Subaru High-z Exploration of Low-Luminosity Quasars (SHELLQs). III. Star formation properties of the host galaxies at z greater than or similar to 6 studied with ALMA

Abstract

We present our ALMA Cycle 4 measurements of the [C II] emission line and the underlying far-infrared (FIR) continuum emission from four optically low-luminosity (M-1450 > -25) quasars at z >= 6 discovered by the Subaru Hyper Suprime Cam (HSC) survey. The [C II] line and FIR continuum luminosities lie in the ranges L-[C II] = (3.8-10.2) x 10(8) L-circle dot and L-FIR = (1.2-2.0) x 10(11) L-circle dot, which are at least one order of magnitude smaller than those of optically-luminous quasars at z >= 6. We estimate the star formation rates (SFRs) of our targets as similar or equal to 23-40 M-circle dot yr(-1). Their line and continuum-emitting regions are marginally resolved, and found to be comparable in size to those of optically-luminous quasars, indicating that their SFR or likely gas mass surface densities (key controlling parameter of mass accretion) are accordingly different. The L-[C II]/L-FIR ratios of the hosts, similar or equal to (2.2-8.7) x 10 (-3), are fully consistent with local star-forming galaxies. Using the [C II] dynamics, we derived their dynamical masses within a radius of 1.5-2.5 kpc as similar or equal to (1.4-8.2) x 10(10)M(circle dot). By interpreting these masses as stellar ones, we suggest that these faint quasar hosts are on or even below the star-forming main sequence at z similar to 6, i.e., they appear to be transforming into quiescent galaxies. This is in contrast to the optically-luminous quasars at those redshifts, which show starburst-like properties. Finally, we find that the ratios of black hole mass to host galaxy dynamical mass of most of the low-luminosity quasars, including the HSC ones, are consistent with the local value. The mass ratios of the HSC quasars can be reproduced by a semi-analytical model that assumes merger-induced black hole host galaxy evolution.