J/MNRAS/511/4159ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/511/4159doi:10.26093/cds/vizier.75114159CDSFriday T.Clowes R.G.Williger G.M.2025-03-03T20:14:27Z2025-02-18T13:45:45ZCDS support team

CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France

cds-question@unistra.frquasarssurveysastrometryactive-galactic-nucleigalaxy-groupspolarimetryredshiftedspectroscopyvisible-astronomyCorrelated orientations of quasar optical and radio polarization, and of radio jets, have been reported on Gpc scales, possibly arising from intrinsic alignment of spin axes. Optical quasar polarization appears to be preferentially either aligned or orthogonal to the host large-scale structure, specifically large quasar groups (LQGs). Using a sample of 71 LQGs at redshifts 1.0 <= z <= 1.8, we investigate whether LQGs themselves exhibit correlated orientation. We find that LQG position angles (PAs) are unlikely to be drawn from a uniform distribution (p-values 0.008 <~ p <~ 0.07). The LQG PA distribution is bimodal, with median modes at {theta}^{bar}^ 45 +/- 2{deg}, 136 +/- 2^{deg}^, remarkably close to the mean angles of quasar radio polarization reported in two regions coincident with our LQG sample. We quantify the degree of alignment in the PA data, and find that LQGs are aligned and orthogonal across very large scales. The maximum significance is ~= 0.8 per cent (2.4{sigma}) at typical angular (proper) separations of ~30{deg} (1.6 Gpc). If the LQG orientation correlation is real, it represents large-scale structure alignment over scales larger than those predicted by cosmological simulations and at least an order of magnitude larger than any so far observed, with the exception of quasar- polarization/radio-jet alignment. We conclude that LQG alignment helps explain quasar-polarization/radio-jet alignment, but raises challenging questions about the origin of the LQG correlation and the assumptions of the concordance cosmological model.2022MNRAS.511.4159Fhttps://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/MNRAS/511/4159CatalogResearchIsServedByTAP VizieR generic serviceIsServedByConesearch servicerelated-toVII/260 : The SDSS-DR7 quasar catalog (Schneider+, 2010)VII/289 : SDSS quasar catalog, sixteenth data release (DR16Q)J/A+A/332/410 : Quasar polarization (Hutsemekers 1998)J/AJ/131/2766 : Quasar luminosity function from SDSS-DR3 (Richards+, 2006)J/A+A/441/915 : Alignments of quasar polarization vectors (Hutsemekers+, 2005)https://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.htmlhttps://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/MNRAS/511/4159GETtext/xml+votablehttps://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tapCone search capability for table J/MNRAS/511/4159/tablec1 (The 71 large quasar groups LQGs parameters)https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/MNRAS/511/4159/tablec1?https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/MNRAS/511/4159/tablec1?http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/MNRAS/511/4159/tablec1?GETtext/xml+votable180.050000true121.127.90.0055555555555555566/4192 4310 4716 4760 4958 5121 5387 5421 5445 5467 5743 5852 6035 6052 6141 6224 6484 7195 8285 8289 8365 8437 8577 8650 8715 9024 9809 9891 9905 10243 10305 10377 10497 10513 10536 10816 10830 10946 11075 11170 11180 11285 11408 11446 11462 11506 11805 25956 25967 26039 26301 26397 26565 26584 26973 27321 27409 27415 27595 27697 27757 27905 28055 28179 28202 28213 28256 28294 28371 28618https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/moc/J/MNRAS/511/4159?format=asciiOpticaldefaultJ/MNRAS/511/4159/tablec1The 71 large quasar groups LQGs parametersHWCI2DHalf-width confidence interval HWCI {gamma}_h_ computed from the 2D approach ({gamma}_h_2D)degphys.angSize;meta.modelledfloatPA3DPosition angle computed from the 3D approach ({theta}3D)degpos.posAng;meta.modelledfloatHWCI3DHalf-width confidence interval HWCI {gamma}_h_ computed from the 3D approach ({gamma}_h_3D)degphys.angSize;meta.modelledfloataRatio of LQG enclosing ellipsoid axe, major axis a dimensionless length from the 3D approach from Appendix C Figure C2 (a)phys.angSize.smajAxis;arith.ratiofloatbRatio of LQG enclosing ellipsoid axe, intermediate axis b dimensionless length from the 3D approach from Appendix C Figure C2 (b)phys.angSize;arith.ratiofloatcRatio of LQG enclosing ellipsoid axe, minor axis c dimensionless length from the 3D approach from Appendix C Figure C2 (c)phys.angSize.sminAxis;arith.ratiofloatrecnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintNmembThe number of members belonging to the large quasar group (m)meta.numberintRAJ2000Mean right ascension of the member quasars (J2000) ({alpha}^{bar}^)degpos.eq.ra;meta.mainDEJ2000Mean declination of the member quasars (J2000) ({delta}^{bar}^)degpos.eq.dec;meta.mainzMean redshift of the member quasars (z^{bar}^)src.redshiftfloatw71The normalized goodness-of-fit weight w is scaled by w_71_ = w * 71 for clarity, and to distinguish those LQGs weighted higher (w71 > 1) or lower (w71 < 1) than the mean w^{bar}^ (w_71_)stat.fit.goodness;stat.weightfloatPA2DPosition angle computed from the 2D approach ({theta}2D)degpos.posAng;meta.modelledfloat