An X-ray bright ERO hosting a type 2 QSO

Abstract

We present the XMM-Newton and the optical-VLT spectra along with the optical and the near-infrared photometric data of one of the brightest X-ray (F2-10 kev ∼ 10-13 erg s-1 cm-2) extremely red objects (R - K ≥ 5) discovered so far. The source, XBS J0216-0435, belongs to the XMM-Newton Bright Serendipitous Survey and it has extreme X-ray-to-optical (∼220) and X-ray-to-near-infrared (∼60) flux ratios. Thanks to its brightness, the X-ray statistics are good enough for an accurate spectral analysis by which the presence of an X-ray obscured (N H > 1022 cm-2) QSO (L2-10 kev = 4 × 1045 erg s-1) is determined. A statistically significant (∼99%) excess around 2 keV in the observed-frame suggests the presence of an emission line. By assuming that this feature corresponds to the iron Kα line at 6.4 keV, a first estimate of the redshift of the source is derived (zX ∼ 2). The presence of a high redshift QSO2 has been finally confirmed through dedicated VLT optical spectroscopic observations (zO = 1.985 ± 0.002). This result yields to an optical validation of a new X-ray Line Emitting Object (XLEO) for which the redshift has been firstly derived from the X-ray data. XBS J0216-0435 can be considered one of the few examples of X-ray obscured QSO2 at high redshift for which a detailed X-ray and optical spectral analysis has been possible. The spectral energy distribution from radio to X-rays is also presented. Finally from the near-infrared data the luminosity and the stellar mass of the host galaxy has been estimated finding a new example of the coexistence at high-z between massive galaxies and powerful QSOs. © ESO 2006.