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The Astro2020 Decadal Survey recommended an investment in Time-Domain and Multimessenger Astrophysics (TDAMM) as the top-priority sustaining activity in space for the coming decade. One aspect of NASA's response to this recommendation is a pilot project, the Astrophysics Cross-Observatory Science Support (ACROSS) initiative, designed to provide support to both missions and observers as they pursue TDAMM science. Here, we present our observations of needs in the community and initial plans for ACROSS activities, including services to facilitate and improve cross-mission follow-up planning and execution; a multimessenger web portal with links to existing mission resources, community tools, and information targeted for TDAMM general observers; development of "Smart target-of-opportunity submission page" proof-of-concepts; and ongoing development of a potential TDAMM general observing competitive grant solicitation. As the ACROSS pilot phase begins, we invite discussion of our plans with both missions and observers to better understand their needs and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), astronomers have strived to understand the accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) contributing to its peak in the 10-40 keV band. Existing soft X-ray telescopes could study this population up to only 10 keV, and, while NuSTAR (focusing on 3-24 keV) made great progress, it also left significant uncertainties in characterizing the hard X-ray population, crucial for calibrating current population synthesis models. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of simulations of two extragalactic surveys (deep and wide) with the High-Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P), each observed for 2 Ms. Applying established source detection techniques, we show that HEX-P surveys will reach a flux of ~10-15 erg s-1 cm-2 in the 10-40 keV band, an order of magnitude fainter than current NuSTAR surveys. With the large sample of new hard X-ray detected sources (~2000), we showcase HEX-Ps ability to resolve more than 80% of the CXB up to 40 keV into individual sources. The expected precision of HEX-Ps resolved background measurement will allow us to distinguish between population synthesis models of SMBH growth. HEX-P will leverage accurate broadband (0.5-40 keV) spectral analysis and the combination of soft and hard X-ray colors to provide obscuration constraints even for the fainter sources, with the overall objective of measuring the Compton-thick fraction. With unprecedented sensitivity in the 10-40 keV band, HEX-P will explore the hard X-ray emission from AGN to flux limits never reached before, thus expanding the parameter space for serendipitous discoveries. Consequently, it is plausible that new models will be needed to capture the population HEX-P will unveil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an improved study of the relation between supermassive black hole growth and their host galaxy properties in the local Universe (z < 0.33). To this end, we build an extensive sample combining spectroscopic measurements of star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass from Sloan Digital Sky Survey, with specific Black Hole accretion rate (sBHAR, |$\lambda _{\mathrm{sBHAR}} \propto L_{\rm X}/\mathcal {M}_{\ast }$|⁠) derived from the XMM–Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue (3XMM–DR8) and the Chandra Source Catalogue (CSC2.0). We find that the sBHAR probability distribution for both star-forming and quiescent galaxies has a power-law shape peaking at log λsBHAR ∼ −3.5 and declining towards lower sBHAR in all stellar mass ranges. This finding confirms the decrease of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in the local Universe compared to higher redshifts. We observe a significant correlation between |$\log \, \lambda _{\rm sBHAR}$| and |$\log \, {\rm SFR}$| in almost all stellar mass ranges, but the relation is shallower compared to higher redshifts, indicating a reduced availability of accreting material in the local Universe. At the same time, the BHAR-to-SFR ratio for star-forming galaxies strongly correlates with stellar mass, supporting the scenario where both AGN activity and stellar formation primarily depend on the stellar mass via fuelling by a common gas reservoir. Conversely, this ratio remains constant for quiescent galaxies, possibly indicating the existence of the different physical mechanisms responsible for AGN fuelling or different accretion mode in quiescent galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new catalogue of ∼2400 optically selected quasars with spectroscopic redshifts and X-ray observations from either Chandra or XMM–Newton. The sample can be used to investigate the non-linear relation between the ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray luminosity of quasars as well as to build a Hubble diagram up to a redshift of z ∼ 7.5. We selected sources that are neither reddened by dust in the optical and UV nor obscured by gas in the X-rays, and whose X-ray fluxes are free from flux-limit-related biases. After checking for any possible systematics, we confirm, in agreement with our previous works, that the X-ray to UV relation provides distance estimates matching those from supernovae up to z ∼ 1.5, and its slope shows no redshift evolution up to z ∼ 5. We provide a full description of the methodology for testing cosmological models, further supporting a trend whereby the Hubble diagram of quasars is well reproduced by the standard flat cold dark matter model up to z ∼ 1.5–2, but strong deviations emerge at higher redshifts. Since we have minimised all non-negligible systematic effects and proven the stability of the LX − LUV relation at high redshifts, we conclude that an evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe should be considered as a possible explanation for the observed deviation, rather than some systematic (redshift-dependent) effect associated with high-redshift quasars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widespread opinion that hydrogen reionization is mainly driven by primeval star-forming galaxies, with high-z active galactic nuclei (AGNs) having a minor role. Recent observations, however, challenge this notion, indicating a number of issues related to a galaxy-driven reionization scenario. We provide here an updated assessment of the space density of relatively faint (M1450 ∼ −22.5) AGNs at zspec ∼ 5.5 in order to improve the estimate of the photoionization rate contribution from accreting supermassive black holes. Exploiting deep UV rest-frame ground-based spectra collected at the Very Large Telescope on the CANDELS/GOODS-South field and deep Chandra X-ray images in the CANDELS/GOODS-North and EGS areas, we find two relatively bright (M1450 ∼ −22.5) AGNs at zspec ∼ 5.5. We derive an AGN space density of Φ = 1.29 × 10−6 cMpc−3 at z ∼ 5.5 and M1450 ∼ −22.5 by simply dividing their observed number by the cosmological volume in the range 5.0 < z < 6.1. Our estimate does not consider corrections for incompleteness; therefore, it represents a lower limit, although uncertainties due to cosmic variance can still be significant. This value supports a high space density of AGNs at z > 5, in contrast with previous claims mostly based on standard color selection, possibly affected by significant incompleteness. Our estimate for the AGN photoionization rate at z ∼ 5.5 is in agreement with the observed values at similar redshifts, which are needed to keep the intergalactic medium highly ionized. Upcoming James Webb Space Telescope and giant ground-based telescopes observations will improve the study of high-z AGNs and their contribution to the reionization of the universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dwarf galaxies are thought to host the remnants of the early Universe seed black holes (BHs) and to be dominated by supernova feedback. However, recent studies suggest that BH feedback could also strongly impact their growth. We report the discovery of 35 dwarf galaxies hosting radio active galactic nucleus (AGN) out to redshift ∼3.4, which constitutes the highest redshift sample of AGNs in dwarf galaxies. The galaxies are drawn from the VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project and all are star forming. After removing the contribution from star formation to the radio emission, we find a range of AGN radio luminosities of |$L^\mathrm{AGN}_\mathrm{1.4\, GHz} \sim 10^{37}$| –1040 erg s−1. The bolometric luminosities derived from the fit of their spectral energy distribution are ≳1042 erg s−1, in agreement with the presence of AGNs in these dwarf galaxies. The 3 GHz radio emission of most of the sources is compact and the jet powers range from Q jet ∼ 1042 to 1044 erg s−1. These values, as well as the finding of jet efficiencies ≥10  per cent in more than 50 per cent of the sample, indicate that dwarf galaxies can host radio jets as powerful as those of massive radio galaxies whose jet mechanical feedback can strongly affect the formation of stars in the host galaxy. We conclude that AGN feedback can also have a very strong impact on dwarf galaxies, either triggering or hampering star formation and possibly the material available for BH growth. This implies that those low-mass AGNs hosted in dwarf galaxies might not be the untouched relics of the early seed BHs, which has important implications for seed BH formation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of a large population of Compton thick (CT; N H > 1024 cm−2) active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a key ingredient of most cosmic X-ray background synthesis models. However, direct identification of these sources, especially at high redshift, is difficult due to flux suppression and complex spectral shape produced by CT obscuration. We explored the Chandra Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) Legacy point source catalogue, comprising 1855 sources to select, via X-ray spectroscopy, a large sample of CT candidates at high redshift. Adopting a physical model to reproduce the toroidal absorber and a Monte-Carlo sampling method, we selected 67 individual sources with $${\gt }5$$  per cent probability of being CT, in the redshift range 0.04 ≲ $$z$$ ≲ 3.5. The sum of the probabilities above N H > 1024 cm−2 gives a total of 41.9 effective CT, corrected for classification bias. We derive number counts in the 2–10 keV band in three redshift bins. The observed log  N –log  S is consistent with an increase of the intrinsic CT fraction (f CT) from ∼0.30 to ∼0.55 from low to high redshift. When rescaled to a common luminosity (log(L X/ erg s−1) = 44.5), we find an increase from f CT = $$0.19_{-0.06}^{+0.07}$$ to $$0.30_{-0.08}^{+0.10}$$ and f CT = $$0.49_{-0.11}^{+0.12}$$ from low to high $$z$$. This evolution can be parametrized as f CT = $$0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.05}(1+z)^{1.11\pm 0.13}$$. Thanks to Hubble Space Telescope -Advanced Camera for Surveys deep imaging, we find that the fraction of CT AGN in mergers/interacting systems increases with luminosity and redshift and is significantly higher than for non-CT AGN hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Finding the sources responsible for the hydrogen reionization is one of the most pressing issues in observational cosmology. Bright quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) are known to ionize their surrounding neighborhood, but they are too few to ensure the required HI ionizing background. A significant contribution by faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs), however, could solve the problem, as recently advocated on the basis of a relatively large space density of faint active nuclei at z > 4. Aims. This work is part of a long-term project aimed at measuring the Lyman Continuum escape fraction for a large sample of AGNs at z ~ 4 down to an absolute magnitude of M1450 ~ -23. We have carried out an exploratory spectroscopic program to measure the HI ionizing emission of 16 faint AGNs spanning a broad U-I color interval, with I ~ 21-23, and 3:6 < z < 4.2. These AGNs are three magnitudes fainter than the typical SDSS QSOs (M1450 . ≲26) which are known to ionize their surrounding IGM at z ≳ 4. Methods. We acquired deep spectra of these faint AGNs with spectrographs available at the VLT, LBT, and Magellan telescopes, that is, FORS2, MODS1-2, and LDSS3, respectively. The emission in the Lyman Continuum region, close to 900 Å rest frame, has been detected with a signal to noise ratio of ~10-120 for all 16 AGNs. The flux ratio between the 900 Å rest-frame region and 930 Å provides a robust estimate of the escape fraction of HI ionizing photons. Results. We have found that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction is between 44 and 100% for all the observed faint AGNs, with a mean value of 74% at 3:6 < z < 4.2 and -25.1 ≲ M1450 ≲-23.3, in agreement with the value found in the literature for much brighter QSOs (M1450 ≲ -26) at the same redshifts. The Lyman Continuum escape fraction of our faint AGNs does not show any dependence on the absolute luminosities or on the observed U-I colors of the objects. Assuming that the Lyman Continuum escape fraction remains close to ~75% down to M1450 ~ -18, we find that the AGN population can provide between 16 and 73% (depending on the adopted luminosity function) of the whole ionizing UV background at z ~ 4, measured through the Lyman forest. This contribution increases to 25-100% if other determinations of the ionizing UV background are adopted from the recent literature. Conclusions. Extrapolating these results to z ~ 5-7, there are possible indications that bright QSOs and faint AGNs can provide a significant contribution to the reionization of the Universe, if their space density is high at M1450 ~ -23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully understand cosmic black hole growth, we need to constrain the population of heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at the peak of cosmic black hole growth (z ∼1-3). Sources with obscuring column densities higher than 1024 atoms cm-2, called Compton-thick (CT) AGNs, can be identified by excess X-ray emission at ∼20-30 keV, called the 'Compton hump'. We apply the recently developed Spectral Curvature (SC) method to high-redshift AGNs (2 < z < 5) detected with Chandra. This method parametrizes the characteristic 'Compton hump' feature cosmologically redshifted into the X-ray band at observed energies <10 keV. We find good agreement in CT AGNs found using the SC method, and bright sources fit using their full spectrum with X-ray spectroscopy. In the Chandra Deep FieldSouth, we measure a CT fraction of 17−11+19 per cent (3/17) for sources with observed luminosity >5 × 1043erg s−1. In the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS), we find an observed CT fraction of 15−3+4 per cent (40/272) or 32 ± 11 per cent when corrected for the survey sensitivity. When comparing to low redshift AGNs with similar X-ray luminosities, our results imply that the CT AGN fraction is consistent with having no redshift evolution. Finally, we provide SC equations that can be used to find high-redshift CT AGNs (z > 1) for current (XMM-Newton) and future (eROSITA and ATHENA) X-ray missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The observed spatial scale of the radio continuum emission from star-forming galaxies can be used to investigate the spatial extent of active star formation, constrain the importance of cosmic-ray transport, and examine the effects of galaxy interactions. Aims: We determine the radio size distribution of a large sample of 152 submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the COSMOS field that were pre-selected at 1.1 mm, and later detected with the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) in the observed-frame 1.3 mm dust continuum emission at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of ≥5. Methods: We used the deep, subarcsecond-resolution (1σ = 2.3μJy beam-1;." 75) centimetre radio continuum observations taken by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA)-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. Results: One hundred and fifteen of the 152 target SMGs (76% ± 7%) were found to have a 3 GHz counterpart (≥ 4.2σ), which renders the radio detection rate notably high. The median value of the deconvolved major axis full width at half maximum (FWHM) size at 3 GHz is derived to be 0."59 ± 0."05, or 4.6 ± 0.4 kpc in physical units, where the median redshift of the sources is z = 2.23 ± 0.13 (23% are spectroscopic and 77% are photometric values). The radio sizes are roughly log-normally distributed, and they show no evolutionary trend with redshift, or difference between different galaxy morphologies. We also derived the spectral indices between 1.4 and 3 GHz, and 3 GHz brightness temperatures for the sources, and the median values were found to be α1.4GHz3GHz = -0.67 (Sν ∝ να) and TB = 12.6 ± 2 K. Three of the target SMGs, which are also detected with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 1.4 GHz (AzTEC/C24b, 61, and 77a), show clearly higher brightness temperatures than the typical values, reaching TB(3 GHz) > 104.03 K for AzTEC/C61. Conclusions: The derived median radio spectral index agrees with a value expected for optically thin non-thermal synchrotron radiation, and the low median 3 GHz brightness temperature shows that the observed radio emission is predominantly powered by star formation and supernova activity. However, our results provide a strong indication of the presence of an active galactic nucleus in the VLBA and X-ray-detected SMG AzTEC/C61 (high TB and an inverted radio spectrum). The median radio-emitting size we have derived is ~ 1.5-3 times larger than the typical far-infrared dust-emitting sizes of SMGs, but similar to that of the SMGs' molecular gas component traced through mid-J line emission of carbon monoxide. The physical conditions of SMGs probably render the diffusion of cosmic-ray electrons inefficient, and hence an unlikely process to lead to the observed extended radio sizes. Instead, our results point towards a scenario where SMGs are driven by galaxy interactions and mergers. Besides triggering vigorous starbursts, galaxy collisions can also pull out the magnetised fluids from the interacting disks, and give rise to a taffy-like synchrotron-emitting bridge. This provides an explanation for the spatially extended radio emission of SMGs, and can also cause a deviation from the well-known infrared-radio correlation owing to an excess radio emission. Nevertheless, further high-resolution observations are required to examine the other potential reasons for the very compact dust-emitting sizes of SMGs, such as the radial dust temperature and metallicity gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the composition of the faint radio population selected from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Cosmic Evolution Survey (VLA-COSMOS) 3 GHz Large Project, which is a radio continuum survey performed at 10 cm wavelength. The survey covers a 2.6 square degree area with a mean rms of ~2:3 μJy/beam, cataloging 10 830 sources above 5σ, and enclosing the full 2 square degree COSMOS field. By combining these radio data with optical, near-infrared (UltraVISTA), and mid-infrared (Spitzer/IRAC) data, as well as X-ray data (Chandra), we find counterparts to radio sources for ~93% of the total radio sample reaching out to z ≲ 6; these sources are found in the unmasked areas of the COSMOS field, i.e., those not affected by saturated or bright sources in the optical to near-infrared (NIR) bands. We further classify the sources as star-forming galaxies or AGN based on various criteria, such as X-ray luminosity; observed mid-infrared color; UV-far-infrared spectral energy distribution; rest-frame, near-UV optical color that is corrected for dust extinction; and radio excess relative to that expected from the star formation rate of the hosts. We separate the AGN into subsamples dominated by low-to-moderate and moderate-to-high radiative luminosity AGN, i.e., candidates for highredshift analogs to local low- and high-excitation emission line AGN, respectively. We study the fractional contributions of these subpopulations down to radio flux levels of ~11 μJy at 3 GHz (or ~20 μJy at 1.4 GHz assuming a spectral index of -0.7). We find that the dominant fraction at 1.4 GHz flux densities above ~200 μJy is constituted of low-to-moderate radiative luminosity AGN. Below densities of ~100 μJy the fraction of star-forming galaxies increases to ~60%, followed by the moderate-to-high radiative luminosity AGN (~20%) and low-to-moderate radiative luminosity AGN (~20%). Based on this observational evidence, we extrapolate the fractions down to sensitivities of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). Our estimates suggest that at the faint flux limits to be reached by the (Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep) SKA1 surveys, a selection based only on radio flux limits can provide a simple tool to efficiently identify samples highly (>75%) dominated by star-forming galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We make use of the deep Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) COSMOS radio observations at 3 GHz to infer radio luminosity functions of star-forming galaxies up to redshifts of z ~ 5 based on approximately 6000 detections with reliable optical counterparts. This is currently the largest radio-selected sample available out to z ~ 5 across an area of 2 square degrees with a sensitivity of rms ≈2:3 μJy beam-1. By fixing the faint and bright end shape of the radio luminosity function to the local values, we find a strong redshift trend that can be fitted with a pure luminosity evolution L1.4 GHz ∝ (1 + z)(3:16±0:2)-(0:32±0:07)z. We estimate star formation rates (SFRs) from our radio luminosities using an infrared (IR)-radio correlation that is redshift dependent. By integrating the parametric fits of the evolved luminosity function we calculate the cosmic SFR density (SFRD) history since z ~ 5. Our data suggest that the SFRD history peaks between 2 < z < 3 and that the ultraluminous infrared galaxies (100 M⊙ yr-1 < SFR < 1000 M⊙ yr-1) contribute up to ~25% to the total SFRD in the same redshift range. Hyperluminous infrared galaxies (SFR > 1000 M⊙ yr-1) contribute an additional ≲2% in the entire observed redshift range. We find evidence of a potential underestimation of SFRD based on ultraviolet (UV) rest-frame observations of Lyman break galaxies at high redshifts (z & 4) on the order of 15-20%, owing to appreciable star formation in highly dust-obscured galaxies, which might remain undetected in such UV observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the behaviour of the infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) over the range 0 < z ≲ 6 using new, highly sensitive 3 GHz observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and infrared data from the Herschel Space Observatory in the 2 deg2 COSMOS field. We distinguish between objects where emission is believed to arise solely from star-formation, and those where an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is thought to be present. We account for non-detections in the radio or in the infrared using a doublycensored survival analysis. We find that the IRRC of star-forming galaxies, quantified by the infrared-to-1.4 GHz radio luminosity ratio (qTIR), decreases with increasing redshift: qTIR(z) = (2:88 ± 0:03)(1 + z)-0:19±0:01. This is consistent with several previous results from the literature. Moderate-to-high radiative luminosity AGN do not follow the same qTIR(z) trend as star-forming galaxies, having a lower normalisation and steeper decrease with redshift. We cannot rule out the possibility that unidentified AGN contributions only to the radio regime may be steepening the observed qTIR(z) trend of the star-forming galaxy population. We demonstrate that the choice of the average radio spectral index directly affects the normalisation, as well as the derived trend with redshift of the IRRC. An increasing fractional contribution to the observed 3 GHz flux by free-free emission of star-forming galaxies may also affect the derived evolution. However, we find that the standard (M82-based) assumption of the typical radio spectral energy distribution (SED) for star-forming galaxies is inconsistent with our results. This suggests a more complex shape of the typical radio SED for star-forming galaxies, and that imperfect K corrections in the radio may govern the derived trend of decreasing qTIR with increasing redshift. A more detailed understanding of the radio spectrum is therefore required for robust K corrections in the radio and to fully understand the cosmic evolution of the IRRC. Lastly, we present a redshift-dependent relation between rest-frame 1.4 GHz radio luminosity and star formation rate taking the derived redshift trend into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the environment of 23 submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) drawn from a signal-to-noise (S/N)-limited sample of SMGs originally discovered in the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT)/AzTEC 1.1 mm continuum survey of a Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) subfield and then followed up with the Submillimetre Array and Plateau de Bure Interferometer at 890 μm and 1.3 mm, respectively. These SMGs already have well-defined multiwavelength counterparts and redshifts. We also analyse the environments of four COSMOS SMGs spectroscopically confirmed to lie at redshifts zspec > 4:5, and one at zspec = 2:49 resulting in a total SMG sample size of 28. We search for overdensities using the COSMOS photometric redshifts based on over 30 UV-NIR photometric measurements including the new UltraVISTA data release 2 and Spitzer/SPLASH data, and reaching an accuracy of σ▵ z=(1+z) = 0:0067 (0:0155) at z < 3:5 (>3.5). To identify overdensities we apply the Voronoi tessellation analysis, and estimate the redshift-space overdensity estimator δg as a function of distance from the SMG and/or overdensity centre. We test and validate our approach via simulations, X-ray detected groups or clusters, and spectroscopic verifications using VUDS and zCOSMOS catalogues which show that even with photometric redshifts in the COSMOS field we can efficiently retrieve overdensities out to z ≈ 5. Our results yield that 11 out of 23 (48%) JCMT/AzTEC 1.1 mm SMGs occupy overdense environments. Considering the entire JCMT/AzTEC 1.1 mm S=N ⩾ 4 sample and taking the expected fraction of spurious detections into account, this means that 35-61% of the SMGs in the S/N-limited sample occupy overdense environments. We perform an X-ray stacking analysis in the 0.5-2 keV band using a 3200 aperture and our SMG positions, and find statistically significant detections. For our z < 2 subsample we find an average flux of (4:0 ± 0:8) x 10-16 erg s-1 cm-2 and a corresponding total mass of M200 = 2:8 x 1013 M⊙. The z > 2 subsample yields an average flux of (1:3 ± 0:5) x 10-16 erg s-1 cm-2 and a corresponding total mass of M200 = 2 x 1013 M⊙. Our results suggest a higher occurrence of SMGs occupying overdense environments at z ⩾ 3 than at z < 3. This may be understood if highly star-forming galaxies can only be formed in the highest peaks of the density field tracing the most massive dark matter haloes at early cosmic epochs, while at later times cosmic structure may have matured sufficiently that more modest overdensities correspond to sufficiently massive haloes to form SMGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavily obscured, Compton thick (CT, NH > 1024 cm-2) active galactic nuclei (AGN) may represent an important phase in AGN/galaxy co-evolution and are expected to provide a significant contribution to the cosmic X-ray background at its peak. However, unambiguously identifying CT AGN beyond the local Universe is a challenging task even in the deepest X-ray surveys, and given the expected low spatial density of these sources in the 2-10 keV band, large area surveys are needed to collect sizable samples. Through direct X-ray spectra analysis, we selected 39 heavily obscured AGN (NH > 3 × 1023 cm-2) at bright X-ray fluxes (F2-10 ≳ 10-14 erg s-1 cm-2) in the 2 deg² XMM-COSMOS survey. After selecting CT AGN based on the fit of a simple absorbed two power law model to the shallow XMM-Newton data, the presence of bona fide CT AGN was confirmed in 80% of the sources using deeper Chandra data and more complex models. The final sample comprises ten CT AGN (six of them also have a detected Fe Ka line with EW ~ 1 keV), spanning a wide range of redshifts (z ~ 0.1-2.5) and luminosity (L2-10 ~ 1043.5-1045 erg s-1) and is complemented by 29 heavily obscured AGN spanning the same redshift and luminosity range. We collected the rich multi-wavelength information available for all these sources, in order to study the distribution of super massive black hole and host properties, such as black hole mass (MBH), Eddington ratio (λEdd), stellar mass (M*), specific star formation rate (sSFR) in comparison with a sample of unobscured AGN. We find that highly obscured sources tend to have significantly smaller MBH and higher λEdd with respect to unobscured sources, while a weaker evolution in M* is observed. The sSFR of highly obscured sources is consistent with the one observed in the main sequence of star forming galaxies, at all redshifts. We also present and briefly discuss optical spectra, broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) and morphology for the sample of ten CT AGN. Both the optical spectra and SED agree with the classification as highly obscured sources: all the available optical spectra are dominated by the stellar component of the host galaxy, and to reproduce the broadband SED, a highly obscured torus component is needed for all the CT sources. Exploiting the high resolution Hubble-ACS images available, we are able to show that these highly obscured sources have a significantly larger merger fraction with respect to other X-ray selected samples of AGN. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings in the context of AGN/galaxy co-evolutionary models, and compare our results with the predictions of X-ray background synthesis models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from an analysis of the largest high-redshift (z > 3) X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) sample to date, combining the Chandra Cosmological Evolution Survey and Chandra Multi-wavelength Project surveys and doubling the previous samples. The sample comprises 209 X-ray-detected AGNs, over a wide range of rest-frame 2-10 keV luminosities log LX = 43.3-46.0 erg s-1. X-ray hardness rates show that ~39 per cent of the sources are highly obscured, NH > 1022 cm-2, in agreement with the ~37 per cent of type-2 AGNs found in our sample based on their optical classification. For ~26 per cent of objects have mismatched optical and X-ray classifications. Utilizing the 1/Vmax method, we confirm that the comoving space density of all luminosity ranges of AGNs decreases with redshift above z > 3 and up to z ~ 7. With a significant sample of AGNs (N = 27) at z > 4, it is found that both source number counts in the 0.5-2 keV band and comoving space density are consistent with the expectation of a luminosity-dependent density evolution (LDDE) model at all redshifts, while they exclude the luminosity and density evolution (LADE) model. The measured comoving space density of type-1 and type-2 AGNs shows a constant ratio between the two types at z > 3. Our results for both AGN types at these redshifts are consistent with the expectations of LDDE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observations of NuSTAR J033202-2746.8, a heavily obscured, radio-loud quasar detected in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South, the deepest layer of the NuSTAR extragalactic survey (∼400 ks, at its deepest). NuSTAR J033202-2746.8 is reliably detected by NuSTAR only at E > 8 keV and has a very flat spectral slope in the NuSTAR energy band (; 3-30 keV). Combining the NuSTAR data with extremely deep observations by Chandra and XMM-Newton (4 Ms and 3 Ms, respectively), we constrain the broad-band X-ray spectrum of NuSTAR J033202-2746.8, indicating that this source is a heavily obscured quasar ( cm–2) with luminosity L10-40 keV ≈ 6.4 × 1044 erg s–1. Although existing optical and near-infrared (near-IR) data, as well as follow-up spectroscopy with the Keck and VLT telescopes, failed to provide a secure redshift identification for NuSTAR J033202-2746.8, we reliably constrain the redshift z = 2.00 ± 0.04 from the X-ray spectral features (primarily from the iron K edge). The NuSTAR spectrum shows a significant reflection component (), which was not constrained by previous analyses of Chandra and XMM-Newton data alone. The measured reflection fraction is higher than the R ∼ 0 typically observed in bright radio-loud quasars such as NuSTAR J033202-2746.8, which has L1.4 GHz ≈ 1027 W Hz–1. Constraining the spectral shape of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), including bright quasars, is very important for understanding the AGN population, and can have a strong impact on the modeling of the X-ray background. Our results show the importance of NuSTAR in investigating the broad-band spectral properties of quasars out to high redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed spectral analysis of new XMM-Newton data of the source CXOC J100043.1+020637, also known as CID-42, detected in the COSMOS survey at z = 0.359. Previous works suggested that CID-42 is a candidate recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH) showing also an inverted P-Cygni profile in the X-ray spectra at ∼6 keV (rest) with an iron emission line plus a redshifted absorption line (detected at 3σ in previous XMM-Newton and Chandra observations). Detailed analysis of the absorption line suggested the presence of ionized material flowing into the black hole at high velocity. In the new long XMM-Newton observation, while the overall spectral shape remains constant, the continuum 2-10 keV flux decrease of ∼20% with respect to previous observation and the absorption line is undetected. The upper limit on the intensity of the absorption line is EW < 162 eV. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations show that the nondetection of the line is solely due to variation in the properties of the inflowing material, in agreement with the transient nature of these features, and that the intensity of the line is lower than the previously measured with a probability of 98.8%. In the scenario of CID-42 as a recoiling SMBH, the absorption line can be interpreted as being due to an inflow of gas with variable density that is located in the proximity of the SMBH and recoiling with it. New monitoring observations will be requested to further characterize this line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the first 10 identifications of sources serendipitously detected by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) to provide the first sensitive census of the cosmic X-ray background source population at ≳10 keV. We find that these NuSTAR-detected sources are ≈100 times fainter than those previously detected at ≳10 keV and have a broad range in redshift and luminosity (z = 0.020–2.923 and L10–40 keV ≈ 4 × 1041–5 × 1045 erg s−1); the median redshift and luminosity are z ≈ 0.7 and L10–40 keV ≈ 3 × 1044 erg s−1, respectively. We characterize these sources on the basis of broad-band ≈0.5–32 keV spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and broad-band ultravioletto- mid-infrared spectral energy distribution analyses. We find that the dominant source population is quasars with L10–40 keV > 1044 erg s−1, of which ≈50% are obscured with NH ≳ 1022 cm−2. However, none of the 10 NuSTAR sources are Compton thick (NH ≳ 1024 cm−2) and we place a 90% confidence upper limit on the fraction of Compton-thick quasars (L10–40 keV > 1044 erg s−1) selected at ≳10 keV of ≲33% over the redshift range z = 0.5–1.1. We jointly fitted the rest-frame ≈10–40 keV data for all of the non-beamed sources with L10–40 keV > 1043 erg s−1 to constrain the average strength of reflection; we find R < 1.4 for Γ = 1.8, broadly consistent with that found for local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed at ≳10 keV. We also constrain the host-galaxy masses and find a median stellar mass of ≈1011M⊙, a factor ≈5 times higher than the median stellar mass of nearby high-energy selected AGNs, which may be at least partially driven by the order of magnitude higher X-ray luminosities of the NuSTAR sources. Within the low source-statistic limitations of our study, our results suggest that the overall properties of the NuSTAR sources are broadly similar to those of nearby high-energy selected AGNs but scaled up in luminosity and mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of broad emission lines observed in moderate-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs), typical of those found in X-ray surveys of deep fields, with the goal of testing the validity of single-epoch virial black hole mass estimates. We have acquired near-infrared spectra of AGNs up to z ~ 1.8 in the COSMOS and Extended Chandra Deep Field-South Survey, with the Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Subaru telescope. These near-infrared spectra provide a significant detection of the broad Hα line, shown to be a reliable probe of black hole mass at low redshift. Our sample has existing optical spectroscopy that provides a detection of Mgii, typically used for black hole mass estimation at z ≳ 1. We carry out a spectral-line fitting procedure using both Hα and Mgii to determine the virial velocity of gas in the broad-line region, the continuum luminosity at 3000 Å, and the total Hα line luminosity. With a sample of 43 AGNs spanning a range of two decades in luminosity, we find a tight correlation between the ultraviolet and emission-line luminosity. There is also a close one-to-one relationship between the full width at half-maximum of Hα and Mgii. Both of these then lead to there being very good agreement between Hα- and Mgii-based masses over a wide range in black hole mass, i.e.,MBH ~107-9M☉. In general, these results demonstrate that local scaling relations, using Mgii or Hα, are applicable for AGNs at moderate luminosities and up to z ~2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the X-ray spectral analysis of the 390 brightest extragalactic sources in the Chandra-Cosmic Evolution Survey catalogue, showing at least 70 net counts in the 0.5–7 keV band. This sample has a 100 per cent completeness in optical–infrared identification, with ∼75 per cent of the sample having a spectroscopic redshift and ∼25 per cent a photometric redshift. Our analysis allows us to accurately determine the intrinsic absorption, the broad-band continuum shape (Γ) and intrinsic L2–10 distributions, with an accuracy better than 30 per cent on the spectral parameters for 95 per cent of the sample. The sample is equally divided in type 1 (49.7 per cent) and type 2 active galactic nuclei (48.7 per cent) plus few passive galaxies at low z. We found a significant difference in the distribution of Γ of type 1 and type 2, with small intrinsic dispersion, a weak correlation of Γ with L2−10 and a large population (15 per cent of the sample) of high luminosity, highly obscured (QSO2) sources. The distribution of the X-ray/Optical flux ratio (Log(FX/Fi)) for type 1 is narrow (0 < X/O < 1), while type 2 are spread up to X/O = 2. The X/O correlates well with the amount of X-ray obscuration. Finally, a small sample of Compton-thick candidates and peculiar sources is presented. In the appendix, we discuss the comparison between Chandra and XMM–Newton spectra for 280 sources in common. We found a small systematic difference, with XMM–Newton spectra that tend to have softer power laws and lower obscuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Using the wide multiband photometry available in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field, we explore the host galaxy properties of a large sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs; ∼1700 objects) with Lbol ranging from 1043 to 1047 erg s−1, obtained by combining X-ray and optical spectroscopic selections. Based on a careful study of their spectral energy distributions, which have been parametrized using a two-component (AGN+galaxy) model fit, we have derived dust-corrected rest-frame magnitudes, colours and stellar masses of the obscured and unobscured AGN hosts up to high redshift ( [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Bolometric luminosities and Eddington ratios of both X-ray selected broad-line (Type-1) and narrow-line (Type-2) active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the XMM-Newton survey in the Cosmic Evolution Survey field are presented. The sample is composed of 929 AGN (382 Type-1 AGN and 547 Type-2 AGN) and it covers a wide range of redshifts, X-ray luminosities and absorbing column densities. About 65 per cent of the sources are spectroscopically identified as either Type-1 or Type-2 AGN (83 and 52 per cent, respectively), while accurate photometric redshifts are available for the rest of the sample. The study of such a large sample of X-ray selected AGN with a high-quality multiwavelength coverage from the far-infrared (now with the inclusion of Herschel data at 100 and 160 μm) to the optical-ultraviolet allows us to obtain accurate estimates of bolometric luminosities, bolometric corrections and Eddington ratios. The kbol - Lbol relations derived in this work are calibrated for the first time against a sizable AGN sample, and rely on observed redshifts, X-ray luminosities and column density distributions. We find that kbol is significantly lower at high Lbol with respect to previous estimates by Marconi et al. and Hopkins et al. Black hole (BH) masses and Eddington ratios are available for 170 Type-1 AGN, while BH masses for Type-2 AGN are computed for 481 objects using the BH mass-stellar mass relation and the morphological information. We confirm a trend between kbol and λEdd, with lower hard X-ray bolometric corrections at lower Eddington ratios for both Type-1 and Type-2 AGN. We find that, on average, the Eddington ratio increases with redshift for all types of AGN at any given MBH, while no clear evolution with redshift is seen at any given Lbol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray surveys contain sizable numbers of star forming galaxies, beyond the AGN which usually make the majority of detections. Many methods to separate the two populations are used in the literature, based on X-ray and multiwavelength properties. We aim at a detailed test of the classification schemes and to study the X-ray properties of the resulting samples. We build on a sample of galaxies selected at 1.4 GHz in the VLA-COSMOS survey, classified by Smolčić et al. (2008, ApiS, 177, 14) according to their optical colours and observed with Chandra. A similarly selected control sample of AGN is also used for comparison. We review some X-ray based classification criteria and check how they affect the sample composition. The efficiency of the classification scheme devised by Smolčić et al. is such that ∼30% of composite/misclassified objects are expected because of the higher X-ray brightness of AGN with respect to galaxies. The latter fraction is actually 50% in the X-ray detected sources, while it is expected to be much lower among X-ray undetected sources. Indeed, the analysis of the stacked spectrum of undetected sources shows, consistently, strongly different properties between the AGN and galaxy samples. X-ray based selection criteria are then used to refine both samples. The radio/X-ray luminosity correlation for star forming galaxies is found to hold with the same X-ray/radio ratio valid for nearby galaxies. Some evolution of the ratio may be possible for sources at high redshift or high luminosity, tough it is likely explained by a bias arising from the radio selection. Finally, we discuss the X-ray number counts of star forming galaxies from the VLA- and C-COSMOS surveys according to different selection criteria, and compare them to the similar determination from the Chandra deep fields. The classification scheme proposed here may find application in future works and surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spitzer/IRAC selection is a powerful tool for identifying luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs). For deep IRAC data, however, the AGN selection wedges currently in use are heavily contaminated by star-forming galaxies, especially at high redshift. Using the large samples of luminous AGNs and high-redshift star-forming galaxies in COSMOS, we redefine the AGN selection criteria for use in deep IRAC surveys. The new IRAC criteria are designed to be both highly complete and reliable, and incorporate the best aspects of the current AGN selection wedges and of infrared power-law selection while excluding high-redshift star-forming galaxies selected via the BzK, distant red galaxy, Lyman-break galaxy, and submillimeter galaxy criteria. At QSO luminosities of log L2-10 keV(erg s-1) ≥ 44, the new IRAC criteria recover 75% of the hard X-ray and IRAC-detected XMM-COSMOS sample, yet only 38% of the IRAC AGN candidates have X-ray counterparts, a fraction that rises to 52% in regions with Chandra exposures of 50-160 ks. X-ray stacking of the individually X-ray non-detected AGN candidates leads to a hard X-ray signal indicative of heavily obscured to mildly Compton-thick obscuration (log NH (cm-2 ) = 23.5 ± 0.4). While IRAC selection recovers a substantial fraction of luminous unobscured and obscured AGNs, it is incomplete to low-luminosity and host-dominated AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close encounters between galaxies are expected to be a viable mechanism, as predicted by numerical simulations, by which accretion onto supermassive black holes can be initiated. To test this scenario, we construct a sample of 562 galaxies (M* > 2.5 x 1010 M⊙) in kinematic pairs over the redshift range 0.25 < z < 1.05 that are more likely to be interacting than a well-matched control sample of 2726 galaxies not identified as being in a pair, both from the zCOSMOS 20k spectroscopic catalog. Galaxies that harbor an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are identified on the basis of their X-ray emission (L0.5-10keV > 2 x 1042 erg s-1) detected by Chandra. We find a higher fraction of an AGN in galaxies in pairs relative to isolated galaxies of similar stellar mass. Our result is primarily due to an enhancement of AGN activity, by a factor of 1.9 (observed) and 2.6 (intrinsic), for galaxies in pairs of projected separation less than 75 kpc and line-of-sight velocity offset less than 500 km s-1. This study demonstrates that close kinematic pairs are conducive environments for black hole growth, either indicating a causal physical connection or an inherent relation, such as, to enhanced star formation. In the Appendix, we describe a method for estimating the intrinsic fractions of galaxies (either in pairs or the field) hosting an AGN with confidence intervals, and an excess fraction in pairs. We estimate that Due to images restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed of all moderate-luminosity AGN activity takes place within galaxies undergoing early stages of interaction that leaves open the question as to what physical processes are responsible for fueling the remaining ~80% that may include late-stage mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we release accurate photometric redshifts for 1692 counterparts to Chandra sources in the central square degree of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. The availability of a large training set of spectroscopic redshifts that extends to faint magnitudes enabled photometric redshifts comparable to the highest quality results presently available for normal galaxies. We demonstrate that morphologically extended, faint X-ray sources without optical variability are more accurately described by a library of normal galaxies (corrected for emission lines) than by active galactic nucleus (AGN) dominated templates, even if these sources have AGN-like X-ray luminosities. Preselecting the library on the bases of the source properties allowed us to reach an accuracy σΔz/(1+spec) ~ 0.015 with a fraction of outliers of 5.8% for the entire Chandra-COSMOS sample. In addition, we release revised photometric redshifts for the 1735 optical counterparts of the XMM-detected sources over the entire 2 deg² of COSMOS. For 248 sources, our updated photometric redshift differs from the previous release by Δz > 0.2. These changes are predominantly due to the inclusion of newly available deep H-band photometry (HAB = 24 magi. We illustrate once again the importance of a spectroscopic training sample and how an assumption about the nature of a source together, with the number and the depth of the available bands, influences the accuracy of the photometric redshifts determined for AGN. These considerations should be kept in mind when defining the observational strategies of upcoming large surveys targeting AGNs, such as eROSITA at X-ray energies and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Evolutionary Map of the Universe in the radio band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the high-redshift (3 < z < 5.3) 0.5-2 keV number counts and the 2-10 keV (rest-frame) space density of X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected in the Chandra Cosmic Evolution Survey. The sample comprises 81 X-ray-detected sources with available spectroscopic (31) and photometric (50) redshifts plus 20 sources with a formal zphot < 3 but with a broad photometric redshift probability distribution, such that zphot + 1σ > 3. Eighty-one sources are selected in the 0.5-2 keV band, fourteen are selected in the 2-10 keV and six in the 0.5-10 keV bands. We sample the high-luminosity (log L(2-10 keV) > 44.15 erg s-1) space density up to z ~5 and a fainter luminosity range (43.5 erg s-1 < log L(2-10keV) < 44.15 erg s-1) than previous studies, up to z = 3.5. We weighted the contribution to the number counts and the space density of the sources with photometric redshift by using their probability of being at z > 3. We find that the space density of high-luminosity AGNs declines exponentially at all the redshifts, confirming the trend observed for optically selected quasars. At lower luminosity, the measured space density is not conclusive, and a larger sample of faint sources is needed. Comparisons with optical luminosity functions and black hole formation models are presented together with prospects for future surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit very deep mid-infrared (MIR) and X-ray observations by Spitzer and Chandra in the GOODS-North field to identify signs of hidden [either starburst or active galactic nucleus (AGN)] activity in spheroidal galaxies between and 1. Our reference is a complete sample of 168 morphologically classified spheroidal (elliptical/lenticular) galaxies with selected from GOODS Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging. Of these 19 have 24-μm detections in the GOODS catalogue, half of which have an X-ray counterpart in the 2-Ms Chandra catalogue (six detected in the 2–10 keV X-rays hard band), while about 25 per cent have 1.4-GHz fluxes larger than 40 μJy. Traces of hidden activity in the spheroidal population are also searched for in the deep X-ray images and 14 additional galaxies are detected in X-rays only. The nature of the observed MIR emissions is investigated by modelling their spectral energy distributions based on the available multiwavelength photometry, including X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, near-infrared, MIR and radio fluxes, and optical spectroscopy. The amount of dust derived from the infrared emission observed by Spitzer appears in excess of that expected by mass loss from evolved stars. When the available independent diagnostics are compared, in general, they provide consistent classifications about the nature of the activity in our spheroidal population. Given that, in principle, none of these diagnostics alone can be considered as conclusive, only trough a panchromatic comparison of them, we can reach an accurate comprehension of the underlying physical processes. In particular, our multiwavelength analysis of the X-ray and MIR properties leads us to conclude that at least eight of the 19 24-μm bright sources should hide an obscured AGN, while the X-ray undetected sources are more likely dominated by star formation. We conclude that ∼30 objects (∼20 per cent) of the original flux-limited sample of 168 spheroidal galaxies in the GOODS-North are detected during phases of prominent activity, of both stellar and quasar origin. Due to the short expected lifetimes of the infrared and X-ray emissions, this fraction might imply a significant level of activity in this class of galaxies during the relatively recent cosmic epochs – – under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasar feedback in the form of powerful outflows is invoked as a key mechanism to quench star formation in galaxies, preventing massive galaxies to overgrow and producing the red colors of ellipticals. On the other hand, some models are also requiring “positive” active galactic nucleus feedback, inducing star formation in the host galaxy through enhanced gas pressure in the interstellar medium. However, finding observational evidence of the effects of both types of feedback is still one of the main challenges of extragalactic astronomy, as few observations of energetic and extended radiatively driven winds are available. Here we present SINFONI near infrared integral field spectroscopy of XID2028, an obscured, radio-quiet z = 1.59 QSO detected in the XMM-COSMOS survey, in which we clearly resolve a fast (1500 km s–1) and extended (up to 13 kpc from the black hole) outflow in the [O III] lines emitting gas, whose large velocity and outflow rate are not sustainable by star formation only. The narrow component of Hα emission and the rest frame U-band flux from Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging enable to map the current star formation in the host galaxy: both tracers independently show that the outflow position lies in the center of an empty cavity surrounded by star forming regions on its edge. The outflow is therefore removing the gas from the host galaxy (“negative feedback”), but also triggering star formation by outflow induced pressure at the edges (“positive feedback”). XID2028 represents the first example of a host galaxy showing both types of feedback simultaneously at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate, for the first time at z ∼ 3, the clustering properties of 189 Type 1 and 157 Type 2 X-ray active galactic nuclei (AGNs) of moderate luminosity (〈 Lbol〉 = 1045.3 erg s–1), with photometric or spectroscopic redshifts in the range 2.2 < z < 6.8. These samples are based on Chandra and XMM-Newton data in COSMOS. We find that Type 1 and Type 2 COSMOS AGNs at z ∼ 3 inhabit DMHs with typical mass of log Mh = 12.84 and 11.73 h–1M☼, respectively. This result requires a drop in the halo masses of Type 1 and 2 COSMOS AGNs at z ∼ 3 compared to z ≲ 2 XMM-COSMOS AGNs with similar luminosities. Additionally, we infer that unobscured COSMOS AGNs at z ∼ 3 reside in 10 times more massive halos compared to obscured COSMOS AGNs, at the 2.6σ level. This result extends to z ∼ 3 the results found in COSMOS at z ≲ 2, and rules out the picture in which obscuration is purely an orientation effect. A model which assumes that the AGNs activity is triggered by major mergers is quite successful in predicting both the low halo mass of COSMOS AGNs and the typical mass of luminous SDSS quasars at z ∼ 3, with the latter inhabiting more massive halos respect to moderate luminosity AGNs. Alternatively we can argue, at least for Type 1 COSMOS AGNs, that they are possibly representative of an early phase of fast (i.e., Eddington limited) BH growth induced by cosmic cold flows or disk instabilities. Given the moderate luminosity, these new fast growing BHs have masses of ∼107-8M☼ at z ∼ 3 which might evolve into ∼108.5-9M☼ mass BHs at z = 0. Following our clustering measurements, we argue that this fast BH growth at z ∼ 3 in AGNs with moderate luminosity occurs in DMHs with typical mass of ∼ 6× 1012h–1M☼. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a sample of 69 X-ray detected early-type galaxies (ETGs), selected from the Chandra COSMOS survey, to explore the relation between the X-ray luminosity of hot gaseous halos (LX, gas) and the integrated stellar luminosity (LK) of the galaxies, in a range of redshift extending out to z = 1.5. In the local universe, a tight, steep relationship has been established between these two quantities (), suggesting the presence of largely virialized halos in X-ray luminous systems. We use well-established relations from the study of local universe ETGs, together with the expected evolution of the X-ray emission, to subtract the contribution of low-mass X-ray binary populations from the X-ray luminosity of our sample. Our selection minimizes the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), yielding a sample representative of normal passive COSMOS ETGs; therefore, the resulting luminosity should be representative of gaseous halos, although we cannot exclude other sources such as obscured AGNs or enhanced X-ray emission connected with embedded star formation in the higher-z galaxies. We find that most of the galaxies with estimated LX < 1042 erg s–1 and z < 0.55 follow the LX, gas-LK relation of local universe ETGs. For these galaxies, the gravitational mass can be estimated with a certain degree of confidence from the local virial relation. However, the more luminous (1042 erg s–1 X < 1043.5 erg s–1) and distant galaxies present significantly larger scatter; these galaxies also tend to have younger stellar ages. The divergence from the local LX, gas-LK relation in these galaxies implies significantly enhanced X-ray emission up to a factor of 100 larger than predicted from the local relation. We discuss the implications of this result for the presence of hidden AGNs, and the evolution of hot halos, in nuclear and star formation feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Cosmic Evolution Survey” (COSMOS) enables the study of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) because of the deep coverage and rich sampling of frequencies from X-ray to radio. Here we present an SED catalog of 413 X-ray (XMM-Newton)-selected type 1 (emission line FWHM > 2000 km s–1) AGNs with Magellan, SDSS, or VLT spectrum. The SEDs are corrected for Galactic extinction, broad emission line contributions, constrained variability, and host galaxy contribution. We present the mean SED and the dispersion SEDs after the above corrections in the rest-frame 1.4 GHz to 40 keV, and show examples of the variety of SEDs encountered. In the near-infrared to optical (rest frame ∼8 μm-4000 Å), the photometry is complete for the whole sample and the mean SED is derived from detections only. Reddening and host galaxy contamination could account for a large fraction of the observed SED variety. The SEDs are all available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first direct measurement of the mean halo occupation distribution (HOD) of X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the COSMOS field at z ⩽ 1, based on the association of 41 XMM and 17 C-COSMOS AGNs with member galaxies of 189 X-ray-detected galaxy groups from XMM-Newton and Chandra data. We model the mean AGN occupation in the halo mass range log M200 [M☼] = 13-14.5 with a rolling-off power law with the best-fit index α = 0.06(– 0.22; 0.36) and normalization parameter fa = 0.05(0.04; 0.06). We find the mean HOD of AGNs among central galaxies to be modeled by a softened step function at log Mh > log Mmin = 12.75(12.10, 12.95) M☼ while for the satellite AGN HOD we find a preference for an increasing AGN fraction with Mh, suggesting that the average number of AGNs in satellite galaxies grows slower (αs < 0.6) than the linear proportion (αs = 1) observed for the satellite HOD of samples of galaxies. We present an estimate of the projected autocorrelation function (ACF) of galaxy groups over the range of rp = 0.1-40 h–1 Mpc at 〈 z〉 = 0.5. We use the large-scale clustering signal to verify the agreement between the group bias estimated by using the observed galaxy groups ACF and the value derived from the group mass estimates. We perform a measurement of the projected AGN-galaxy-group cross-correlation function, excluding from the analysis AGNs that are within galaxy groups and we model the two-halo term of the clustering signal with the mean AGN HOD based on our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the result of our low-luminosity quasar survey in the redshift range of 4.5 ≲ z ≲ 5.5 in the COSMOS field. Using the COSMOS photometric catalog, we selected 15 quasar candidates with 22 < i′ < 24 at z ∼ 5 that are ∼3 mag fainter than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars in the same redshift range. We obtained optical spectra for 14 of the 15 candidates using FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope and did not identify any low-luminosity type-1 quasars at z ∼ 5, while a low-luminosity type-2 quasar at z ∼ 5.07 was discovered. In order to constrain the faint end of the quasar luminosity function at z ∼ 5, we calculated the 1σ confidence upper limits of the space density of type-1 quasars. As a result, the 1σ confidence upper limits on the quasar space density are Φ < 1.33 × 10–7 Mpc–3 mag–1 for –24.52 < M1450 < –23.52 and Φ < 2.88 × 10–7 Mpc–3 mag–1 for –23.52 < M1450 < –22.52. The inferred 1σ confidence upper limits of the space density are then used to provide constraints on the faint-end slope and the break absolute magnitude of the quasar luminosity function at z ∼ 5. We find that the quasar space density decreases gradually as a function of redshift at low luminosity (M1450 ∼ –23), being similar to the trend found for quasars with high luminosity (M1450 < –26). This result is consistent with the so-called downsizing evolution of quasars seen at lower redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the high-redshift quasar luminosity function (QLF) down to an apparent magnitude of IAB = 25 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). Careful analysis of the extensive COSMOS photometry and imaging data allows us to identify and remove stellar and low-redshift contaminants, enabling a selection that is nearly complete for type-1 quasars at the redshifts of interest. We find 155 likely quasars at z > 3.1, 39 of which have prior spectroscopic confirmation. We present our sample in detail and use these confirmed and likely quasars to compute the rest-frame UV QLF in the redshift bins 3.1 < z < 3.5 and 3.5 < z < 5. The space density of faint quasars decreases by roughly a factor of four from z ∼ 3.2 to z ∼ 4, with faint-end slopes of β ∼ –1.7 at both redshifts. The decline in space density of faint optical quasars at z > 3 is similar to what has been found for more luminous optical and X-ray quasars. We compare the rest-frame UV luminosity functions found here with the X-ray luminosity function at z > 3, and find that they evolve similarly between z ∼ 3.2 and z ∼ 4; however, the different normalizations imply that roughly 75% of X-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z ∼ 3-4 are optically obscured. This fraction is higher than found at lower redshift and may imply that the obscured, type-2 fraction continues to increase with redshift at least to z ∼ 4. Finally, the implications of the results derived here for the contribution of quasars to cosmic reionization are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Chandra High Resolution Camera observations of CID-42, a candidate recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH) at z = 0.359 in the COSMOS survey. CID-42 shows two optical compact sources resolved in the HST/ACS image embedded in the same galaxy structure and a velocity offset of ∼1300 km s–1 between the Hβ broad and narrow emission line, as presented by Civano et al. Two scenarios have been proposed to explain the properties of CID-42: a gravitational wave (GW) recoiling SMBH and a double Type 1/Type 2 active galactic nucleus (AGN) system, where one of the two is recoiling because of slingshot effect. In both scenarios, one of the optical nuclei hosts an unobscured AGN, while the other one, either an obscured AGN or a star-forming compact region. The X-ray Chandra data allow us to unambiguously resolve the X-ray emission and unveil the nature of the two optical sources in CID-42. We find that only one of the optical nuclei is responsible for the whole X-ray unobscured emission observed and a 3σ upper limit on the flux of the second optical nucleus is measured. The upper limit on the X-ray luminosity plus the analysis of the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution indicate the presence of a star-forming region in the second source rather than an obscured SMBH, thus favoring the GW recoil scenario. However, the presence of a very obscured SMBH cannot be fully ruled out. A new X-ray feature, in a SW direction with respect to the main source, is discovered and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]