A CEERS Discovery of an Accreting Supermassive Black Hole 570 Myr after the Big Bang: Identifying a Progenitor of Massive z > 6 Quasars

Abstract We report the discovery of an accreting supermassive black hole at z = 8.679. This galaxy, denoted here as CEERS_1019, was previously discovered as a Ly α -break galaxy by Hubble with a Ly α redshift from Keck. As part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey, we have observed this source with JWST/NIRSpec, MIRI, NIRCam, and NIRCam/WFSS and uncovered a plethora of emission lines. The H β line is best fit by a narrow plus a broad component, where the latter is measured at 2.5 σ with an FWHM ∼1200 km s −1 . We conclude this originates in the broadline region of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This is supported by the presence of weak high-ionization lines (N V, N IV], and C III]),…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: CAREER-1945546, 1945546, CAREER, 1202007
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: NAS5-03127, ERS-01345, HST-HF2-51505.001-A, JWST-AR-02446, JWST-ERS-01345
• US
  United States - Israel Binational Science Foundation

  Award: 2109066
• OR
  Oak Ridge Associated Universities
• ST
  Space Telescope Science Institute

  Awards: NAS5-03127, JWST-AR-02446, JWST-ERS-01345
• CN
  Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
• GS
  Goddard Space Flight Center
• DO
  Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
• UO
  University of California Observatories
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Award: ST/X001040/1