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BlackTHUNDER strikes twice: Balmer-line absorption in an overmassive Little Red Dot at z = 7.04

  • Francesco D’Eugenio
  • , Roberto Maiolino
  • , Michele Perna
  • , Hannah Übler
  • , Xihan Ji
  • , William McClymont
  • , Sophie Koudmani
  • , Debora Sijacki
  • , Ignas Juodžbalis
  • , Jan Scholtz
  • , Jake S Bennett
  • , Andrew J Bunker
  • , Stefano Carniani
  • , Stéphane Charlot
  • , Giovanni Cresci
  • , Emma Curtis-Lake
  • , Elena Dalla Bontà
  • , Kohei Inayoshi
  • , Gareth C Jones
  • , Jianwei Lyu
  • Alessandro Marconi, Giovanni Mazzolari, Erica J Nelson, Eleonora Parlanti, Brant E Robertson, Raffaella Schneider, Charlotte Simmonds, Sandro Tacchella, Giacomo Venturi, Chris Willott, Joris Witstok, Callum Witten

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed a population of ‘Little Red Dots’ (LRDs): compact, red objects at redshifts with ‘v’-shaped spectral energy distributions, broad permitted lines, and, often, hydrogen Balmer absorption. We use NIRSpec/IFS data from the BlackTHUNDER survey to study the H α line in the LRD Abell2744-QSO1 at , which is a confirmed active galactic nucleus (AGN) due to time-variable equivalent width (EW) in its broad emission lines. The H α spectral profile is non-Gaussian, requiring at least two Gaussian components. We also detect a narrow-line Gaussian component, and strong H α absorption (EW relative to the continuum ), confirming a connection between the strong Balmer break and line absorption. The absorber is at rest with respect to broad H α , suggesting that the gas cannot be interpreted as an inflow or outflow, forming instead a long-lived structure. Its velocity dispersion is , consistent with the value inferred from the analysis of the Balmer break. Based on H α , we infer a black hole mass of , smaller but close to the previous estimates based on H β . The Eddington ratio is 0.09. Combining the high signal-to-noise ratio of the narrow H α line with the spectral resolution of the G395H grating, we infer a narrow-line intrinsic dispersion , which places a stringent constraint on the black hole-to-dynamical mass ratio of this system to be , confirming the overmassive nature of the black hole and potentially leaving little room for a host galaxy.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages14
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume547
Issue number4
Early online date26 Feb 2026
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Apr 2026

Keywords

  • galaxies: active
  • galaxies: high-redshift
  • quasars: supermassive black holes

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