skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Cross-correlation of Luminous Red Galaxies with Machine Learning Selected Active Galactic Nuclei in HSC-SSP: Unobscured AGN Residing in More Massive Halos
Abstract Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are the signposts of black hole growth, and likely play an important role in galaxy evolution. An outstanding question is whether AGN of different spectral types indicate different evolutionary stages in the coevolution of black holes and galaxies. We present the angular correlation function between an AGN sample selected from Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) optical photometry and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mid-IR photometry and a luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample from HSC-SSP. We investigate AGN clustering strength as a function of luminosity and spectral features across three independent HSC fields totaling ∼600 deg2, forz∈ 0.6 −1.2 and AGN withL6μm> 3 × 1044erg s−1. There are ∼28,500 AGN and ∼1.5 million LRGs in our primary analysis. We determine the average halo mass for the full AGN sample (Mh≈ 1012.9h−1M), and note that it does not evolve significantly as a function of redshift (over this narrow range) or luminosity. We find that, on average, unobscured AGN (Mh≈ 1013.3h−1M) occupy ∼4.5× more massive halos than obscured AGN (Mh≈ 1012.6h−1M), at 5σstatistical significance using 1D uncertainties, and at 3σusing the full covariance matrix, suggesting a physical difference between unobscured and obscured AGN, beyond the line-of-sight viewing angle. Furthermore, we find evidence for a halo mass dependence on reddening level within the Type I AGN population, which could support the existence of a dust-obscured phase. However, we also find that quite small systematic shifts in the redshift distributions of the AGN sample could explain current and previously observed differences inMh more » « less
Award ID(s):
2306950
PAR ID:
10559461
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.3847
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
977
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. 158
Size(s):
Article No. 158
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract We perform X-ray spectral analyses to derive the characteristics (e.g., column density, X-ray luminosity) of ≈10,200 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey, which was designed to investigate the growth of supermassive black holes across a wide dynamic range of cosmic environments. Using physical torus models (e.g., Borus02) and a Bayesian approach, we uncover 22 representative Compton-thick (CT;NH> 1.5 × 1024cm−2) AGN candidates with good signal-to-noise ratios as well as a large sample of 136 heavily obscured AGNs. We also find an increasing CT fraction (fCT) from low (z< 0.75) to high (z> 0.75) redshift. Our CT candidates tend to show hard X-ray spectral shapes and dust extinction in their spectral energy distribution fits, which may shed light on the connection between AGN obscuration and host-galaxy evolution. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract Variability is a fundamental signature for active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity and serves as an unbiased indicator for rapid instability happening near the center of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Previous studies showed that AGN variability does not have strong redshift evolution, and scales with their bolometric luminosity and BH mass, making it a powerful probe to identify low-mass, low-luminosity AGNs at high redshift. JWST has discovered a new population of high-redshift galaxies likely hosting moderate accreting BHs (>106M)—the little red dots (LRDs;z ∼ 4–10). In this Letter, we study the variability of a sample of 22 LRDs with V-shaped spectral energy distributions in three JWST deep fields that also have reliable Hubble Space Telescope observations in closely paired filters at 1–2μm (rest-frame UV), with the time difference between 6 and 11 yr. This LRD sample covers a redshift range of 3 < z < 8 with −21.3 < MUV < −18.4. Based on both photometry and imaging difference analyses, we find a mean magnitude difference of ∼0.15 ± 0.26 mag, with none of the LRDs showing photometric variability at 3σsignificance. Extrapolation of Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar variability predicts a magnitude change of order 0.3 mag for our LRD sample. This suggests an upper limit of about ∼30% AGN contribution to the total observed UV light in our sample of LRDs. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract We study the black hole mass–host galaxy stellar mass relation,MBH–M*, of a sample ofz< 4 optically variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the COSMOS field. The parent sample of 491 COSMOS AGNs were identified by optical variability from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) program. Using publicly available catalogs and spectra, we consolidate their spectroscopic redshifts and estimate virial black hole masses using broad-line widths and luminosities. We show that variability searches with deep, high-precision photometry like the HSC-SSP can identity AGNs in low-mass galaxies up toz∼ 1. However, their black holes are more massive given their host galaxy stellar masses than predicted by the local relation for active galaxies. We report thatz∼ 0.5–4 variability-selected AGNs are meanwhile more consistent with theMBH–M*relation for local inactive early-type galaxies. This result is in agreement with most previous studies of theMBH–M*relation at similar redshifts and indicates that AGNs selected from variability are not intrinsically different from the broad-line Type 1 AGN population at similar luminosities. Our results demonstrate the need for robust black hole and stellar mass estimates for intermediate-mass black hole candidates in low-mass galaxies at similar redshifts to anchor this scaling relation. Assuming that these results do not reflect a selection bias, they appear to be consistent with self-regulated feedback models wherein the central black hole and stars in galaxies grow in tandem. 
    more » « less
  4. Context.Large-scale environment is one of the main physical drivers of galaxy evolution. The densest regions at high redshifts (i.e.z > 2 protoclusters) are gas-rich regions characterised by high star formation activity. The same physical properties that enhance star formation in protoclusters are also thought to boost the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), most likely in heavily obscured conditions. Aims.We aim to test this scenario by probing the active galactic nucleus (AGN) content of SPT2349–56: a massive, gas-rich, and highly star-forming protocluster core atz = 4.3 discovered as an overdensity of dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). We compare our results with data on the field environment and other protoclusters. Methods.We observed SPT2349–56 withChandra(200 ks) and searched for X-ray emission from the known galaxy members. We also performed a spectral energy distribution fitting procedure to derive the physical properties of the discovered AGNs. Results.In the X-ray band, we detected two protocluster members: C1 and C6, corresponding to an AGN fraction among DSFGs in the structure of ≈10%. This value is consistent with other protoclusters atz  =  2 − 4, but higher than the AGN incidence among DSFGs in the field environment. Both AGNs are heavily obscured sources, hosted in star-forming galaxies with ≈3 × 1010 Mstellar masses. We estimate that the intergalactic medium in the host galaxies contributes to a significant fraction (or even entirely) to the nuclear obscuration. In particular, C1 is a highly luminous (LX = 2 × 1045 erg s−1) and Compton-thick (NH = 2 × 1024 cm−2) AGN, likely powered by aMBH > 6 × 108 MSMBH, assuming Eddington-limited accretion. Its high accretion rate suggests that it is in the phase of efficient growth that is generally required to explain the presence of extremely massive SMBHs in the centres of local galaxy clusters. Considering SPT2349–56 and DRC, a similar protocuster atz = 4, and under different assumptions on their volumes, we find that gas-rich protocluster cores atz ≈ 4 enhance the triggering of luminous (logLX/erg s−1 = 45 − 46) AGNs by three to five orders of magnitude with respect to the predictions from the AGN X-ray luminosity function at a similar redshift in the field environment. We note that this result is not solely driven by the overdensity of the galaxy population in the structures. Conclusions.Our results indicate that gas-rich protoclusters at high redshift boost the growth of SMBHs, which will likely impact the subsequent evolution of the structures. Therefore, they stand as key science targets to obtain a complete understanding of the relation between the environment and galaxy evolution. Dedicated investigations of similar protoclusters are required to definitively confirm this conclusion with a higher statistical significance. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract We report the discovery of an accreting supermassive black hole atz= 8.679. This galaxy, denoted here as CEERS_1019, was previously discovered as a Lyα-break galaxy by Hubble with a Lyαredshift from Keck. As part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey, we have observed this source with JWST/NIRSpec, MIRI, NIRCam, and NIRCam/WFSS and uncovered a plethora of emission lines. The Hβline is best fit by a narrow plus a broad component, where the latter is measured at 2.5σwith an FWHM ∼1200 km s−1. We conclude this originates in the broadline region of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This is supported by the presence of weak high-ionization lines (N V, N IV], and C III]), as well as a spatial point-source component. The implied mass of the black hole (BH) is log (MBH/M) = 6.95 ± 0.37, and we estimate that it is accreting at 1.2 ± 0.5 times the Eddington limit. The 1–8μm photometric spectral energy distribution shows a continuum dominated by starlight and constrains the host galaxy to be massive (log M/M∼9.5) and highly star-forming (star formation rate, or SFR ∼ 30 Myr−1; log sSFR ∼ − 7.9 yr−1). The line ratios show that the gas is metal-poor (Z/Z∼ 0.1), dense (ne∼ 103cm−3), and highly ionized (logU∼ − 2.1). We use this present highest-redshift AGN discovery to place constraints on BH seeding models and find that a combination of either super-Eddington accretion from stellar seeds or Eddington accretion from very massive BH seeds is required to form this object. 
    more » « less