THE MOSDEF SURVEY: AGN MULTI-WAVELENGTH IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION BIASES, and HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES

Mojegan Azadi; Alison L. Coil; James Aird; Naveen Reddy; Alice Shapley; William R. Freeman; Mariska Kriek; Gene C.K. Leung; Bahram Mobasher; Sedona H. Price; Ryan L. Sanders; Irene Shivaei; Brian Siana

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/27

THE MOSDEF SURVEY: AGN MULTI-WAVELENGTH IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION BIASES, and HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES

Mojegan Azadi, Alison L. Coil, James Aird, Naveen Reddy, Alice Shapley, William R. Freeman, Mariska Kriek, Gene C.K. Leung, Bahram Mobasher, Sedona H. Price, Ryan L. Sanders, Irene Shivaei, Brian Siana

Physics And Astronomy

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76 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present results from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey on the identification, selection biases, and host galaxy properties of 55 X-ray, IR, and optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.4 < z < 3.8. We obtain rest-frame optical spectra of galaxies and AGNs and use the BPT diagram to identify optical AGNs. We examine the uniqueness and overlap of the AGNs identified at different wavelengths. There is a strong bias against identifying AGNs at any wavelength in low-mass galaxies, and an additional bias against identifying IR AGNs in the most massive galaxies. AGN hosts span a wide range of star formation rates (SFRs), similar to inactive galaxies once stellar mass selection effects are accounted for. However, we find (at ∼ 2-3σ significance) that IR AGNs are in less dusty galaxies with relatively higher SFR and optical AGNs in dusty galaxies with relatively lower SFR. X-ray AGN selection does not display a bias with host galaxy SFR. These results are consistent with those from larger studies at lower redshifts. Within star-forming galaxies, once selection biases are accounted for, we find AGNs in galaxies with similar physical properties as inactive galaxies, with no evidence for AGN activity in particular types of galaxies. This is consistent with AGNs being fueled stochastically in any star-forming host galaxy. We do not detect a significant correlation between SFR and AGN luminosity for individual AGN hosts, which may indicate the timescale difference between the growth of galaxies and their supermassive black holes.

Original language	English
Article number	27
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	835
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/27
State	Published - Jan 20 2017

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with programs 12177, 12328, 12060-12064, 12440-12445, 13056. Funding for the MOSDEF survey is provided by NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171 and grant AR-13907 from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Keywords

galaxies: active
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: Seyfert

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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@article{1bbc4a8f384742029f02c77ce3267d48,

title = "THE MOSDEF SURVEY: AGN MULTI-WAVELENGTH IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION BIASES, and HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES",

abstract = "We present results from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey on the identification, selection biases, and host galaxy properties of 55 X-ray, IR, and optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.4 < z < 3.8. We obtain rest-frame optical spectra of galaxies and AGNs and use the BPT diagram to identify optical AGNs. We examine the uniqueness and overlap of the AGNs identified at different wavelengths. There is a strong bias against identifying AGNs at any wavelength in low-mass galaxies, and an additional bias against identifying IR AGNs in the most massive galaxies. AGN hosts span a wide range of star formation rates (SFRs), similar to inactive galaxies once stellar mass selection effects are accounted for. However, we find (at ∼ 2-3σ significance) that IR AGNs are in less dusty galaxies with relatively higher SFR and optical AGNs in dusty galaxies with relatively lower SFR. X-ray AGN selection does not display a bias with host galaxy SFR. These results are consistent with those from larger studies at lower redshifts. Within star-forming galaxies, once selection biases are accounted for, we find AGNs in galaxies with similar physical properties as inactive galaxies, with no evidence for AGN activity in particular types of galaxies. This is consistent with AGNs being fueled stochastically in any star-forming host galaxy. We do not detect a significant correlation between SFR and AGN luminosity for individual AGN hosts, which may indicate the timescale difference between the growth of galaxies and their supermassive black holes.",

keywords = "galaxies: active, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: high-redshift, galaxies: Seyfert",

author = "Mojegan Azadi and Coil, {Alison L.} and James Aird and Naveen Reddy and Alice Shapley and Freeman, {William R.} and Mariska Kriek and Leung, {Gene C.K.} and Bahram Mobasher and Price, {Sedona H.} and Sanders, {Ryan L.} and Irene Shivaei and Brian Siana",

note = "Funding Information: Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with programs 12177, 12328, 12060-12064, 12440-12445, 13056. Funding for the MOSDEF survey is provided by NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171 and grant AR-13907 from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/27",

language = "English",

volume = "835",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - THE MOSDEF SURVEY

T2 - AGN MULTI-WAVELENGTH IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION BIASES, and HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES

AU - Azadi, Mojegan

AU - Coil, Alison L.

AU - Aird, James

AU - Reddy, Naveen

AU - Shapley, Alice

AU - Freeman, William R.

AU - Kriek, Mariska

AU - Leung, Gene C.K.

AU - Mobasher, Bahram

AU - Price, Sedona H.

AU - Sanders, Ryan L.

AU - Shivaei, Irene

AU - Siana, Brian

N1 - Funding Information: Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with programs 12177, 12328, 12060-12064, 12440-12445, 13056. Funding for the MOSDEF survey is provided by NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171 and grant AR-13907 from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Publisher Copyright: © 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/1/20

Y1 - 2017/1/20

N2 - We present results from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey on the identification, selection biases, and host galaxy properties of 55 X-ray, IR, and optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.4 < z < 3.8. We obtain rest-frame optical spectra of galaxies and AGNs and use the BPT diagram to identify optical AGNs. We examine the uniqueness and overlap of the AGNs identified at different wavelengths. There is a strong bias against identifying AGNs at any wavelength in low-mass galaxies, and an additional bias against identifying IR AGNs in the most massive galaxies. AGN hosts span a wide range of star formation rates (SFRs), similar to inactive galaxies once stellar mass selection effects are accounted for. However, we find (at ∼ 2-3σ significance) that IR AGNs are in less dusty galaxies with relatively higher SFR and optical AGNs in dusty galaxies with relatively lower SFR. X-ray AGN selection does not display a bias with host galaxy SFR. These results are consistent with those from larger studies at lower redshifts. Within star-forming galaxies, once selection biases are accounted for, we find AGNs in galaxies with similar physical properties as inactive galaxies, with no evidence for AGN activity in particular types of galaxies. This is consistent with AGNs being fueled stochastically in any star-forming host galaxy. We do not detect a significant correlation between SFR and AGN luminosity for individual AGN hosts, which may indicate the timescale difference between the growth of galaxies and their supermassive black holes.

AB - We present results from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey on the identification, selection biases, and host galaxy properties of 55 X-ray, IR, and optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.4 < z < 3.8. We obtain rest-frame optical spectra of galaxies and AGNs and use the BPT diagram to identify optical AGNs. We examine the uniqueness and overlap of the AGNs identified at different wavelengths. There is a strong bias against identifying AGNs at any wavelength in low-mass galaxies, and an additional bias against identifying IR AGNs in the most massive galaxies. AGN hosts span a wide range of star formation rates (SFRs), similar to inactive galaxies once stellar mass selection effects are accounted for. However, we find (at ∼ 2-3σ significance) that IR AGNs are in less dusty galaxies with relatively higher SFR and optical AGNs in dusty galaxies with relatively lower SFR. X-ray AGN selection does not display a bias with host galaxy SFR. These results are consistent with those from larger studies at lower redshifts. Within star-forming galaxies, once selection biases are accounted for, we find AGNs in galaxies with similar physical properties as inactive galaxies, with no evidence for AGN activity in particular types of galaxies. This is consistent with AGNs being fueled stochastically in any star-forming host galaxy. We do not detect a significant correlation between SFR and AGN luminosity for individual AGN hosts, which may indicate the timescale difference between the growth of galaxies and their supermassive black holes.

KW - galaxies: active

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - galaxies: Seyfert

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THE MOSDEF SURVEY: AGN MULTI-WAVELENGTH IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION BIASES, and HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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