Massive galaxies formed most actively at redshifts z=1β3 during the period
known as `cosmic noon.' Here we present an emission-line study of an extremely
red quasar SDSSJ165202.64+172852.3 host galaxy at z=2.94, based on
observations with the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) integral field unit
(IFU) on board JWST. We use standard emission-line diagnostic ratios to map the
sources of gas ionization across the host and a swarm of companion galaxies.
The quasar dominates the photoionization, but we also discover shock-excited
regions orthogonal to the ionization cone and the quasar-driven outflow. These
shocks could be merger-induced or -- more likely, given the presence of a
powerful galactic-scale quasar outflow -- these are signatures of wide-angle
outflows that can reach parts of the galaxy that are not directly illuminated
by the quasar. Finally, the kinematically narrow emission associated with the
host galaxy presents as a collection of 1 kpc-scale clumps forming stars at a
rate of at least 200 Mββ yrβ1. The ISM within these clumps shows
high electron densities, reaching up to 3,000 cmβ3 with metallicities
ranging from half to a third solar with a positive metallicity gradient and V
band extinctions up to 3 magnitudes. The star formation conditions are far more
extreme in these regions than in local star-forming galaxies but consistent
with that of massive galaxies at cosmic noon. JWST observations reveal an
archetypical rapidly forming massive galaxy undergoing a merger, a clumpy
starburst, an episode of obscured near-Eddington quasar activity, and an
extremely powerful quasar outflow simultaneously.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap