X-ray Luminosity Function Research Articles

On the Spatially Resolved Star Formation History in M51. II. X-Ray Binary Population Evolution

Abstract We present a new technique for empirically calibrating how the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of X-ray binary (XRB) populations evolves following a star formation event. We first utilize detailed stellar population synthesis modeling of far-UV-to-far-IR photometry of the nearby face-on spiral galaxy M51 to construct maps of the star formation histories (SFHs) on subgalactic (≈400 pc) scales. Next, we use the ≈850 ks cumulative Chandra exposure of M51 to identify and isolate 2–7 keV detected point sources within the galaxy, and we use our SFH maps to recover the local properties of the stellar populations in which each X-ray source is located. We then divide the galaxy into various subregions based on their SFH properties (e.g., star formation rate (SFR) per stellar mass and mass-weighted stellar age) and group the X-ray point sources according to the characteristics of the regions in which they are found. Finally, we construct and fit a parameterized XLF model that quantifies how the XLF shape and normalization evolves as a function of the XRB population age Our best-fit model indicates that the XRB XLF per unit stellar mass declines in normalization, by ∼3–3.5 dex, and steepens in slope from ≈10 Myr to ≈10 Gyr. We find that our technique recovers results from past studies of how XRB XLFs and XRB luminosity scaling relations vary with age and provides a self-consistent picture for how XRB XLFs evolve with age.

The quasar luminosity function at redshift 4 with the Hyper Suprime-Cam Wide Survey

Abstract We present the luminosity function of z ∼ 4 quasars based on the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program Wide layer imaging data in the g, r, i, z, and y bands covering 339.8 deg2. From stellar objects, 1666 z ∼ 4 quasar candidates are selected via the g-dropout selection down to i = 24.0 mag. Their photometric redshifts cover the redshift range between 3.6 and 4.3, with an average of 3.9. In combination with the quasar sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in the same redshift range, a quasar luminosity function covering the wide luminosity range of M1450 = −22 to −29 mag is constructed. The quasar luminosity function is well described by a double power-law model with a knee at M1450 = −25.36 ± 0.13 mag and a flat faint-end slope with a power-law index of −1.30 ± 0.05. The knee and faint-end slope show no clear evidence of redshift evolution from those seen at z ∼ 2. The flat slope implies that the UV luminosity density of the quasar population is dominated by the quasars around the knee, and does not support the steeper faint-end slope at higher redshifts reported at z > 5. If we convert the M1450 luminosity function to the hard X-ray 2–10 keV luminosity function using the relation between the UV and X-ray luminosity of quasars and its scatter, the number density of UV-selected quasars matches well with that of the X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) above the knee of the luminosity function. Below the knee, the UV-selected quasars show a deficiency compared to the hard X-ray luminosity function. The deficiency can be explained by the lack of obscured AGNs among the UV-selected quasars.

XMM-Newton imaging of V1818 Orionis: a young stellar group on the eastern edge of the κ Ori ring

We present the results of a 40 ks XMM-Newton observation centered on the variable star V1818 Ori. Using a combination of the XMM-Newton and AllWISE catalog data, we identify a group of about 31 young stellar objects around V1818 Ori. This group is coincident with the eastern edge of the dust ring surrounding Kappa Ori. Previously, we concluded that the young stellar objects on the western side of ring were formed in an episode of star formation that started 3-5 Myr ago, and are at a distance similar to that of kappa Ori (250-280 pc) and in the foreground to the Orion A cloud. Here we use the XMM-Newton observation to calculate X-ray fluxes and luminosities of the young stars around V1818 Ori. We find that their X-ray luminosity function (XLF), calculated for a distance of ~270 pc, matches the XLF of the YSOs west of Kappa Ori. We rule out that this group of young stars is associated to Mon R2 as assumed in the literature, but rather they are part of the same Kappa Ori's ring stellar population.

Linking black hole growth with host galaxies: the accretion–stellar mass relation and its cosmic evolution

Previous studies suggest that the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) may be fundamentally related to host-galaxy stellar mass ($M_\star$). To investigate this SMBH growth-$M_\star$ relation in detail, we calculate long-term SMBH accretion rate as a function of $M_\star$ and redshift [$\overline{\rm BHAR}(M_\star, z)$] over ranges of $\log(M_\star/M_\odot)=\text{9.5--12}$ and $z=\text{0.4--4}$. Our $\overline{\rm BHAR}(M_\star, z)$ is constrained by high-quality survey data (GOODS-South, GOODS-North, and COSMOS), and by the stellar mass function and the X-ray luminosity function. At a given $M_\star$, $\overline{\rm BHAR}$ is higher at high redshift. This redshift dependence is stronger in more massive systems (for $\log(M_\star/M_\odot)\approx 11.5$, $\overline{\rm BHAR}$ is three decades higher at $z=4$ than at $z=0.5$), possibly due to AGN feedback. Our results indicate that the ratio between $\overline{\rm BHAR}$ and average star formation rate ($\overline{\rm SFR}$) rises toward high $M_\star$ at a given redshift. This $\overline{\rm BHAR}/\overline{\rm SFR}$ dependence on $M_\star$ does not support the scenario that SMBH and galaxy growth are in lockstep. We calculate SMBH mass history [$M_{\rm BH}(z)$] based on our $\overline{\rm BHAR}(M_\star, z)$ and the $M_\star(z)$ from the literature, and find that the $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_\star$ relation has weak redshift evolution since $z\approx 2$. The $M_{\rm BH}/M_\star$ ratio is higher toward massive galaxies: it rises from $\approx 1/5000$ at $\log M_\star\lesssim 10.5$ to $\approx 1/500$ at $\log M_\star \gtrsim 11.2$. Our predicted $M_{\rm BH}/M_\star$ ratio at high $M_\star$ is similar to that observed in local giant ellipticals, suggesting that SMBH growth from mergers is unlikely to dominate over growth from accretion.

Studying the ICM in clusters of galaxies via surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background

We study the surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) using Chandra data of XBOOTES. After masking out resolved sources we compute the power spectrum of fluctuations of the unresolved CXB for angular scales from ~2 arcsec to ~3 deg. The non-trivial large-scale structure (LSS) signal dominates over the shot-noise of unresolved point sources at all scales above ~1 arcmin and is produced mainly by the intracluster medium (ICM) of unresolved clusters and groups of galaxies, as shown in our previous publication. The shot-noise-subtracted power spectrum of CXB fluctuations has a power-law shape with the slope of $\Gamma = 0.96 \pm 0.06$. Its energy spectrum is well described by the redshifted emission spectrum of optically-thin plasma with the best-fit temperature of $T \approx 1.3$ keV and the best-fit redshift of $z \approx 0.40$. They are in good agreement with theoretical expectations based on the X-ray luminosity function and scaling relations of clusters. From these values we estimate the typical mass and luminosity of the objects responsible for CXB fluctuations, $M_{500} \sim 10^{13.6}\,{\rm M}_{\odot}/h$ and $L_{0.5-2.0\,{\rm keV}} \sim 10^{42.5}$ erg/s. On the other hand, the flux-weighted mean temperature and redshift of resolved clusters are $T \approx 2.4$ keV and $z \approx 0.23$, confirming that fluctuations of unresolved CXB are caused by cooler (i.e. less massive) and more distant clusters, as expected. We show that the power spectrum shape is sensitive to the ICM structure all the way to the outskirts, out to $\sim{\rm few}\times R_{500}$. We also look for possible contribution of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) to the observed CXB fluctuations. Our results underline the significant diagnostics potential of the CXB fluctuation analysis in studying the ICM structure in clusters.

On the mean radiative efficiency of accreting massive black holes in AGNs and QSOs

Radiative efficiency is an important physical parameter that describes the fraction of accretion material converted to radiative energy for accretion onto massive black holes (MBHs). With the simplest Sołtan argument, the radiative efficiency of MBHs can be estimated by matching the mass density of MBHs in the local universe to the accreted mass density by MBHs during AGN/QSO phases. In this paper, we estimate the local MBH mass density through a combination of various determinations of the correlations between the masses of MBHs and the properties of MBH host galaxies, with the distribution functions of those galaxy properties. We also estimate the total energy density radiated by AGNs and QSOs by using various AGN/QSO X-ray luminosity functions in the literature. We then obtain several hundred estimates of the mean radiative efficiency of AGNs/QSOs. Under the assumption that those estimates are independent of each other and free of systematic effects, we apply the median statistics as described by Gott et al. and find the mean radiative efficiency of AGNs/QSOs is ϵ = 0.105 −0.008 +0.006 , which is consistent with the canonical value ~0.1. Considering that about 20% Compton-thick objects may be missed from current available X-ray surveys, the true mean radiative efficiency may be actually ~0.12.

Supernova remnants in M33: X-ray properties as observed by XMM–Newton

We have carried out a study of the X-ray properties of the supernova remnant (SNR) population in M33 with XMM-Newton, comprising deep observations of 8 fields in M33 covering all of the area within the D$_{25}$ contours, and with a typical luminosity of 7.1$\times$10$^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$ (0.2-2.0 keV) . Here we report our work to characterize the X-ray properties of the previously identified SNRs in M33, as well as our search for new X-ray detected SNRs. With our deep observations and large field of view we have detected 105 SNRs at the 3$\sigma$ level, of which 54 SNRs are newly detected in X-rays, and three are newly discovered SNRs. Combining XMM-Newton data with deep Chandra survey data allows detailed spectral fitting of 15 SNRs, for which we have measured temperatures, ionization timescales, and individual abundances. This large sample of SNRs allows us to construct an X-ray luminosity function, and compare its shape to luminosity functions from host galaxies of differing metallicities and star formation rates to look for environmental effects on SNR properties. We conclude that while metallicity may play a role in SNR population characteristics, differing star formation histories on short timescales, and small-scale environmental effects appear to cause more significant differences between X-ray luminosity distributions. In addition, we analyze the X-ray detectability of SNRs, and find that in M33 SNRs with higher [SII]/H$\alpha$ ratios, as well as those with smaller galactocentric distances, are more detectable in X-rays.

Jetted tidal disruptions of stars as a flag of intermediate mass black holes at high redshifts

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) of stars by single or binary supermassive black holes (SMBHs) brighten galactic nuclei and reveal a population of otherwise dormant black holes. Adopting event rates from the literature, we aim to establish general trends in the redshift evolution of the TDE number counts and their observable signals. We pay particular attention to two types of TDEs which are expected to be observable out to high redshifts, namely (i) jetted TDEs whose luminosity is boosted by relativistic beaming, and (ii) TDEs around binary black holes. We show that the brightest (jetted) TDEs are expected to be produced by massive black hole binaries if the occupancy of intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) in low mass galaxies is high. The same binary population will also provide gravitational wave sources for eLISA. In addition, we find that the shape of the X-ray luminosity function of TDEs strongly depends on the occupancy of IMBHs and could be used to constrain scenarios of SMBH formation. Finally, we make predictions for the expected number of TDEs observed by future X-ray telescopes as a function of their sensitivity limits. We find that an instrument which is 50 times more sensitive than the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board the Swift satellite is expected to trigger ~10 times more events than BAT with 50% of the events coming from z>2. Because of their long decay times, high-redshift TDEs can be mistaken for fixed point sources in deep field surveys such as the 4Ms survey with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and targeted observations of the same deep field with year-long intervals could reveal TDEs. If the occupation fraction of IMBHs is high, 6-20 TDEs are expected in each deep field observed by a telescope 50 times more sensitive than Chandra.

A deeper look at the X-ray point source population of NGC 4472

In this paper we discuss the X-ray point source population of NGC 4472, an elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster. We used recent deep Chandra data combined with archival Chandra data to obtain a 380 ks exposure time. We find 238 X-ray point sources within 3.7' of the galaxy centre, with a completeness flux, F(X,0.5-2 keV)= 6.3x$10^{-16}$ $erg s^{-1} cm^{-2}$. Most of these sources are expected to be low mass X-ray binaries. We finding that, using data from a single galaxy which is both complete and has a large number of objects (~ 100) below 10$^{38}$ $erg s^{-1}$, the X-ray luminosity function is well fit with a single power law model. By cross matching our X-ray data with both space based and ground based optical data for NGC 4472, we find that 80 of the 238 sources are in globular clusters. We compare the red and blue globular cluster subpopulations and find red clusters are nearly six times more likely to host an X-ray source than blue clusters. We show that there is evidence that these two subpopulations have significantly different X-ray luminosity distributions. Source catalogues for all X-ray point sources, as well as any corresponding optical data for globular cluster sources, are also presented here.

The Extended Northern ROSAT Galaxy Cluster Survey (NORAS II). I. Survey Construction and First Results

Abstract As the largest, clearly defined building blocks of our universe, galaxy clusters are interesting astrophysical laboratories and important probes for cosmology. X-ray surveys for galaxy clusters provide one of the best ways to characterize the population of galaxy clusters. We provide a description of the construction of the NORAS II galaxy cluster survey based on X-ray data from the northern part of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. NORAS II extends the NORAS survey down to a flux limit of 1.8 × 10−12 erg s−1 cm−2 (0.1–2.4 keV), increasing the sample size by about a factor of two. The NORAS II cluster survey now reaches the same quality and depth as its counterpart, the southern REFLEX II survey, allowing us to combine the two complementary surveys. The paper provides information on the determination of the cluster X-ray parameters, the identification process of the X-ray sources, the statistics of the survey, and the construction of the survey selection function, which we provide in numerical format. Currently NORAS II contains 860 clusters with a median redshift of z = 0.102. We provide a number of statistical functions, including the log N–log S and the X-ray luminosity function and compare these to the results from the complementary REFLEX II survey. Using the NORAS II sample to constrain the cosmological parameters, σ 8 and Ω m , yields results perfectly consistent with those of REFLEX II. Overall, the results show that the two hemisphere samples, NORAS II and REFLEX II, can be combined without problems into an all-sky sample, just excluding the zone of avoidance.

Searching for luminous absorbed sources in the WISE AGN catalogue

Mid-IR colour selection techniques have proved to be very efficient in finding AGN. This is because the AGN heats the surrounding dust producing warm mid-IR colours. Using the WISE 3.6, 4.5 and 12 $\mu m$ colours, the largest sample of IR selected AGN has already been produced containing 1.4 million AGN over the whole sky. Here, we explore the X-ray properties of this AGN sample by cross-correlating it with the subsample of the 3XMM X-ray catalogue that has available X-ray spectra and at the same time optical spectroscopy from SDSS. Our goal is to find rare luminous obscured AGN. Our final sample contains 65 QSOs with $\rm{log}\,\nu L_\nu \ge 46.2$\,erg\,s$^{-1}$. This IR luminosity cut corresponds to $\rm{log}\,L_X \approx 45$\,erg\,s$^{-1}$, at the median redshift of our sample ($z=2.3$), that lies at the bright end of the X-ray luminosity function at $z>2$. The X-ray spectroscopic analysis reveals seven obscured AGN having a column density $\rm N_H>10^{22} cm^{-2}$. Six of them show evidence for broad [CIV] absorption lines and five are classified as BALQSOs. We fit the optical spectra of our X-ray absorbed sources to estimate the optical reddening. We find that none of these show any obscuration according to the optical continuum. These sources add to the growing evidence for populations of luminous QSOs with evidence for substantial absorption by outflowing ionised material, similar to those expected to be emerging from their absorbing cocoons in the framework of AGN/galaxy co-evolution.

Constraining the X-ray AGN halo occupation distribution: implications foreROSITA

The X-ray emission from active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a major component of extragalactic X-ray sky. In this paper, we use the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) and halo occupation distribution (HOD) formalism to construct a halo model for the X-ray emission from AGNs. Verifying that the two inputs (XLF and HOD) are in agreement with each other, we compute the auto-correlation power spectrum in the soft X-ray band (0.5-2 keV) due to the AGNs potentially resolved by eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) mission and explore the redshift and mass dependence of the power spectrum. Studying the relative contribution of the Poisson and the clustering terms to the total power, we find that at multipoles $l\lesssim 1000$ (i.e. large scales), the clustering term is larger than the Poisson term. We also forecast the potential of X-ray auto-correlation power spectrum and X-ray-lensing cross-correlation power spectrum using eROSITA and eROSITA-LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) surveys, respectively, to constrain the HOD parameters and their redshift evolution. In addition, we compute the power spectrum of the AGNs lying below the flux resolution limit of eROSITA, which is essential to understand in order to extract the X-ray signal from the hot diffuse gas present in galaxies and clusters.

Bright end of the luminosity function of high-mass X-ray binaries: contributions of hard, soft and supersoft sources

Using a spectral analysis of bright Chandra X-ray sources located in 27 nearby galaxies and maps of star-formation rate (SFR) and ISM surface densities for these galaxies, we constructed the intrinsic X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of luminous high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), taking into account absorption effects and the diversity of HMXB spectra. The XLF per unit SFR can be described by a power law dN/d log L=2.0(L/10^39 erg/s)^(-0.6) (M_Sun/yr)^(-1) from L=10^38 to 10^40.5 erg/s, where L is the unabsorbed luminosity at 0.25-8 keV. The intrinsic number of luminous HMXBs per unit SFR is a factor of ~2.3 larger than the observed number reported before. The intrinsic XLF is composed of hard, soft and supersoft sources (defined here as those with the 0.25-2 keV to 0.25-8 keV flux ratio of <0.6, 0.6-0.95 and >0.95, respectively) in ~2:1:1 proportion. We also constructed the intrinsic HMXB XLF in the soft X-ray band (0.25-2 keV). Here, the numbers of hard, soft and supersoft sources prove to be nearly equal. The cumulative present-day 0.25-2 keV emissivity of HMXBs with luminosities between 10^38 and 10^40.5 erg/s is ~5 10^39 erg/s (M_Sun/yr)^(-1), which may be relevant for studying the X-ray preheating of the early Universe.

Constraining the UV emissivity of AGN throughout cosmic time via X-ray surveys

The cosmological process of hydrogen (HI) reionization in the intergalactic medium is thought to be driven by UV photons emitted by star-forming galaxies and ionizing active galactic nuclei (AGN). The contribution of QSOs to HI reionization at $z>4$ has been traditionally believed to be quite modest. However, this view has been recently challenged by new estimates of a higher faint-end UV luminosity function (LF). To set firmer constraints on the emissivity of AGN at $z<6$, we here make use of complete X-ray selected samples including deep Chandra and new COSMOS data, capable to efficiently measure the 1 ryd comoving AGN emissivity up to $z\sim5-6$ and down to five magnitudes fainter than probed by current optical surveys, without any luminosity extrapolation. We find good agreement between the logN$\rm{_H}\lesssim21-22$ cm$^{-2}$ X-ray LF and the optically-selected QSO LF at all redshifts for $M_{1450}\leq -23$. The full range of the logN$\rm{_H}\lesssim21-22$ cm$^{-2}$ LF ($M_{1450} \leq -17$) was then used to quantify the contribution of AGN to the photon budget critical value needed to keep the Universe ionized. We find that the contribution of ionizing AGN at $z = 6$ is as small as 1\% - 7\%, and very unlikely to be greater than 30\%, thus excluding an AGN-dominated reionization scenario.

Study of correlation between ultraluminous X-ray sources and their host galaxies

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are defined as non-nuclear point-source objects with apparent X-ray luminosities, Lx > 2×1039 erg s-1, in the 0.3-8 keV band. ULXs are often explained using two different scenarios, (1) ULXs as intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) with sub-Eddington accretion and (2) ULXs as stellar mass black hole with super-Eddington accretion. There are two methods that commonly used to study the characteristics of ULXs. One method is to study the X-ray spectra of ULXs, to determine the characteristics of their accretion flows from fitting their spectra using available spectral models. The other method is to investigate how population of ULXs correlate with their environment, in this case their host galaxies. Our goal is to find correlation between ULXs and the properties of its host galaxies, for example with Star Formation Rate (SFR), mass and morphology. From this study we found a positive correlation between ULXs number and SFR. From X-ray luminosity function, we found upper limit of black holes mass that power ULXs is about 100 M⊙.

THE X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF M37 AND THE EVOLUTION OF CORONAL ACTIVITY IN LOW-MASS STARS

ABSTRACT We use a 440.5 ks Chandra observation of the ≈500 Myr old open cluster M37 to derive the X-ray luminosity functions of its ≤1.2 stars. Combining detections of 162 M37 members with upper limits for 160 non-detections, we find that its G, K, and M stars have a similar median (0.5–7 keV) X-ray luminosity , whereas the -to-bolometric-luminosity ratio ( ) indicates that M stars are more active than G and K stars by order of magnitude at 500 Myr. To characterize the evolution of magnetic activity in low-mass stars over their first , we consolidate X-ray and optical data from the literature for stars in six other open clusters: from youngest to oldest they are, the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC), NGC 2547, NGC 2516, the Pleiades, NGC 6475, and the Hyades. For these, we homogenize the conversion of instrumental count rates to by applying the same one-temperature emission model as for M37, and obtain masses using the same empirical mass-absolute magnitude relation (except for the ONC). We find that for G and K stars X-ray activity decreases orders of magnitude over their first 600 Myr, and for M stars, ≈1.5. The decay rate of the median follows the relation , where for G stars, −0.82 ± 0.16 for K stars, and −0.40 ± 0.17 for M stars. In space, the slopes are −0.68 ± 0.12, −0.81 ± 0.19, and −0.61 ± 0.12, respectively. These results suggest that for low-mass stars the age-activity relation steepens after , consistent with the faster decay in activity observed in solar analogs at .

CHANDRA ACIS SURVEY OF X-RAY POINT SOURCES IN NEARBY GALAXIES. II. X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS AND ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES

ABSTRACT Based on the recently completed Chandra/ACIS survey of X-ray point sources in nearby galaxies, we study the X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) for X-ray point sources in different types of galaxies and the statistical properties of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). Uniform procedures are developed to compute the detection threshold, to estimate the foreground/background contamination, and to calculate the XLFs for individual galaxies and groups of galaxies, resulting in an XLF library of 343 galaxies of different types. With the large number of surveyed galaxies, we have studied the XLFs and ULX properties across different host galaxy types, and confirm with good statistics that the XLF slope flattens from lenticular (α ∼ 1.50 ± 0.07) to elliptical (∼1.21 ± 0.02), to spirals (∼0.80 ± 0.02), to peculiars (∼0.55 ± 0.30), and to irregulars (∼0.26 ± 0.10). The XLF break dividing the neutron star and black hole binaries is also confirmed, albeit at quite different break luminosities for different types of galaxies. A radial dependency is found for ellipticals, with a flatter XLF slope for sources located between D 25 and 2D 25, suggesting the XLF slopes in the outer region of early-type galaxies are dominated by low-mass X-ray binaries in globular clusters. This study shows that the ULX rate in early-type galaxies is 0.24 ± 0.05 ULXs per surveyed galaxy, on a 5σ confidence level. The XLF for ULXs in late-type galaxies extends smoothly until it drops abruptly around 4 × 1040 erg s−1, and this break may suggest a mild boundary between the stellar black hole population possibly including 30 M ⊙ black holes with super-Eddington radiation and intermediate mass black holes.

Clustering, cosmology and a new era of black hole demographics– II. The conditional luminosity functions of Type 2 and Type 1 active galactic nuclei

The orientation-based unification model of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) posits that the principle difference between obscured (Type 2) and unobscured (Type 1) AGNs is the line-of-sight into the central engine. If this model is correct than there should be no difference in many of the properties of AGN host galaxies (e.g., the mass of the surrounding dark matter haloes). However, recent clustering analyses of Type 1 and Type 2 AGNs have provided some evidence for a difference in the halo mass, in conflict with the orientation-based unified model. In this work, a method to compute the Conditional Luminosity Function (CLF) of Type 2 and Type 1 AGNs is presented. The CLF allows many fundamental halo properties to be computed as a function of AGN luminosity, which we apply to the question of the host halo masses of Type 1 and 2 AGNs. By making use of the total AGN CLF, the Type 1 X-ray luminosity function, and the luminosity-dependent Type 2 AGN fraction, the CLFs of Type 1 and 2 AGNs are calculated at $z\approx 0$ and $0.9$. At both $z$, there is no statistically significant difference in the mean halo mass of Type 2 and 1 AGNs at any luminosity. There is marginal evidence that Type 1 AGNs may have larger halo masses than Type 2s, which would be consistent with an evolutionary picture where quasars are initially obscured and then subsequently reveal themselves as Type 1s. As the Type 1 lifetime is longer, the host halo will increase somewhat in mass during the Type 1 phase. The CLF technique will be a powerful way to study the properties of many AGNs subsets (e.g., radio-loud, Compton-thick) as future wide-area X-ray and optical surveys substantially increase our ability to place AGNs in their cosmological context.

Clustering, cosmology and a new era of black hole demographics– I. The conditional luminosity function of active galactic nuclei

Deep X-ray surveys have provided a comprehensive and largely unbiased view of active galactic nuclei (AGN) evolution stretching back to $z \sim 5$. However, it has been challenging to use the survey results to connect this evolution to the cosmological environment that AGNs inhabit. Exploring this connection will be crucial to understanding the triggering mechanisms of AGNs and how these processes manifest in observations at all wavelengths. In anticipation of upcoming wide-field X-ray surveys that will allow quantitative analysis of AGN environments, this paper presents a method to observationally constrain the Conditional Luminosity Function (CLF) of AGNs at a specific $z$. Once measured, the CLF allows the calculation of the AGN bias, mean dark matter halo mass, AGN lifetime, halo occupation number, and AGN correlation function -- all as a function of luminosity. The CLF can be constrained using a measurement of the X-ray luminosity function and the correlation length at different luminosities. The method is illustrated at $z \approx 0$ and $0.9$ using the limited data that is currently available, and a clear luminosity dependence in the AGN bias and mean halo mass is predicted at both $z$, supporting the idea that there are at least two different modes of AGN triggering. In addition, the CLF predicts that $z\approx 0.9$ quasars may be commonly hosted by haloes with $M_{\mathrm{h}} \sim 10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$. These `young cluster' environments may provide the necessary interactions between gas-rich galaxies to fuel luminous accretion. The results derived from this method will be useful to populate AGNs of different luminosities in cosmological simulations.

The deepest X-ray view of high-redshift galaxies: constraints on low-rate black hole accretion

We exploit the 7 Ms \textit{Chandra} observations in the \chandra\,Deep Field-South (\mbox{CDF-S}), the deepest X-ray survey to date, coupled with CANDELS/GOODS-S data, to measure the total X-ray emission arising from 2076 galaxies at $3.5\leq z < 6.5$. This aim is achieved by stacking the \textit{Chandra} data at the positions of optically selected galaxies, reaching effective exposure times of $\geq10^9\mathrm{s}$. We detect significant ($>3.7\sigma$) X-ray emission from massive galaxies at $z\approx4$. We also report the detection of massive galaxies at $z\approx5$ at a $99.7\%$ confidence level ($2.7\sigma$), the highest significance ever obtained for X-ray emission from galaxies at such high redshifts. No significant signal is detected from galaxies at even higher redshifts. The stacking results place constraints on the BHAD associated with the known high-redshift galaxy samples, as well as on the SFRD at high redshift, assuming a range of prescriptions for X-ray emission due to X- ray binaries. We find that the X-ray emission from our sample is likely dominated by processes related to star formation. Our results show that low-rate mass accretion onto SMBHs in individually X-ray-undetected galaxies is negligible, compared with the BHAD measured for samples of X-ray detected AGN, for cosmic SMBH mass assembly at high redshift. We also place, for the first time, constraints on the faint-end of the AGN X-ray luminosity function ($\mathrm{logL_X\sim42}$) at $z>4$, with evidence for fairly flat slopes. The implications of all of these findings are discussed in the context of the evolution of the AGN population at high redshift.