaxy assembly in the last 9-10 Gyr. We use the depth of these mosaics to search for the presence of U-band intragroup light (IGrL) beyond the local Universe. Regardless of how groups are scaled and stacked, we do not detect any U-band IGrL to unprecedented U-band depths of 29.1-29.6 mag/arcsec2, which corresponds to an IGrL fraction of less than 1% of the total group light. This stringent upper limit suggests that IGrL does not contribute significantly to the Extragalactic Background Light at short wavelengths. Furthermore, the lack of UV IGrL observed in these stacks suggests that the atomic gas observed in the intragroup medium (IGrM) is likely not dense enough to trigger star formation on large scales. Future studies may detect IGrL by creating similar stacks at longer wavelengths or by pre-selecting groups which are older and/or more dynamically evolved similar to past IGrL observations of compact groups and loose groups with signs of gravitational interactions., Comment: Accepted to PASP

The existence of luminous quasars (QSO) at the Epoch of Reionization (EoR; i.e. z>6) powered by supermassive black holes (SMBH) with masses $\gtrsim10^9~M_\odot$ challenges models of early SMBH formation. To shed light on the nature of these sources we started a multiwavelength programme based on a sample of 18 HYPerluminous quasars at the Epoch of ReionizatION (HYPERION). These are the luminous QSOs whose SMBH must have had the fastest mass growth during the Universe first Gyr. In this paper we present the HYPERION sample and report on the first of the 3 years planned observations of the 2.4 Ms XMM-Newton Multi-Year Heritage program on which HYPERION is based. The goal of this program is to accurately characterize the X-ray nuclear properties of QSOs at the EoR. Through a joint X-ray spectral analysis of 10 sources, in the rest-frame $\sim2-50$ keV range, we report a steep average photon index ($\Gamma\sim2.4\pm0.1$). Absorption is not required. The average $\Gamma$ is inconsistent at $\geq4\sigma$ level with the canonical 1.8-2 value measured in QSO at z<6. This spectral slope is also much steeper than that reported in lower-z QSOs with similar luminosity or accretion rate, thus suggesting a genuine redshift evolution. Alternatively, we can interpret this result as the presence of an unusually low-energy cutoff $E_{cut}\sim20$ keV on a standard $\Gamma=1.9$ power-law. We also report on mild indications that HYPERION QSOs show higher soft X-ray emission at 2 keV compared to the UV one at 2500A than expected by lower-z luminous AGN. We speculate that a redshift-dependent coupling between the corona and accretion disc or intrinsically different coronal properties may account for the steep spectral slopes, especially in the presence of powerful winds. The reported slopes, if confirmed at lower luminosities, may have an important impact on future X-ray AGN studies in the early Universe., Comment: 21 pages (including appendix), 12 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for pubblication in A&A

We obtained 838 Sloan r-band images (~28 hrs) of the GOODS-North field with the Large Binocular Camera (LBC) on the Large Binocular Telescope in order to study the presence of extended, low surface brightness features in galaxies and investigate the trade-off between image depth and resolution. The individual images were sorted by effective seeing, which allowed for optimal resolution and optimal depth mosaics to be created with all images with seeing FWHM < 0.9" and FWHM < 2.0", respectively. Examining bright galaxies and their substructure as well as accurately deblending overlapping objects requires the optimal resolution mosaic, while detecting the faintest objects possible (to a limiting magnitude of $m_{AB}$ ~ 29.2 mag) requires the optimal depth mosaic. The better surface brightness sensitivity resulting from the larger LBC pixels, compared to those of extant WFC3/UVIS and ACS/WFC cameras aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) allows for unambiguous detection of both diffuse flux and very faint tidal tails. We created azimuthally-averaged radial surface brightness profiles for the 360 brightest galaxies in the mosaics. We find little difference in the majority of the light profiles from the optimal resolution and optimal depth mosaics. However, $\lesssim$ 15% of the profiles show excess flux in the galaxy outskirts down to surface brightness levels of $\mu^{AB}_{r} $ $\simeq$ 31 mag arcsec $^{-2}$. This is relevant to Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) studies as diffuse light in the outer regions of galaxies are thought to be a major contribution to the EBL. While some additional diffuse light exists in the optimal depth profiles compared to the shallower, optimal resolution profiles, we find that diffuse light in galaxy outskirts is a minor contribution to the EBL overall in the r-band., Comment: 30 pages, 25 figures, submitted to PASP

We investigate the ionizing properties of the pair of bright Ly$\alpha$ emitting galaxies BDF521 and BDF2195 at z=7.012 in order to constrain their contribution to the formation of the BDF "reionized bubble". We obtain constraints on UV emission lines (CIV$\lambda 1548$ doublet, HeII$\lambda 1640$, OIII]$\lambda 1660$ doublet, and CIII]$\lambda 1909$ doublet) from deep VLT-XSHOOTER observations and compare them to those available for other high-redshift objects, and to models with mixed stellar and AGN emission. We use this spectroscopic information together with the photometry available in the field to constrain the physical properties of the two objects using the spectro-photometric fitting code BEAGLE. We do not detect any significant emission at the expected position of UV lines, with 3$\sigma$ upper limits of EW$\lesssim$2-7 AA rest-frame. We find that the two objects have lower CIII] emission than expected on the basis of the correlation between the Ly$\alpha$ and CIII] EWs. The EW limits on CIV and HeII emission exclude pure AGN templates at $\sim2-3\sigma$ significance, and only models with a $\lesssim$40% AGN contribution are compatible with the observations. The two objects are found to be relatively young ($\sim$20-30 Myrs) and metal-poor ($\lesssim 0.3 Z_{\odot}$) with stellar masses of a few $10^9M_{\odot}$. Their production rate of hydrogen ionizing photons per intrinsic UV luminosity is log($\xi_{ion}^*$/Hz erg$^{-1}$)=25.02-25.26, consistent with values typically found in high-redshift galaxies, but more than twice lower than values measured in $z>$7 galaxies with strong CIII] and/or optical line emission ($\simeq$25.6-25.7). The two BDF emitters have no evidence of higher than average ionizing capabilities and are not capable of reionizing their surroundings by their own means under realistic assumptions on the escape fraction of ionizing photons. (abridged), Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

We report on the spectral confirmation of 18 QSO candidates from the "QUasars as BRIght beacons for Cosmology in the Southern hemisphere'' survey (QUBRICS), previously observed in the optical band, for which we acquired new spectroscopic data in the near-infrared band with the Folded-port InfraRed Echellette spectrograph (FIRE) at the Magellan Baade telescope. In most cases, further observations were prompted by the peculiar nature of the targets, whose optical spectra displayed unexpected absorption features. All candidates have been confirmed as bona fide QSOs, with average emission redshift $z\simeq 2.1$. The analysis of the emission and absorption features in the spectra, performed with Astrocook and QSFit, reveals that the large majority of these objects are broad-absorption line (BAL) QSOs, with almost half of them displaying strong Fe II absorption (typical of the so-called FeLoBAL QSOs). The detection of such a large fraction of rare objects (which are estimated to account for less than one percent of the general QSO population) is interpreted as an unexpected (yet favourable) consequence of the particular candidate selection procedure adopted within the QUBRICS survey. The measured properties of FeLoBAL QSOs observed so far provide no evidence that they are a manifestation of a particular stage in AGN evolution. In this paper we present an explorative analysis of the individual QSOs, to serve as a basis for a further, more detailed investigation., Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in MNRAS following peer review. Associated data and procedures available at https://www.ict.inaf.it/index.php/31-doi/137-ds-2021-03

Motivated by evidences favoring a rapid and late hydrogen reionization process completing at z~5.2-5.5 and mainly driven by rare and luminous sources, we have reassessed the estimate of the space density of ultra-luminous QSOs at z~5 in the framework of the QUBRICS survey. A ~90% complete sample of 14 spectroscopically confirmed QSOs at M1450<-28.3 and 4.53. Adopting our z~4 QSO luminosity function and applying a mild density evolution in redshift, a photo-ionization rate of GammaHI=0.46+0.17-0.09x10^-12 s^-1 has been obtained at z=4.75, assuming an escape fraction of ~70% and a steep faint-end slope of the AGN luminosity function. The derived photo-ionization rate is ~50-100% of the ionizing background measured at the end of the reionization epoch, suggesting that AGNs could play an important role in the cosmological reionization process., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 15 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables

Based on results by recent surveys, the number of bright quasars at redshifts z>3 is being constantly revised upwards. Current consensus is that at bright magnitudes ($M_{1450}\le -27$) the number densities of such sources could have been underestimated by a factor of 30-40%. In the framework of the QUBRICS survey, we identified 58 bright QSOs at 3.6$\le z \le $4.2, with magnitudes $i_{psf}\le$18, in an area of 12400$deg^{2}$. The uniqueness of our survey is underlined by the fact that it allows us, for the first time, to extend the sampled absolute magnitude range up to $M_{1450}= -29.5$. We derived a bright-end slope of $\beta=-4.025$ and a space density at $=-28.75$ of 2.61$\times 10^{-10} Mpc^{-3}$ comoving, after taking into account the estimated incompleteness of our observations. Taking into account the results of fainter surveys, AGN brighter than $M_{1450}=-23$ could produce at least half of the ionizing emissivity at z$\sim$4. Considering a mean escape fraction of 0.7 for the QSO and AGN population, combined with a mean free path of 41.3 proper Mpc at $z=3.9$, we derive a photoionization rate of $Log(\Gamma [s^{-1}])=-12.17^{+0.13}_{-0.07}$, produced by AGN at M$_{1450}<-18$, i.e. ~100% of the measured ionizing background at z~4., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 15 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables

We present the results of the spectroscopic follow up of the QUBRICS survey. The selection method is based on a machine learning approach applied to photometric catalogs, covering an area of $\sim$ 12,400 deg$^2$ in the Southern Hemisphere. The spectroscopic observations started in 2018 and identified 55 new, high-redshift (z>=2.5), bright (i<=18) QSOs, with the catalog published in late 2019. Here we report the current status of the survey, bringing the total number of bright QSOs at z<=2.5 identified by QUBRICS to 224. The success rate of the QUBRICS selection method, in its most recent training, is estimated to be 68%. The predominant contaminant turns out to be lower-z QSOs at z<2.5. This survey provides a unique sample of bright QSOs at high-z available for a number of cosmological investigations. In particular, carrying out the redshift drift measurements (Sandage Test) in the Southern Hemisphere, using the HIRES spectrograph at the 39m ELT, appears to be possible with less than 2500 hours of observations spread over 30 targets in 25 years., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJS, 24 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables

We compare the maximal abundance of massive systems predicted in different dynamical dark energy (DDE) models at high redshifts z = 4-7 with the measured abundance of the most massive galaxies observed to be already in place at such redshifts. The aim is to derive constraints for the evolution of the dark energy equation of state parameter w which are complementary to existing probes. We adopt the standard parametrization for the DDE evolution in terms of the local value w_0 and of the look-back time derivative w_a of the equation of state. We derive constraints on combinations (w_0, w_a) in the different DDE models by using three different, independent probes: (i) the observed stellar mass function of massive objects at z = 6 derived from the CANDELS survey; (ii) the estimated volume density of massive halos derived from the observation of massive, star-forming galaxies detected in the submillimeter range at z = 4; (iii) The rareness of he most massive system (estimated gas mass exceeding 3 10^11 M_sun) observed to be in place at z = 7, a far-infrared-luminous object recently detected in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) survey. Finally, we show that the combination of our results from the three above probes excludes a sizable fraction of the DDE parameter space w_a > -3/4 - (w_0 + 3/2) presently allowed (or even favored) by existing probes., Comment: 18 pages, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical journal. Updated version with additional references

It is a widespread opinion that hydrogen reionization is mainly driven by primeval star-forming galaxies, with a minor role of high-z active galactic nuclei. Recent observations, however, challenge this notion, indicating a number of issues related to a galaxy-driven reionization scenario. We provide here an updated assessment of the space density of relatively faint (M1450~-22.5) AGNs at zspec~5.5 in order to improve the estimate of the photo-ionization rate contribution from accreting super massive black holes. Exploiting deep UV rest-frame ground-based spectra collected at the Very Large Telescope on the CANDELS/GOODS-South field and deep Chandra X-ray images in the CANDELS/GOODS-North and EGS areas, we find two relatively bright (M1450~-22.5) AGNs at zspec~5.5. We derive an AGN space density of Phi=1.29x10^-6 cMpc^-3 at z~5.5 and M1450~-22.5 by simply dividing their observed number by the cosmological volume in the range 5.05, in contrast with previous claims mostly based on standard color selection, possibly affected by significant incompleteness. Our estimate for the AGN photo-ionization rate at z~5.5 is in agreement with the observed values at similar redshifts, which are needed to keep the intergalactic medium highly ionized. Upcoming JWST and giant ground based telescopes observations will improve the study of high-z AGNs and their contribution to the reionization of the Universe., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 21 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables

One of the major challenges in observational cosmology is related to the redshift evolution of the average hydrogen ionization in the Universe. In order to probe the ionization level of the IGM and the ionization capabilities of bright QSOs at z=4, we have selected a sample of 2508 QSOs from the SDSS survey (DR14) at 3.6

The study of the space density of bright AGNs at $z>4$ has been subject to extensive effort given its importance for the estimate of the cosmological ionizing emissivity and growth of supermassive black holes. In this context we have recently derived high space densities of AGNs at $z\sim 4$ and $-254$ showing X-ray detection in deep Chandra images available for the three CANDELS fields. We have collected a photometric sample of 32 AGN candidates in the selected redshift interval, six of which having spectroscopic redshifts. Including our COSMOS sample as well as other bright QSO samples allows a first guess on the shape of the UV luminosity function at $z\sim 4.5$. The resulting emissivity and photoionization rate appear consistent with that derived from the photoionization level of the intergalactic medium at $z\sim 4.5$. An extrapolation to $z\sim 5.6$ suggests an important AGN contribution to the IGM ionization if there are no significant changes in the shape of the UV luminosity function., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Recent advances in observations have provided a wealth of measurements of the expansions of outflows in galactic discs out to large radii in a variety of galactic hosts. To provide an updated baseline for the interpretation of such data, and to assess to what extent the present status of the modeling is consistent with the existing observations, we provide a compact two-dimensional description for the expansion of AGN-driven shocks in realistic galactic discs with exponential gas density profiles in a disc geometry. We derive solutions for the outflow expansion and the mass outflow rates in different directions with respect to the plane of the disc. These are expressed in terms of the global properties of the host galaxy and of the central AGN to allow for an easy and direct comparison with existing observations in a variety of galactic hosts with measured properties, and out to distances $\sim 10$ kpc from the centre. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art compilation of observed outflows in 19 galaxies with different measured gas and dynamical mass, allowing for a detailed, one-by-one comparison with the model predictions. The agreement we obtain for a wide range of host galaxy gas mass and AGN bolometric luminosity provides a quantitative systematic test for the modeling of AGN-driven outflows in galactic discs. We also consider a larger sample of galaxies with no reliable measurements of the gas and dynamical mass. In this case we perform a comparison of the model predictions for different bins of AGN luminosities assuming values for the gas mass and dynamical mass derived from scaling relations. The encouraging, quantitative agreement of the model predictions with a wide set of existing observations constitutes a baseline for the interpretation of forthcoming data, and for a more detailed treatment of AGN feedback in galaxy formation models., Comment: 34 pages, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

We analyse a unique sample of 517 bright ($L>L^{*}$) LBGs at redshift z$\sim$3 in order to characterise the distribution of their UV slopes $\beta$ and infer their dust extinction under standard assumptions. We exploited multi-band observations over 750 arcmin$^2$ of the COSMOS field that were acquired with three different ground-based facilities: the Large Binocular Camera (LBC) on the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), the Suprime-Cam on the SUBARU telescope, and the VIRCAM on the VISTA telescope (ULTRAVISTA DR2). Our multi-band photometric catalogue is based on a new method that is designed to maximise the signal-to-noise ratio in the estimate of accurate galaxy colours from images with different point spread functions (PSF). We adopted an improved selection criterion based on deep Y-band data to isolate a sample of galaxies at $z\sim 3 $ to minimise selection biases. We measured the UV slopes ($\beta$) of the objects in our sample and then recovered the intrinsic probability density function of $\beta$ values (PDF($\beta$)), taking into account the effect of observational uncertainties through detailed simulations. The galaxies in our sample are characterised by mildly red UV slopes with $<\beta>\simeq -1.70$ throughout the enitre luminosity range that is probed by our data ($-24\lesssim M_{1600}\lesssim -21$). The resulting dust-corrected star formation rate density (SFRD) is $log(SFRD)\simeq-1.6 M_{\odot}/yr/Mpc^{3}$, corresponding to a contribution of about 25% to the total SFRD at z$\sim$3 under standard assumptions. Ultra-bright LBGs at $z \sim 3$ match the known trends, with UV slopes being redder at decreasing redshifts, and brighter galaxies being more highly dust extinct and more frequently star-forming than fainter galaxies. [abridged], Comment: Matched to journal version. 11 pages, 13 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics in press