The Most Obscured AGNs in the XMM-SERVS Fields

Wei Yan; W. N. Brandt; Fan Zou; Shifu Zhu; Chien Ting J. Chen; Ryan C. Hickox; Bin Luo; Qingling Ni; David M. Alexander; Franz E. Bauer; Cristian Vignali; Fabio Vito

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/accea6

The Most Obscured AGNs in the XMM-SERVS Fields

Wei Yan, W. N. Brandt, Fan Zou, Shifu Zhu, Chien Ting J. Chen, Ryan C. Hickox, Bin Luo, Qingling Ni, David M. Alexander, Franz E. Bauer, Cristian Vignali, Fabio Vito

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

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; N _H > 1.5 × 10²⁴ cm⁻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 (f _CT) 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.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	27
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	951
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accea6
State	Published - Jul 1 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4357/accea6

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@article{11b85ebbf1b24fe08bda22c03e5a4edf,

title = "The Most Obscured AGNs in the XMM-SERVS Fields",

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; N H > 1.5 × 1024 cm−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 (f CT) 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.",

author = "Wei Yan and Brandt, {W. N.} and Fan Zou and Shifu Zhu and Chen, {Chien Ting J.} and Hickox, {Ryan C.} and Bin Luo and Qingling Ni and Alexander, {David M.} and Bauer, {Franz E.} and Cristian Vignali and Fabio Vito",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

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doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/accea6",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "951",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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T1 - The Most Obscured AGNs in the XMM-SERVS Fields

AU - Yan, Wei

AU - Brandt, W. N.

AU - Zou, Fan

AU - Zhu, Shifu

AU - Chen, Chien Ting J.

AU - Hickox, Ryan C.

AU - Luo, Bin

AU - Ni, Qingling

AU - Alexander, David M.

AU - Bauer, Franz E.

AU - Vignali, Cristian

AU - Vito, Fabio

PY - 2023/7/1

Y1 - 2023/7/1

N2 - 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; N H > 1.5 × 1024 cm−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 (f CT) 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.

AB - 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; N H > 1.5 × 1024 cm−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 (f CT) 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.

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JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

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ER -

The Most Obscured AGNs in the XMM-SERVS Fields

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