A Deep Dive down the Broad-line Region: Permitted O <scp>I</scp> , Ca <scp>II,</scp> and Fe <scp>II</scp> Emission in an Active Galactic Nucleus Little Red Dot at <i>z</i> = 5.3

Abstract We present a spectroscopic analysis of a broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) selected as a little red dot (LRD) at z = 5.3 behind the Bullet cluster (Bz5.3) based on JWST/NIRCam and NIRSpec data. The detection of strong Fe ii , O i , and Ca ii triplet emission lines, along with the evidence of broad Balmer lines, provides strong evidence of a broad-line region (BLR) and an accreting supermassive black hole. Notably, we report the first detection of the λ 1304 bump (i.e., a blend of O i λ 1304 and Si ii ) at high redshift, a feature commonly seen in local AGNs but not yet reported in the early Universe. The O i λ 1304/ λ 8446 photon ratio provides an independent measurement of dust attenuation in galaxies. In Bz5.3, this ratio is highly suppressed (0.1–0.3), implying significant internal dust extinction, with estimated dust attenuation A V ∼ 0.4–1.0. We identify Ly β fluorescence as the dominant excitation mechanism of the low-ionization lines, with additional contributions from collisional excitation. High O i λ 8446 equivalent width and weak O i λ 7774 support this interpretation. The detection of iron emission, whether from broad permitted or narrow forbidden lines, supports the presence of a stratified BLR, as also recently proposed in local LRDs. Photoionization modeling of O i λ 8446 and Ca ii further suggests the coexistence of multiple gas phases with distinct densities and ionization states, highlighting the complexity of the BLR. Bz5.3 thus offers a rare window into early AGN activity and BLR physics at early times.