EVOLUTION OF OPTICALLY FAINT AGN FROM COMBO-17 AND GEMS
L. WisotzkiK. JahnkęS. F. SánchezChristian WolfM. BardenEric F. BellA. BorchBoris HäußlerK. MeisenheimerHans‐Walter RixS. BeckwithJ. CaldwellShardha JogeeRachel S. SomervilleDaniel H. McIntoshC. Y. Peng
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We have mapped the AGN luminosity function and its evolution between z=1 and z=5 down to apparent magnitudes of $R<24$. Within the GEMS project we have analysed HST-ACS images of many AGN in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, enabling us to assess the evolution of AGN host galaxy properties with cosmic time.Keywords:
Cosmic time
We use deep Swift UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) near-ultraviolet (1600–4000 Å) imaging of the Chandra Deep Field South to measure the rest-frame far-UV (FUV; 1500 Å) luminosity function (LF) in four redshift bins between z = 0.2 and 1.2. Our sample includes 730 galaxies with u < 24.1 mag. We use two methods to construct and fit the LFs: the traditional Vmax method with bootstrap errors, and a maximum likelihood estimator. We observe luminosity evolution such that M* fades by ∼2 mag from z ∼ 1 to z ∼ 0.3, implying that star formation activity was substantially higher at z ∼ 1 than today. We integrate our LFs to determine the FUV luminosity densities and star formation rate densities (SFRDs) from z = 0.2 to 1.2. We find evolution consistent with an increase proportional to (1 + z)1.9 out to z ∼ 1. Our luminosity densities and star formation rates are consistent with those found in the literature but are, on average, a factor of ∼2 higher than previous FUV measurements. In addition, we combine our UVOT data with the MUSYC survey to model the galaxies' ultraviolet-to-infrared spectral energy distributions and estimate the rest-frame FUV attenuation. We find that accounting for the attenuation increases the SFRDs by ∼1 dex across all four redshift bins.
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The XLF of AGN offers a robust tool to study the evolution and the growth of SMBHs over cosmic time. Owing to the limited area probed by X-ray surveys, optical surveys are routinely used to probe the accretion in the high redshift Universe $z\geq 3$. However, optical surveys may be incomplete because they are strongly affected by dust redenning. In this work, we derive the XLF and its evolution at high redshifts using a large sample of AGNs selected in different fields with various areas and depths covering a wide range of luminosities. Additionally, we put the tightest yet constraints on the absorption function in this redshift regime. In particular, we use more than 600 soft X-ray selected high-z sources in the Chandra Deep fields, the Chandra COSMOS Legacy survey and the XMM-XXL northern field. We derive the X-ray spectral properties for all sources via spectral fitting, using a consistent technique and model. For modeling the parametric form of the XLF and the absorption function, we use a Bayesian methodology allowing us to correctly propagate the uncertainties for the observed X-ray properties of our sources and also the absorption effects. The evolution of XLF is in agreement with a pure density evolution model similar to what is witnessed at optical wavelengths, although a luminosity dependent density evolution model cannot be securely ruled out. A large fraction ($60\%)$ of our sources are absorbed by column densities of $\rm N_H \geq 10^{23} cm^{-2} $, while $17$\% of the sources are CTK. Our results favor a scenario where both the ISM of the host and the AGN torus contribute to the obscuration. The derived BHAD is in agreement with the simulations, if one takes into account that the X-ray AGN are hosted by massive galaxies, while it differs from the one derived using JWST data. The latter could be due to the differences in the AGN and host-galaxy properties.
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The 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) and other deep X-ray surveys have been highly effective at selecting active galactic nuclei (AGN). However, cosmologically distant low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN) have remained a challenge to identify due to significant contribution from the host galaxy. We identify long-term X-ray variability (~month-years, observed frame) in 20 of 92 CDF-S galaxies spanning redshifts z~0.08-1.02 that do not meet other AGN selection criteria. We show that the observed variability cannot be explained by X-ray binary populations or ultraluminous X-ray sources, so the variability is most likely caused by accretion onto a supermassive black hole. The variable galaxies are not heavily obscured in general, with a stacked effective power-law photon index of Gamma_stack~1.93+/-0.13, and are therefore likely LLAGN. The LLAGN tend to lie a factor of ~6-80 below the extrapolated linear variability-luminosity relation measured for luminous AGN. This may be explained by their lower accretion rates. Variability-independent black-hole mass and accretion-rate estimates for variable galaxies show that they sample a significantly different black-hole mass-accretion rate space, with masses a factor of 2.4 lower and accretion rates a factor of 22.5 lower than variable luminous AGN at the same redshift. We find that an empirical model based on a universal broken power-law PSD function, where the break frequency depends on SMBH mass and accretion rate, roughly reproduces the shape, but not the normalization, of the variability-luminosity trends measured for variable galaxies and more luminous AGN.
Black hole (networking)
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We present an investigation into how well the properties of the accretion flow on to a supermassive black hole may be coupled to those of the overlying hot corona. To do so, we specifically measure the characteristic spectral index, Γ, of a power-law energy distribution, over an energy range of 2–10 keV, for X-ray selected, broad-lined radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGN) up to z ∼ 2 in Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) and Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDF-S). We test the previously reported dependence between Γ and black hole mass, full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and Eddington ratio using a sample of AGN covering a broad range in these parameters based on both the Mg ii and Hα emission lines with the later afforded by recent near-infrared spectroscopic observations using Subaru/Fibre Multi Object Spectrograph. We calculate the Eddington ratios, λEdd, for sources where a bolometric luminosity (LBol) has been presented in the literature, based on spectral energy distribution fitting, or, for sources where these data do not exist, we calculate LBol using a bolometric correction to the X-ray luminosity, derived from a relationship between the bolometric correction and LX/L3000. From a sample of 69 X-ray bright sources (>250 counts), where Γ can be measured with greatest precision, with an estimate of LBol, we find a statistically significant correlation between Γ and λEdd, which is highly significant with a chance probability of 6.59× 10−8. A statistically significant correlation between Γ and the FWHM of the optical lines is confirmed, but at lower significance than with λEdd indicating that λEdd is the key parameter driving conditions in the corona. Linear regression analysis reveals that Γ = (0.32 ± 0.05) log10λEdd + (2.27 ± 0.06) and Γ = (−0.69 ± 0.11) log10(FWHM/km s−1) + (4.44 ± 0.42). Our results on Γ–λEdd are in very good agreement with previous results. While the Γ–λEdd relationship means that X-ray spectroscopy may be used to estimate black hole accretion rate, considerable dispersion in the correlation does not make this viable for single sources, however could be valuable for large X-ray spectral samples, such as those to be produced by eROSITA.
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We present X-ray spectral analyses of the three z > 4 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) thus far spectroscopically identified in the Chandra Deep Field-North Survey, at redshifts of 5.186, 4.424, and 4.137. These analyses are made possible by the extremely deep exposure (≈2 Ms) and the low Chandra background. The rest-frame ≈2.5-40 keV spectra are the first for optically faint (two of the three sources have I > 24) z > 4 AGNs. The z = 5.186 quasar is well fitted by a power-law model with photon index Γ = 1.8 ± 0.3, consistent with those of lower-redshift, unobscured AGNs. The other two AGNs have flatter effective X-ray photon indices (Γ ≈ 1.1-1.5), suggesting the presence of intrinsic absorption (provided their underlying X-ray continua are similar to those of lower redshift AGNs). It is possible that the flat X-ray continuum of the z = 4.424 AGN is partially related to its radio loudness. If the z = 4.137 AGN suffers from X-ray absorption, the implied column density is NH ≈ 2 × 1023 cm-2.
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The cosmological evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) luminosity function is poorly known at the faint end, since active nuclei fainter than their host galaxies cannot be selected by color techniques. A sample of low luminosity AGN candidates has been selected on the basis of their variability. We carried out spectroscopic observations with the WYFFOS multi-fiber facility at the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope. Preliminary results are presented, indicating the validity of the selection technique.
William Herschel Telescope
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We compile one of the largest ever samples to probe the X-ray normal galaxy luminosity function and its evolution with cosmic time. In particular, we select 207 galaxies (106 late and 101 early-type systems) from the Chandra Deep Field North and South surveys, the Extended Chandra Deep Field South and the XBOOTES survey. We derive the luminosity function separately for the total (early+late), the early and the late-type samples using both a parametric maximum likelihood method, and a variant of the non-parametric 1/V_m method. Although the statistics is limited, we find that the total (early+late) galaxy sample is consistent with a Pure Luminosity evolution model where the luminosity evolves according to L(z) ~ (1+z)^2.2. The late-type systems appear to drive this trend while the early-type systems show much weaker evidence for evolution. We argue that the X-ray evolution of late-type systems is consistent with that of blue galaxies in the optical. In contrast there is a mismatch between the X-ray evolution of early-type systems and that of red galaxies at optical wavelengths.
Cosmic time
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We have surveyed with XMM-Newton the central ~0.6 deg2 region of the ELAIS-S1 field down to flux limits of ~5.5X10-16 cgs (0.5-2 keV, S band), ~2X10-15 cgs (2-10 keV, H band), and ~4X10-15 cgs (5-10 keV, HH band). We detect a total of 478 sources, 395 and 205 of which detected in the S and H bands respectively. We identified 7 clearly extended sources and estimated their redshift through X-ray spectral fits with thermal models. In four cases the redshift is consistent with z=0.4. We have computed the angular correlation function of the sources in the S and H bands, finding best fit correlation angles theta_0=5.2+/-3.8 arcsec and theta_0=12.8+/-7.8 arcsec respectively. A rough estimate of the present-day correlation length r_0 can be obtained inverting the Limber equation and assuming an appropriate redshift distribution dN/dz. The results range between 12.8 and 9.8 h-1 Mpc in the S band and between 17.9 and 13.4 h-1 Mpc in the H band, with 30-40% statistical errors, assuming either smooth redshift distributions or redshift distributions with spikes accounting for the presence of a structure at z=0.4. The relative density of the S band sources is higher near the clusters and groups at z~0.4 and extends toward East and toward South/West. This suggests that the structure is complex, with a size comparable to the full XMM-Newton field. Conversely, the highest relative source densities of the H band sources are located in the central-west region of the field.
Cosmic time
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Heavily obscured (NH ≳ 3 × 1023 cm−2) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) not detected even in the deepest X-ray surveys are often considered to be comparably numerous to the unobscured and moderately obscured AGNs. Such sources are required to fit the cosmic X-ray background (XRB) emission in the 10–30 keV band. We identify a numerically significant population of heavily obscured AGNs at z ≈ 0.5–1 in the Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) and Extended Chandra Deep Field-South by selecting 242 X-ray undetected objects with infrared-based star-formation rates (SFRs) substantially higher (a factor of 3.2 or more) than their SFRs determined from the UV after correcting for dust extinction. An X-ray stacking analysis of 23 candidates in the central CDF-S region using the 4 Ms Chandra data reveals a hard X-ray signal with an effective power-law photon index of Γ = 0.6+0.3−0.4, indicating a significant contribution from obscured AGNs. Based on Monte Carlo simulations, we conclude that 74% ± 25% of the selected galaxies host obscured AGNs, within which ≈95% are heavily obscured and ≈80% are Compton-thick (CT; NH > 1.5 × 1024 cm−2). The heavily obscured objects in our sample are of moderate intrinsic X-ray luminosity (≈(0.9–4) × 1042 erg s−1 in the 2–10 keV band). The space density of the CT AGNs is (1.6 ± 0.5) × 10−4 Mpc−3. The z ≈ 0.5–1 CT objects studied here are expected to contribute ≈1% of the total XRB flux in the 10–30 keV band, and they account for ≈5%–15% of the emission in this energy band expected from all CT AGNs according to population-synthesis models. In the 6–8 keV band, the stacked signal of the 23 heavily obscured candidates accounts for <5% of the unresolved XRB flux, while the unresolved ≈25% of the XRB in this band can probably be explained by a stacking analysis of the X-ray undetected optical galaxies in the CDF-S (a 2.5σ stacked signal). We discuss prospects to identify such heavily obscured objects using future hard X-ray observatories.
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Extinction (optical mineralogy)
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Abstract Even in deep X-ray surveys, Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CT AGNs, N H ≥ 1.5 × 10 24 cm −2 ) are difficult to identify due to X-ray flux suppression and their complex spectral shapes. However, the study of CT AGNs is vital for understanding the rapid growth of black holes and the origin of the cosmic X-ray background. In the local universe, the fraction of CT AGNs accounts for 30% of the whole AGN population. We expect a higher fraction of CT AGNs in deep X-ray surveys; however, only 10% of AGNs have been identified as CT AGNs in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South survey. In this work, we select 51 AGNs with abundant multiwavelength data. Using the method of the mid-infrared (mid-IR) excess, we select hitherto unknown eight CT AGN candidates in our sample. Seven of these candidates can be confirmed as CT AGNs based on the multiwavelength identification approach, and a new CT AGN (XID 133) is identified through the mid-IR diagnostics. We also discuss the X-ray origin of these eight CT AGNs and the reason why their column densities were underestimated in previous studies. We find that the multiwavelength approaches of selecting CT AGNs are highly efficient, provided the high quality of observational data. We also find that CT AGNs have a higher Eddington ratio than non-CT AGNs, and that both CT AGNs and non-CT AGNs show similar properties of host galaxies.
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