528 research outputs found
The WISE AGN Catalog
We present two large catalogs of AGN candidates identified across ~75% of the
sky from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's AllWISE Data Release. Both
catalogs, some of the largest such catalogs published to date, are selected
purely on the basis of mid-IR photometry in the WISE W1 and W2 bands. The
catalogs are designed to be appropriate for a broad range of scientific
investigations, with one catalog emphasizing reliability while the other
emphasizes completeness. Specifically, the R90 catalog consists of 4,543,530
AGN candidates with 90% reliability, while the C75 catalog consists of
20,907,127 AGN candidates with 75% completeness. We provide a detailed
discussion of potential artifacts, and excise portions of the sky close to the
Galactic Center, Galactic Plane, nearby galaxies, and other expected
contaminating sources. Our final catalogs cover 30,093 deg^2 of extragalactic
sky. These catalogs are expected to enable a broad range of science, and we
present a few simple illustrative cases. From the R90 sample we identify 45
highly variable AGN lacking radio counterparts in the FIRST survey, implying
they are unlikely to be blazars. One of these sources, WISEA
J142846.71+172353.1, is a mid-IR-identified changing-look quasar at z=0.104. We
characterize our catalogs by comparing them to large, wide-area AGN catalogs in
the literature, specifically UV-to-near-IR quasar selections from SDSS and
XDQSOz, mid-IR selection from Secrest et al. (2015) and X-ray selection from
ROSAT. From the latter work, we identify four ROSAT X-ray sources that each are
matched to three WISE-selected AGN in the R90 sample within 30". Palomar
spectroscopy reveals one of these systems, 2RXS J150158.6+691029, to consist of
a triplet of quasars at z=1.133 +/- 0.004, suggestive of a rich group or
forming galaxy cluster.(Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplements.
Updated with comments from the referee. 20 pages, 15 figures, 8 tables. The
WISE AGN Catalogs can be made available upon request by writing to
[email protected]
The Importance of Broad Emission-Line Widths in Single Epoch Black Hole Mass Estimates
Estimates of the mass of super-massive black holes (BHs) in distant active
galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be obtained efficiently only through single-epoch
spectra, using a combination of their broad emission-line widths and continuum
luminosities. Yet the reliability and accuracy of the method, and the resulting
mass estimates, M_BH, remain uncertain. A recent study by Croom using a sample
of SDSS, 2QZ and 2SLAQ quasars suggests that line widths contribute little
information about the BH mass in these single-epoch estimates and can be
replaced by a constant value without significant loss of accuracy. In this
Letter, we use a sample of nearby reverberation-mapped AGNs to show that this
conclusion is not universally applicable. We use the bulge luminosity (L_Bulge)
of these local objects to test how well the known M_BH - L_Bulge correlation is
recovered when using randomly assigned line widths instead of the measured ones
to estimate M_BH. We find that line widths provide significant information
about M_BH, and that for this sample, the line width information is just as
significant as that provided by the continuum luminosities. We discuss the
effects of observational biases upon the analysis of Croom and suggest that the
results can probably be explained as a bias of flux-limited, shallow quasar
samples.Comment: 10 text pages + 4 Figures + 1 Table. Accepted for publication in ApJ
Letter
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Observations of the Evolution of Massive Star-forming Regions
We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of 11 outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from the first burst of massive star formation with the molecular cloud material leftover from that earlier generation of stars. We dub this process the "fireworks hypothesis" since star formation by this mechanism would proceed rapidly and resemble a burst of fireworks. We have also analyzed small cutout WISE images of the structures around the edges of these massive star-forming regions. We observe large (1-3 pc size) pillar and trunk-like structures of diffuse emission nebulosity tracing excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and small dust grains at the perimeter of the massive star-forming regions. These structures contain small clusters of emerging Class I and Class II sources, but some are forming only a single to a few new stars
The Mid-IR and X-ray Selected QSO Luminosity Function
We present the J-band luminosity function of 1838 mid-infrared and X-ray
selected AGNs in the redshift range 0<z<5.85. These luminosity functions are
constructed by combining the deep multi-wavelength broad-band observations from
the UV to the mid-IR of the NDWFS Bootes field with the X-ray observations of
the XBootes survey and the spectroscopic observations of the same field by
AGES. Our sample is primarily composed of IRAC-selected AGNs, targeted using
modifications of the Stern et al.(2005) criteria, complemented by MIPS 24
microns and X-ray selected AGNs to alleviate the biases of IRAC mid-IR
selection against z~4.5 quasars and AGNs faint with respect to their hosts.
This sample provides an accurate link between low and high redshift AGN
luminosity functions and does not suffer from the usual incompleteness of
optical samples at z~3. We find that the space density of the brightest quasars
strongly decreases from z=3 to z=0, while the space density of faint quasars is
at least flat, and possibly increasing, over the same redshift range. At z>3 we
observe a decrease in the space density of quasars of all brightnesses. We
model the luminosity function by a double power-law and find that its evolution
cannot be described by either pure luminosity or pure density evolution, but
must be a combination of both. Our best-fit model has bright and faint
power-law indices consistent with the low redshift measurements based on the
2QZ and 2SLAQ surveys and it generally agrees with the number of bright quasars
predicted by other LFs at all redshifts. If we construct the QSO luminosity
function using only the IRAC-selected AGNs, we find that the biases inherent to
this selection method significantly modify the behavior of phi*(z) only for z<1
and have no significant impact upon the characteristic magnitude M*_J(z).Comment: Corrected minor typo in equations (4) and (6). Accepted for
publication in The Astrophysical Journal. 56 pages + 6 tables + 16 figure
A Kiloparsec-Scale Binary Active Galactic Nucleus Confirmed by the Expanded Very Large Array
We report the confirmation of a kpc-scale binary active galactic nucleus
(AGN) with high-resolution radio images from the Expanded Very Large Array
(EVLA). SDSS J150243.1+111557 is a double-peaked [O III] AGN at z = 0.39
selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our previous near-infrared adaptive
optics imaging reveals two nuclei separated by 1.4" (7.4 kpc), and our optical
integral-field spectroscopy suggests that they are a type-1--type-2 AGN pair.
However, these data alone cannot rule out the single AGN scenario where the
narrow emission-line region associated with the secondary is photoionized by
the broad-line AGN in the primary. Our new EVLA images at 1.4, 5.0, and 8.5 GHz
show two steep-spectrum compact radio sources spatially coincident with the
optical nuclei. The radio power of the type-2 AGN is an order-of-magnitude in
excess of star-forming galaxies with similar extinction-corrected [O II] 3727
luminosities, indicating that the radio emission is powered by accretion.
Therefore, SDSS J150243.1+111557 is one of the few confirmed kpc-scale binary
AGN systems. Spectral-energy-distribution modeling shows that SDSS
J150243.1+111557 is a merger of two ~10^{11} M_sun galaxies. With both black
hole masses around 10^8 Msun, the AGNs are accreting at ~10 times below the
Eddington limit.Comment: ApJL accepted. 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
A new physical interpretation of optical and infrared variability in quasars
Changing-look quasars are a recently identified class of active galaxies in
which the strong UV continuum and/or broad optical hydrogen emission lines
associated with unobscured quasars either appear or disappear on timescales of
months to years. The physical processes responsible for this behaviour are
still debated, but changes in the black hole accretion rate or accretion disk
structure appear more likely than changes in obscuration. Here we report on
four epochs of spectroscopy of SDSS J110057.70-005304.5, a quasar at a redshift
of whose UV continuum and broad hydrogen emission lines have faded,
and then returned over the past 20 years. The change in this quasar
was initially identified in the infrared, and an archival spectrum from 2010
shows an intermediate phase of the transition during which the flux below
rest-frame 3400\AA\ has decreased by close to an order of magnitude.
This combination is unique compared to previously published examples of
changing-look quasars, and is best explained by dramatic changes in the
innermost regions of the accretion disk. The optical continuum has been rising
since mid-2016, leading to a prediction of a rise in hydrogen emission line
flux in the next year. Increases in the infrared flux are beginning to follow,
delayed by a 3 year observed timescale. If our model is confirmed, the
physics of changing-look quasars are governed by processes at the innermost
stable circular orbit (ISCO) around the black hole, and the structure of the
innermost disk. The easily identifiable and monitored changing-look quasars
would then provide a new probe and laboratory of the nuclear central engine.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Published in MNRAS. All code and data
links on GitHub, https://github.com/d80b2t/WISE_L
Low Resolution Spectral Templates For AGNs and Galaxies From 0.03 -- 30 microns
We present a set of low resolution empirical SED templates for AGNs and
galaxies in the wavelength range from 0.03 to 30 microns based on the
multi-wavelength photometric observations of the NOAO Deep-Wide Field Survey
Bootes field and the spectroscopic observations of the AGN and Galaxy Evolution
Survey. Our training sample is comprised of 14448 galaxies in the redshift
range 0<~z<~1 and 5347 likely AGNs in the range 0<~z<~5.58. We use our
templates to determine photometric redshifts for galaxies and AGNs. While they
are relatively accurate for galaxies, their accuracies for AGNs are a strong
function of the luminosity ratio between the AGN and galaxy components.
Somewhat surprisingly, the relative luminosities of the AGN and its host are
well determined even when the photometric redshift is significantly in error.
We also use our templates to study the mid-IR AGN selection criteria developed
by Stern et al.(2005) and Lacy et al.(2004). We find that the Stern et
al.(2005) criteria suffers from significant incompleteness when there is a
strong host galaxy component and at z =~ 4.5, when the broad Halpha emission
line is redshifted into the [3.6] band, but that it is little contaminated by
low and intermediate redshift galaxies. The Lacy et al.(2004) criterion is not
affected by incompleteness at z =~ 4.5 and is somewhat less affected by strong
galaxy host components, but is heavily contaminated by low redshift star
forming galaxies. Finally, we use our templates to predict the color-color
distribution of sources in the upcoming WISE mission and define a color
criterion to select AGNs analogous to those developed for IRAC photometry. We
estimate that in between 640,000 and 1,700,000 AGNs will be identified by these
criteria, but will have serious completeness problems for z >~ 3.4.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. 26 text pages
+ 3 tables + 20 figures, modified to include comments made by the referee.
Fortran codes, templates and electronic tables available at
http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~rjassef/lrt
Investigating the evolution of the dual AGN system ESO~509-IG066
We analyze the evolution of the dual AGN in ESO 509-IG066, a galaxy pair
located at z=0.034 whose nuclei are separated by 11 kpc. Previous observations
with XMM-Newton on this dual AGN found evidence for two moderately obscured
( cm) X-ray luminous ( erg/s) nuclear
sources. We present an analysis of subsequent Chandra, NuSTAR and Swift/XRT
observations that show one source has dropped in flux by a factor of 10 between
2004 and 2011, which could be explained by either an increase in the absorbing
column or an intrinsic fading of the central engine possibly due to a decrease
in mass accretion. Both of these scenarios are predicted by galaxy merger
simulations. The source which has dropped in flux is not detected by NuSTAR,
which argues against absorption, unless it is extreme. However, new Keck/LRIS
optical spectroscopy reveals a previously unreported broad H-alpha line which
is highly unlikely to be visible under the extreme absorption scenario. We
therefore conclude that the black hole in this nucleus has undergone a dramatic
drop in accretion rate. From AO-assisted near-infrared integral-field
spectroscopy of the other nucleus, we find evidence that the galaxy merger is
having a direct effect on the kinematics of the gas close to the nucleus of the
galaxy, providing a direct observational link between the galaxy merger and the
mass accretion rate on to the black hole.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Interferometric Follow-Up of WISE Hyper-Luminous Hot, Dust-Obscured Galaxies
WISE has discovered an extraordinary population of hyper-luminous dusty
galaxies which are faint in the two bluer passbands (m and m) but are bright in the two redder passbands of WISE (m and
m). We report on initial follow-up observations of three of these
hot, dust-obscured galaxies, or Hot DOGs, using the CARMA and SMA
interferometer arrays at submm/mm wavelengths. We report continuum detections
at 1.3 mm of two sources (WISE J014946.17+235014.5 and WISE
J223810.20+265319.7, hereafter W0149+2350 and W2238+2653, respectively), and
upper limits to CO line emission at 3 mm in the observed frame for two sources
(W0149+2350 and WISE J181417.29+341224.8, hereafter W1814+3412). The 1.3 mm
continuum images have a resolution of 1-2 arcsec and are consistent with single
point sources. We estimate the masses of cold dust are 2.0 for W0149+2350 and 3.9 for W2238+2653,
comparable to cold dust masses of luminous quasars. We obtain 2 upper
limits to the molecular gas masses traced by CO, which are 3.3 and 2.3 for W0149+2350 and W1814+3412,
respectively. We also present high-resolution, near-IR imaging with WFC3 on the
Hubble Space Telescope for W0149+2653 and with NIRC2 on Keck for W2238+2653.
The near-IR images show morphological structure dominated by a single,
centrally condensed source with effective radius less than 4 kpc. No signs of
gravitational lensing are evident.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. ApJ in pres
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