Eight low-redshift Little Red Dots identified in DESI DR1 exhibit broad Balmer lines, steep decrements, compact shapes, and negligible variability, with a number density roughly 10,000 times lower than at z>4.
2026b, arXiv e-prints
8 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
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Pith papers citing it
abstract
Recent studies at high redshift have revealed an enigmatic class of Little Red Dots (LRDs) with extreme Balmer breaks, stronger than in any stellar atmosphere. However, it is unclear whether such objects exist at lower redshift, especially given the low number of LRDs reported at $z\lesssim 2$. Here we report the discovery of PAN-BH*-1, an LRD with an extreme Balmer break at $z=1.73$, identified from JWST/NIRCam pure-parallel imaging taken by the PANORAMIC survey, and confirmed by deep VLT/X-Shooter spectroscopy. The rest-optical to near-infrared spectral energy distribution of PAN-BH*-1 is consistent with a photospheric continuum with effective temperature $T_{\rm eff}\approx 4800$ K. The broad H$\alpha$ emission line shows remarkably deep absorption, stronger than previously measured in any LRD. The absorption trough spans from $-520$ km/s to $+267$ km/s with respect to the systemic redshift. The presence of blue- and red-shifted absorption suggests complex dynamics of the obscuring gas along the line of sight. We speculate that the absorption trough can be produced by a thick wind launched from a thick, rotating photospheric disk, the latter being the source of the red optical continuum. While the source is unresolved in the rest-optical JWST data ($r_{\rm eff,UV}<47$ pc), the rest-NUV HST imaging shows an extended morphology with $r_{\rm eff,opt}=1.0^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$ kpc, that we interpret as a host galaxy with a stellar mass $\sim 10^8$ $M_\odot$, in line with the narrow H$\alpha$ emission. The discovery of this object at cosmic noon highlights the feasibility of systematic searches for extreme LRDs with wide-area facilities such as Euclid and Roman.
years
2026 8representative citing papers
LRDs are reinterpreted as intermediate-mass super-Eddington systems with wind-driven pseudo-photospheres that explain their spectra and imply engine masses below 10^5 solar masses rather than overmassive black holes.
LRDs are interpreted as high-inclination hyper-Eddington accreting SMBHs analogous to SS 433, with V-shaped SEDs, X-ray weakness, and Balmer breaks emerging from disk self-shielding geometry.
LBDs are interpreted as lower-column analogues of LRDs in a gas-cocooned AGN sequence, with predicted spectral features including Balmer jumps and X-ray weakness.
Narrow-line diagnostics on ~20 LRDs indicate that stellar photoionization alone cannot explain the observed ratios in many objects, implying anisotropic ionizing radiation from complex gas geometry.
JWST data on LRDs and LBDs show AGN-like excitation, strong Lyα with broad components, and X-ray weakness, implying clumpy or equatorial geometries around growing black holes rather than complete gas envelopes.
Quasi-star models using Cloudy radiative transfer reproduce the UV-NIR continuum shape, Balmer break, and hydrogen line luminosities in some LRDs when combined with host galaxy emission, but fail to account for broad helium lines and hot dust without added components.
SKAO continuum surveys will detect radio emission from JWST AGN and LRDs and distinguish between Compton-thick absorption, intrinsically weak accretion, and dense gas cocoon scenarios.
citing papers explorer
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A new sample of Little Red Dots at $z<0.45$ in DESI DR1: Broad Balmer lines, low ionization spectrum and no variability
Eight low-redshift Little Red Dots identified in DESI DR1 exhibit broad Balmer lines, steep decrements, compact shapes, and negligible variability, with a number density roughly 10,000 times lower than at z>4.