Quasar Radiative Feedback May Suppress Galaxy Growth on Intergalactic Scales at $z = 6.3$
Abstract
We present observational evidence that intense ionizing radiation from a luminous quasar suppresses nebular emission in nearby galaxies on intergalactic scales at . Using JWST/NIRCam grism spectroscopy from the SAPPHIRES and EIGER programs, we identify a moderate but statistically significant decline in [O\,\textsc{iii}]\, luminosity relative to the UV continuum () among galaxies within 7 comoving Mpc (cMpc) of the quasar J01002802, the most UV-luminous quasar known at this epoch (). While remains roughly constant with transverse distance, increases significantly, suggesting suppression of very recent star formation toward the quasar. The effect persists after controlling for completeness, local density, and UV luminosity, and correlates with the projected photoionization-rate profile . A weaker but directionally consistent suppression in is also observed along the line of sight. The transverse suppression radius ( 7 cMpc) implies a recent radiative episode with a cumulative duration 3.1 Myr, shorter than required for thermal photoheating to dominate and thus more naturally explained by rapid H photodissociation and related radiative processes. Environmental effects alone appear insufficient to explain the signal. Our results provide direct, geometry-based constraints on large-scale quasar radiative feedback and recent quasar lifetimes.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.00153,
title = {Quasar Radiative Feedback May Suppress Galaxy Growth on Intergalactic Scales at $z = 6.3$},
author = {Yongda Zhu and Eiichi Egami and Xiaohui Fan and Fengwu Sun and George D. Becker and Christopher Cain and Huanqing Chen and Anna-Christina Eilers and Yoshinobu Fudamoto and Jakob M. Helton and Xiangyu Jin and Maria Pudoka and Andrew J. Bunker and Zheng Cai and Jaclyn B. Champagne and Zhiyuan Ji and Xiaojing Lin and Weizhe Liu and Hai-Xia Ma and Zheng Ma and Roberto Maiolino and George H. Rieke and Marcia J. Rieke and Pierluigi Rinaldi and Yang Sun and Wei Leong Tee and Feige Wang and Jinyi Yang and Minghao Yue and Junyu Zhang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.00153},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL); to be presented at AAS 247