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arxiv: 2503.00998 · v1 · pith:5BW57CYNnew · submitted 2025-03-02 · 🌌 astro-ph.GA

Tentative detection of neutral gas in a Little Red Dot at z=4.46

classification 🌌 astro-ph.GA
keywords masshostlrdstentativebalmerconservativedetectiondynamical
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JWST has revealed a population of broad-line active galactic nuclei at $z>4$ with remarkably red colors, so-called "Little Red Dots." Ubiquitous Balmer breaks suggest that they harbor old stellar populations in massive, compact host galaxies. We present ALMA observations of three LRDs at $z=3.10$, $4.46$, and $7.04$, targeting molecular and neutral gas via CO(7-6) and [CI](2-1), respectively. We do not detect CO in any target, placing conservative limits on the host molecular gas mass $\lesssim 1$-$5\times10^{10}$ M$_\odot$. We report the tentative ($4.9\sigma$) detection of the [CI](2-1) line in A2744-45924 ($z=4.46$), one of the brightest known LRDs. The [CI] line is narrow (FWHM $\sim 80$ km s$^{-1}$), implying a dynamical mass $\lesssim 10^{10}$ M$_\odot$, adopting conservative limits for the galaxy size. The dynamical mass limit is significantly lower than expected from the local $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_{\rm dyn}$ relation, and is an order of magnitude below the stellar mass derived from SED fitting, potentially supporting a non-stellar origin of the Balmer break. These results, while tentative, paint a picture of LRDs that is markedly different than typical high-$z$ quasars, which live in massive, gas-rich, and actively star-forming host galaxies.

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Cited by 2 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. The metallicities of little red dot host galaxies: LRDs are metal poor, but not pristine

    astro-ph.GA 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 7.0

    LRD host galaxies show average metallicity 0.08 Z_sun with narrow stable range, challenging pristine-gas formation models while ruling out typical local AGN.

  2. On the quenching of LRD X-ray emission by both Compton-thick gas and high accretion rates

    astro-ph.GA 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 5.0

    LRDs require Compton-thick gas at moderate metallicity plus high accretion rates producing weak X-rays to explain their non-detection, implying they are not chemically pristine.