James Aird

A remarkably flat relationship between the average star formation rate and AGN luminosity for distant X-ray AGN

In this study, we investigate the relationship between the star formation rate (SFR) and AGN luminosity (LAGNLAGN) for ∼2000 X-ray detected AGN. The AGN span over three orders of magnitude in X-ray luminosity (1042<L2−8keV<1045.5ergs−11042<L2−8keV<1045.5ergs−1) and are in the redshift range z = 0.2–2.5. Using infrared (IR) photometry (8–500 μmμm), including deblended Spitzer and Herschel images and taking into account photometric upper limits, we decompose the IR spectral energy distributions into AGN and star formation components. Using the IR luminosities due to star formation, we investigate the average SFRs as a function of redshift and AGN luminosity. In agreement with previous studies, we find a strong evolution of the average SFR with redshift, tracking the observed evolution of the overall star-forming galaxy population. However, we find that the relationship between the average SFR and AGN luminosity is broadly flat at all redshifts and across all the AGN luminosities investigated; in comparison to previous studies, we find less scatter amongst the average SFRs across the wide range of AGN luminosities investigated. By comparing to empirical models, we argue that the observed flat relationship is due to short time-scale variations in AGN luminosity, driven by changes in the mass accretion rate, which wash out any underlying correlations between SFR and LAGNLAGN. Furthermore, we show that the exact form of the predicted relationship between SFR and AGN luminosity (and its normalization) is highly sensitive to the assumed intrinsic Eddington ratio distribution.

The X-ray luminosity function of active galactic nuclei in the redshift interval z=3-5

We combine deep X-ray survey data from the Chandra observatory and the wide-area/shallow XMM-XXL field to estimate the AGN X-ray luminosity function in the redshift range z=3-5. The sample consists of nearly 340 sources with either photometric (212) or spectroscopic (128) redshift in the above range. The combination of deep and shallow survey fields provides a luminosity baseline of three orders of magnitude, Lx(2-10keV)~1e43-1e46erg/s at z>3. We follow a Bayesian approach to determine the binned AGN space density and explore their evolution in a model-independent way. Our methodology accounts for Poisson errors in the determination of X-ray fluxes and uncertainties in photometric redshift estimates. We demonstrate that the latter is essential for unbiased measurement of space densities. We find that the AGN X-ray luminosity function evolves strongly between the redshift intervals z=3-4 and z=4-5. There is also suggestive evidence that the amplitude of this evolution is luminosity dependent. The space density of AGN with Lx 1e45erg/s. The faint-end slope of UV/optical luminosity functions however, is steeper than for X-ray selected AGN. This implies that the type-I AGN fraction increases with decreasing luminosity at z>3, opposite to trends established at lower redshift. We also assess the significance of AGN in keeping the hydrogen ionised at high redshift. Our X-ray luminosity function yields ionising photon rate densities that are insufficient to keep the Universe ionised at redshift z>4. A source of uncertainty in this calculation is the escape fraction of UV photons for X-ray selected AGN.

NuSTAR REVEALS EXTREME ABSORPTION IN z<0.5 TYPE 2 QUASARS

The intrinsic column density (N_H) distribution of quasars is poorly known. At the high obscuration end of the quasar population and for redshifts z 1.5 × 10^(24) cm^(−2)) type 2 quasars (CTQSO2s); five new NuSTAR observations are reported herein, and four have been previously published. The candidate CTQSO2s lie at z < 0.5, have observed [O III] luminosities in the range 8.4 < log(L_([O III])/L⊙) < 9.6, and show evidence for extreme, Compton-thick absorption when indirect absorption diagnostics are considered. Among the nine candidate CTQSO2s, five are detected by NuSTAR in the high-energy (8–24 keV) band: two are weakly detected at the ≈3σ confidence level and three are strongly detected with sufficient counts for spectral modeling (≳90 net source counts at 8–24 keV). For these NuSTAR-detected sources direct (i.e., X-ray spectral) constraints on the intrinsic active galactic nucleus properties are feasible, and we measure column densities ≈2.5–1600 times higher and intrinsic (unabsorbed) X-ray luminosities ≈10–70 times higher than pre-NuSTAR constraints from Chandra and XMM-Newton. Assuming the NuSTAR-detected type 2 quasars are representative of other Compton-thick candidates, we make a correction to the N_H distribution for optically selected type 2 quasars as measured by Chandra and XMM-Newton for 39 objects. With this approach, we predict a Compton-thick fraction of f_(CT) = 36^(+14)_(-12)%, although higher fractions (up to 76%) are possible if indirect absorption diagnostics are assumed to be reliable.

PRIMUS: The Relationship between Star Formation and AGN Accretion

We study the evidence for a connection between active galactic nuclei (AGN) fueling and star formation by investigating the relationship between the X-ray luminosities of AGN and the star formation rates (SFRs) of their host galaxies. We identify a sample of 309 AGN with

ARE COMPTON-THICK AGNs THE MISSING LINK BETWEEN MERGERS AND BLACK HOLE GROWTH?

10^{41}<L_\mathrm{X}<10^{44}

THE NuSTAR EXTRAGALACTIC SURVEYS: THE NUMBER COUNTS OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AND THE RESOLVED FRACTION OF THE COSMIC X-RAY BACKGROUND

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The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: First Direct Measurements of the > 10 keV X-Ray Luminosity Function for Active Galactic Nuclei at z > 0.1

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The 5–10 keV AGN luminosity function at 0.01 < z < 4.0

at

THE MOSFIRE DEEP EVOLUTION FIELD (MOSDEF) SURVEY: REST-FRAME OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY for ∼1500 H-SELECTED GALAXIES at 1.37≤ z≤ 3.8

0.2 < z < 1.2

The NuSTAR Serendipitous Survey: The 40-month Catalog and the Properties of the Distant High-energy X-Ray Source Population

in the PRIMUS redshift survey. We find AGN in galaxies with a wide range of SFR at a given