Search

We report on the multi-wavelength identification of the X-ray sources found in the Subaru-XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS) using deep imaging data covering the wavelength range between the far-UV and mid-IR (MIR). We select a primary counterpart of each X-ray source by applying the likelihood ratio method to R-band, 3.6μm, near- UV, and 24μm source catalogs as well as matching catalogs of active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates selected in 1.4 GHz radio and i'-band variability surveys. Once candidates for Galactic stars, ultra-luminous X-ray sources in a nearby galaxy, and clusters of galaxies are removed there are 896 AGN candidates in the sample. We conduct spectroscopic observations of the primary counterparts with multi-object spectrographs in the optical and NIR; 65% of the X-ray AGN candidates are spectroscopically identified. For the remaining X-ray AGN candidates, we evaluate their photometric redshift with photometric data in 15 bands. Utilizing the multi-wavelength photometric data of the large sample of X-ray-selected AGNs, we evaluate the stellar masses, M*, of the host galaxies of the narrow-line AGNs. The distribution of the stellarmass is remarkably constant from z=0.1 to 4.0. The relation between M* and 2-10 keV luminosity can be explained with strong cosmological evolution of the relationship between the black hole mass and M*. We also evaluate the scatter of the UV-MIR spectral energy distribution (SED) of the X-ray AGNs as a function of X-ray luminosity and absorption by the nucleus. The scatter is compared with galaxies which have redshift and stellarmass distributionmatched with the X-ray AGN. The UV-NIR (near-IR) SEDs of obscured X-ray AGNs are similar to those of the galaxies in the matched sample. In the NIR-MIR range, the median SEDs of X-ray AGNs are redder, but the scatter of the SEDs of the X-ray AGN broadly overlaps that of the galaxies in the matched sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe an ongoing programme to search for X-ray sources with long-term, large amplitude X-ray variability. The method is to compare the X-ray sources from the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Survey with those from the previous ROSAT pointed observations and the ROSAT All-sky Survey. The work is largely motivated by the recent discovery of a new type of X-ray flares characterised by enormous amplitude flux variability and associated with normal galaxies [Komossa, S., Ludwig Biermann Award lecture: X-ray evidence for supermassive black holes at the centers of nearby, non-active galaxies. Rev. Mod. Astron. 15, 27, 2002]. Other objects of interest are black hole accretion systems, such as X-ray binaries and AGN, GRB afterglows, extremes of stellar flares, and other objects undergoing extremely violent physical processes. In this paper, we describe the programme and present some preliminary results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We study the comoving space density of X-ray-selected luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the obscured AGN fraction at high redshifts (3 < z < 5) in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey field. From an X-ray source catalog with high completeness of optical identification thanks to deep optical images, we select a sample of 30 AGNs at z > 3 with intrinsic (de-absorbed and rest-frame 2-10 keV) luminosities of LX = 1044-45 erg s–1 detected in the 0.5-2 keV band, consisting of 20 and 10 objects with spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, respectively. Utilizing the 1/Vmax method, we confirm that the comoving space density of luminous AGNs decreases with redshift above z > 3. When combined with the Chandra-COSMOS result of Civano et al., the density decline of AGNs with LX = 1044-45 erg s–1 is well represented by a power law of (1 + z)–6.2 ± 0.9. We also determine the fraction of X-ray obscured AGNs with NH > 1022 cm–2 in the Compton-thin population to be 0.54+0.17– 0.19, by carefully taking into account observational biases including the effects of photon statistics for each source. This result is consistent with an independent determination of the type-2 AGN fraction based on optical properties, for which the fraction is found to be 0.59 ± 0.09. Comparing our result with that obtained in the local universe, we conclude that the obscured fraction of luminous AGNs increases significantly from z = 0 to z > 3 by a factor of 2.5 ± 1.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]