The WISE/SDSS-selected hyper-luminous quasar (WISSH) survey is an extensive multi-band observing program (from millimeter wavelengths to hard X-rays) to investigate the role of nuclear activity in SMBH-galaxy self-regulated growth via extended outflows. Our ongoing project is designed to accurately probe the relationship between nuclear and host galaxy ISM properties in a unique sample of ~ 90 quasars at the brightest end of the AGN luminosity function (i.e., bolometric luminosity > 8e13 Lsun), and at the peak of their number density (z~2.5-3.5). This OAR-led project involves more than twenty researchers from Italy and foreign institutions.
The most relevant results obtained to date by WISSH are:
– the discovery of highly accreting (i.e., Eddington ratios of ~0.3-3), ten billion solar masses SMBHs producing extremely powerful (up to ~ 4% of the bolometric luminosity) ionized outflows;
– the co-existence of very intense star formation rates (SFR up to few thousands solar masses per year) and prodigious AGN luminosities;
– the relative X-ray weakness of WISSH quasars when compared to IR and optical properties, with respect to less powerful, well-studied AGN typically sampled in medium/deep survey fields.
The WISSH project is based on ALMA, NOEMA, Herschel/SPIRE, WISE, ESO/SINFONI, ESO/X-Shooter, LBT/LUCI, 2MASS, HST, SDSS, Chandra and XMM-Newton data.
General presentations about the WISSH Project can be found here (X-ray Universe 2017, EWASS2017 I, EWASS2017 II).
A first series of WISSH papers is planned for completion in 2017, i.e.,
M. Bischetti et al. “Paper I. Powerful ionized outflows in hyper-luminous quasars”
(2017, A&A, 598, A122)
F. Duras et al. “Paper II. Giant star nurseries in hyper-luminous quasars“
(2017, A&A, 604, A67)
S. Martocchia et al. “Paper III. X-ray properties of hyper-luminous quasars”
(2017, A&A, in press)
G. Vietri et al. “Paper IV. BLR versus kpc-scale winds” (A&A submitted)
M. Bischetti et al. “Paper V. molecular gas content in hyper-luminous quasars”
L. Zappacosta et al. “Paper VI. Variable broad emission line shifts”
WISSH Core Team at OAR: M. Bischetti, A. Bongiorno, F. Duras, F. Fiore, E. Piconcelli, V. Testa, A. Travascio, L. Zappacosta.
Extra-OAR WISSH Core team members: G. Bruni (INAF-IAPS), M. Brusa (UniBo), C. Feruglio (INAF-OATS), F. La Franca (UniRoma3) V. Mainieri (ESO), S. Martocchia (JMU-Liverpool), A. Marconi (UniFi), G. Vietri (ESO), C. Vignali (UniBo), E. Sani (ESO-Chile)
Contact: Enrico Piconcelli (enrico.piconcelli@oa-roma.inaf.it)