XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

Valentina D'odorico; E. Bañados; G. D. Becker; M. Bischetti; S. E.I. Bosman; G. Cupani; R. Davies; E. P. Farina; A. Ferrara; C. Feruglio; C. Mazzucchelli; E. Ryan-Weber; J. T. Schindler; A. Sodini; B. P. Venemans; F. Walter; H. Chen; S. Lai; Y. Zhu; F. Bian; S. Campo; S. Carniani; S. Cristiani; F. Davies; R. Decarli; A. Drake; A. C. Eilers; X. Fan; P. Gaikwad; S. Gallerani; B. Greig; M. G. Haehnelt; J. Hennawi; L. Keating; G. Kulkarni; A. Mesinger; R. A. Meyer; M. Neeleman; M. Onoue; A. Pallottini; Y. Qin; S. Rojas-Ruiz; S. Satyavolu; A. Sebastian; R. Tripodi; F. Wang; M. Wolfson; J. Yang; M. V. Zanchettin

doi:10.1093/mnras/stad1468

XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

Valentina D'odorico^*, E. Bañados, G. D. Becker, M. Bischetti, S. E.I. Bosman, G. Cupani, R. Davies, E. P. Farina, A. Ferrara, C. Feruglio, C. Mazzucchelli, E. Ryan-Weber, J. T. Schindler, A. Sodini, B. P. Venemans, F. Walter, H. Chen, S. Lai, Y. Zhu, F. BianS. Campo, S. Carniani, S. Cristiani, F. Davies, R. Decarli, A. Drake, A. C. Eilers, X. Fan, P. Gaikwad, S. Gallerani, B. Greig, M. G. Haehnelt, J. Hennawi, L. Keating, G. Kulkarni, A. Mesinger, R. A. Meyer, M. Neeleman, M. Onoue, A. Pallottini, Y. Qin, S. Rojas-Ruiz, S. Satyavolu, A. Sebastian, R. Tripodi, F. Wang, M. Wolfson, J. Yang, M. V. Zanchettin

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

The final phase of the reionization process can be probed by rest-frame UV absorption spectra of quasars at z ≳ 6, shedding light on the properties of the diffuse intergalactic medium within the first Gyr of the Universe. The ESO Large Programme 'XQR-30: the ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z ≃ 5.8-6.6' dedicated ∼250 h of observations at the VLT to create a homogeneous and high-quality sample of spectra of 30 luminous quasars at z ∼6, covering the rest wavelength range from the Lyman limit to beyond the Mg ii emission. Twelve quasar spectra of similar quality from the XSHOOTER archive were added to form the enlarged XQR-30 sample, corresponding to a total of ∼350 h of on-source exposure time. The median effective resolving power of the 42 spectra is R ≃ 11 400 and 9800 in the VIS and NIR arm, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio per 10 km s-1 pixel ranges from ∼11 to 114 at λ ≃ 1285 Å rest frame, with a median value of ∼29. We describe the observations, data reduction, and analysis of the spectra, together with some first results based on the E-XQR-30 sample. New photometry in the H and K bands are provided for the XQR-30 quasars, together with composite spectra whose characteristics reflect the large absolute magnitudes of the sample. The composite and the reduced spectra are released to the community through a public repository, and will enable a range of studies addressing outstanding questions regarding the first Gyr of the Universe.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1399-1420
Number of pages	22
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	523
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1468
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2023

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10.1093/mnras/stad1468

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D'odorico, V., Bañados, E., Becker, G. D., Bischetti, M., Bosman, S. E. I., Cupani, G., Davies, R., Farina, E. P., Ferrara, A., Feruglio, C., Mazzucchelli, C., Ryan-Weber, E., Schindler, J. T., Sodini, A., Venemans, B. P., Walter, F., Chen, H., Lai, S., Zhu, Y., ... Zanchettin, M. V. (2023). XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 523(1), 1399-1420. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1468

@article{8468b59f782049c6bfe28c94a7d266c9,

title = "XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch",

abstract = "The final phase of the reionization process can be probed by rest-frame UV absorption spectra of quasars at z ≳ 6, shedding light on the properties of the diffuse intergalactic medium within the first Gyr of the Universe. The ESO Large Programme 'XQR-30: the ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z ≃ 5.8-6.6' dedicated ∼250 h of observations at the VLT to create a homogeneous and high-quality sample of spectra of 30 luminous quasars at z ∼6, covering the rest wavelength range from the Lyman limit to beyond the Mg ii emission. Twelve quasar spectra of similar quality from the XSHOOTER archive were added to form the enlarged XQR-30 sample, corresponding to a total of ∼350 h of on-source exposure time. The median effective resolving power of the 42 spectra is R ≃ 11 400 and 9800 in the VIS and NIR arm, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio per 10 km s-1 pixel ranges from ∼11 to 114 at λ ≃ 1285 {\AA} rest frame, with a median value of ∼29. We describe the observations, data reduction, and analysis of the spectra, together with some first results based on the E-XQR-30 sample. New photometry in the H and K bands are provided for the XQR-30 quasars, together with composite spectra whose characteristics reflect the large absolute magnitudes of the sample. The composite and the reduced spectra are released to the community through a public repository, and will enable a range of studies addressing outstanding questions regarding the first Gyr of the Universe.",

keywords = "dark ages, reionization, first stars, galaxies: high-redshift, intergalactic medium, quasars: absorption lines, quasars: emission lines",

author = "Valentina D'odorico and E. Ba{\~n}ados and Becker, {G. D.} and M. Bischetti and Bosman, {S. E.I.} and G. Cupani and R. Davies and Farina, {E. P.} and A. Ferrara and C. Feruglio and C. Mazzucchelli and E. Ryan-Weber and Schindler, {J. T.} and A. Sodini and Venemans, {B. P.} and F. Walter and H. Chen and S. Lai and Y. Zhu and F. Bian and S. Campo and S. Carniani and S. Cristiani and F. Davies and R. Decarli and A. Drake and Eilers, {A. C.} and X. Fan and P. Gaikwad and S. Gallerani and B. Greig and Haehnelt, {M. G.} and J. Hennawi and L. Keating and G. Kulkarni and A. Mesinger and Meyer, {R. A.} and M. Neeleman and M. Onoue and A. Pallottini and Y. Qin and S. Rojas-Ruiz and S. Satyavolu and A. Sebastian and R. Tripodi and F. Wang and M. Wolfson and J. Yang and Zanchettin, {M. V.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s).",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stad1468",

language = "English",

volume = "523",

pages = "1399--1420",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press ",

number = "1",

}

D'odorico, V, Bañados, E, Becker, GD, Bischetti, M, Bosman, SEI, Cupani, G, Davies, R, Farina, EP, Ferrara, A, Feruglio, C, Mazzucchelli, C, Ryan-Weber, E, Schindler, JT, Sodini, A, Venemans, BP, Walter, F, Chen, H, Lai, S, Zhu, Y, Bian, F, Campo, S, Carniani, S, Cristiani, S, Davies, F, Decarli, R, Drake, A, Eilers, AC, Fan, X, Gaikwad, P, Gallerani, S, Greig, B, Haehnelt, MG, Hennawi, J, Keating, L, Kulkarni, G, Mesinger, A, Meyer, RA, Neeleman, M, Onoue, M, Pallottini, A, Qin, Y, Rojas-Ruiz, S, Satyavolu, S, Sebastian, A, Tripodi, R, Wang, F, Wolfson, M, Yang, J & Zanchettin, MV 2023, 'XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 523, no. 1, pp. 1399-1420. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1468

TY - JOUR

T1 - XQR-30

T2 - The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

AU - D'odorico, Valentina

AU - Bañados, E.

AU - Becker, G. D.

AU - Bischetti, M.

AU - Bosman, S. E.I.

AU - Cupani, G.

AU - Davies, R.

AU - Farina, E. P.

AU - Ferrara, A.

AU - Feruglio, C.

AU - Mazzucchelli, C.

AU - Ryan-Weber, E.

AU - Schindler, J. T.

AU - Sodini, A.

AU - Venemans, B. P.

AU - Walter, F.

AU - Chen, H.

AU - Lai, S.

AU - Zhu, Y.

AU - Bian, F.

AU - Campo, S.

AU - Carniani, S.

AU - Cristiani, S.

AU - Davies, F.

AU - Decarli, R.

AU - Drake, A.

AU - Eilers, A. C.

AU - Fan, X.

AU - Gaikwad, P.

AU - Gallerani, S.

AU - Greig, B.

AU - Haehnelt, M. G.

AU - Hennawi, J.

AU - Keating, L.

AU - Kulkarni, G.

AU - Mesinger, A.

AU - Meyer, R. A.

AU - Neeleman, M.

AU - Onoue, M.

AU - Pallottini, A.

AU - Qin, Y.

AU - Rojas-Ruiz, S.

AU - Satyavolu, S.

AU - Sebastian, A.

AU - Tripodi, R.

AU - Wang, F.

AU - Wolfson, M.

AU - Yang, J.

AU - Zanchettin, M. V.

PY - 2023/7/1

Y1 - 2023/7/1

N2 - The final phase of the reionization process can be probed by rest-frame UV absorption spectra of quasars at z ≳ 6, shedding light on the properties of the diffuse intergalactic medium within the first Gyr of the Universe. The ESO Large Programme 'XQR-30: the ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z ≃ 5.8-6.6' dedicated ∼250 h of observations at the VLT to create a homogeneous and high-quality sample of spectra of 30 luminous quasars at z ∼6, covering the rest wavelength range from the Lyman limit to beyond the Mg ii emission. Twelve quasar spectra of similar quality from the XSHOOTER archive were added to form the enlarged XQR-30 sample, corresponding to a total of ∼350 h of on-source exposure time. The median effective resolving power of the 42 spectra is R ≃ 11 400 and 9800 in the VIS and NIR arm, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio per 10 km s-1 pixel ranges from ∼11 to 114 at λ ≃ 1285 Å rest frame, with a median value of ∼29. We describe the observations, data reduction, and analysis of the spectra, together with some first results based on the E-XQR-30 sample. New photometry in the H and K bands are provided for the XQR-30 quasars, together with composite spectra whose characteristics reflect the large absolute magnitudes of the sample. The composite and the reduced spectra are released to the community through a public repository, and will enable a range of studies addressing outstanding questions regarding the first Gyr of the Universe.

AB - The final phase of the reionization process can be probed by rest-frame UV absorption spectra of quasars at z ≳ 6, shedding light on the properties of the diffuse intergalactic medium within the first Gyr of the Universe. The ESO Large Programme 'XQR-30: the ultimate XSHOOTER legacy survey of quasars at z ≃ 5.8-6.6' dedicated ∼250 h of observations at the VLT to create a homogeneous and high-quality sample of spectra of 30 luminous quasars at z ∼6, covering the rest wavelength range from the Lyman limit to beyond the Mg ii emission. Twelve quasar spectra of similar quality from the XSHOOTER archive were added to form the enlarged XQR-30 sample, corresponding to a total of ∼350 h of on-source exposure time. The median effective resolving power of the 42 spectra is R ≃ 11 400 and 9800 in the VIS and NIR arm, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio per 10 km s-1 pixel ranges from ∼11 to 114 at λ ≃ 1285 Å rest frame, with a median value of ∼29. We describe the observations, data reduction, and analysis of the spectra, together with some first results based on the E-XQR-30 sample. New photometry in the H and K bands are provided for the XQR-30 quasars, together with composite spectra whose characteristics reflect the large absolute magnitudes of the sample. The composite and the reduced spectra are released to the community through a public repository, and will enable a range of studies addressing outstanding questions regarding the first Gyr of the Universe.

KW - dark ages, reionization, first stars

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - intergalactic medium

KW - quasars: absorption lines

KW - quasars: emission lines

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162187649&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stad1468

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stad1468

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 523

SP - 1399

EP - 1420

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

XQR-30: The ultimate XSHOOTER quasar sample at the reionization epoch

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