How does quasar radiation affect surrounding galaxies?

As ultra-luminous ionizing sources, can quasars affect the star formation histories of surrounding galaxies?

Neutral fraction map centered on the quasar. Left: Simulation without quasar radiation (NoQ). Right: Simulation with quasar radiation (Q_z9_L). At this moment the quasar has been on for 30 Myr. The zoom-in panel in the left figure is the density map, showing the quasar host experiencing mergers.

It is still highly uncertain where the first quasars formed in the universe. One way to quantify the quasar environments is by counting the surrounding galaxies. However, if galaxy formation is suppressed by the radiative feedback of the quasar, how does this affect our measurements of overdensity?

Bright quasars are typically believed to be located in the most massive halos at high redshifts. These halos are expected to exist in the densest environments, which would lead us to anticipate an overdensity of galaxies around these quasars. However, recent observations have revealed that many z~6 quasar fields lack galaxies. This apparent contradiction may potentially be explained by quasar radiative feedback. Previous studies of this effect have utilized idealized 1D spherical models, but in reality, galaxies are not spherical and exist in complex cosmological environments. Therefore, to accurately assess the efficiency of quasar radiative feedback, we must employ cosmological simulations.

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