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Arxiv: Simulated host galaxy analogs of high-z quasars observed with JWST Published: 1/17/2024 3:57:10 AM Updated: 4/18/2024 8:25:38 AM

Paper abstract: The hosts of two low-luminosity high-z quasars, J2255+0251 and J2236+0032,were recently detected using JWST's NIRCam instrument. These represent thefirst high-z quasar host galaxy stellar detections and open a new window intostudying high-z quasars. We examine the implications of the measured propertiesof J2255+0251 and J2236+0032 within the context of the hydrodynamic simulationBlueTides at z = 6.5. We find that these observed quasars fall on the BlueTidesstellar to black hole mass relation and have similar luminosities to thebrightest simulated quasars. We predict their star formation rates, estimatingapproximately 10^{2-3} M_{\odot}/ \rm yr for both quasar hosts. J2255+0251and J2236+0032's host galaxy radii also fall within estimates of the radii ofthe simulated host galaxies of similar luminosity quasars. We generate mockJWST NIRCam images of analogs to the observed quasars within BlueTides andperform a point source removal to illustrate both a qualitative andquantitative comparison of the measured and simulated radii and magnitudes. Thequasar subtraction works well for similar luminosity quasars, and the recoveredhost images are consistent with what was observed for J2255+0251 andJ2236+0032, further supporting the success of those observations. We also useour mock imaging pipeline to make predictions for the detection of J2255+0251and J2236+0032's hosts in upcoming JWST observations. We anticipate that thesimulation analogs of future high-z quasar host discoveries will allow us tomake accurate predictions of their properties beyond the capabilities of JWST.