The dust content of QSO hosts at high redshift

Infrared observations of high-z quasar (QSO) hosts indicate the presence of large masses of dust in the early universe. When combined with other observables, such as neutral gas masses and star formation rates, the dust content of z~6 QSO hosts may help constraining their star formation history. We have collected a database of 58 sources from the literature discovered by various surveys and observed in the FIR. We have interpreted the available data by means of chemical evolution models for forming proto-spheroids, investigating the role of the major parameters regulating star formation and dust production. For a few systems, given the derived small dynamical masses, the observed dust content can be explained only assuming a top-heavy initial mass function, an enhanced star formation efficiency and an increased rate of dust accretion. However, the possibility that, for some systems, the dynamical mass has been underestimated cannot be excluded. If this were the case, the dust mass can be accounted for by standard model assumptions. We provide predictions regarding the abundance of the descendants of QSO hosts; albeit rare, such systems should be present and detectable by future deep surveys such as Euclid already at z>4.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, MNRAS, accepte

Low radiative efficiency accretion at work in active galactic nuclei: the nuclear spectral energy distribution of NGC4565

We derive the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the nucleus of the Seyfert galaxy NGC4565. Despite its classification as a Seyfert2, the nuclear source is substantially unabsorbed. The absorption we find from Chandra data (N_H=2.5 X 10^21 cm^-2) is consistent with that produced by material in the galactic disk of the host galaxy. HST images show a nuclear unresolved source in all of the available observations, from the near-IR H band to the optical U band. The SED is completely different from that of Seyfert galaxies and QSO, as it appears basically ``flat'' in the IR-optical region, with a small drop-off in the U-band. The location of the object in diagnostic planes for low luminosity AGNs excludes a jet origin for the optical nucleus, and its extremely low Eddington ratio L_o/L_Edd indicates that the radiation we observe is most likely produced in a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF). This would make NGC4565 the first AGN in which an ADAF-like process is identified in the optical. We find that the relatively high [OIII] flux observed from the ground cannot be all produced in the nucleus. Therefore, an extended NLR must exist in this object. This may be interpreted in the framework of two different scenarios: i) the radiation from ADAFs is sufficient to give rise to high ionization emission-line regions through photoionization, or ii) the nuclear source has recently ``turned-off'', switching from a high-efficiency accretion regime to the present low-efficiency state.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The high-redshift Universe with the International X-ray Observatory

We discuss some of the main open issues related to the light-up and evolution of the first accreting sources powering high redshift luminous quasars. We discuss the perspectives of future deep X-ray surveys with the International X-ray Observatory and possible synergies with the Wide Field X-ray Telescope.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Proceedings of "The Wide Field X-ray Telescope Workshop", held in Bologna, Italy, Nov. 25-26 2009. To appear in Memorie della Societ\`a Astronomica Italiana 2010 (arXiv:1010.5889

The X-ray emission of z>2.5 active galactic nuclei can be obscured by their host galaxies

We present a multi-wavelength study of seven AGN at spectroscopic redshift >2.5 in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field South, selected to have good FIR/sub-mm detections. Our aim is to investigate the possibility that the obscuration observed in the X-rays can be produced by the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. Based on the 7 Ms Chandra spectra, we measured obscuring column densities N$_{H, X}$ in excess of 7x10$^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$ and intrinsic X-ray luminosities L$_{X}$>10$^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ for our targets, as well as equivalent widths for the Fe K$\alpha$ emission line EW>0.5-1 keV. We built the UV-to-FIR spectral energy distributions by using broad-band photometry from CANDELS and Herschel catalogs. By means of an SED decomposition technique, we derived stellar masses (M$_{*}$~10$^{11}$ Msun), IR luminosities (L$_{IR}$>10$^{12}$ Lsun), star formation rates (SFR~190-1680 Msun yr$^{-1}$) and AGN bolometric luminosities (L$_{bol}$~10$^{46}$ erg s$^{-1}$) for our sample. We used an empirically-calibrated relation between gas masses and FIR/sub-mm luminosities and derived M$_{gas}$~0.8-5.4x10$^{10}$ Msun. High-resolution (0.3-0.7'') ALMA data (when available, CANDELS data otherwise) were used to estimate the galaxy size and hence the volume enclosing most of the ISM under simple geometrical assumptions. These measurements were then combined to derive the column density associated with the ISM of the host, on the order of N$_{H, ISM}$~10$^{23-24}$ cm$^{-2}$. The comparison between the ISM column densities and those measured from the X-ray spectral analysis shows that they are similar. This suggests that, at least at high redshift, significant absorption on kpc scales by the dense ISM in the host likely adds to or substitutes that produced by circumnuclear gas on pc scales (i.e., the torus of unified models). The lack of unobscured AGN among our ISM-rich targets supports this scenario.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Constraining the thermal history of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium

We have identified a large-scale structure traced by galaxies at z=0.8, within the Lockman Hole, by means of multi-object spectroscopic observations. By using deep XMM images we have investigated the soft X-ray emission from the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) expected to be associated with this large-scale structure and we set a tight upper limit to its flux in the very soft 0.2-0.4 keV band. The non-detection requires the WHIM at these redshifts to be cooler than 0.1 keV. Combined with the WHIM emission detections at lower redshift, our result indicates that the WHIM temperature is rapidly decreasing with redshift, as expected in popular cosmological models.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 appendix. A&A accepte

The XMM deep survey in the CDF-S. X. X-ray variability of bright sources

We aim to study the variability properties of bright hard X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with redshift between 0.3 and 1.6 detected in the Chandra Deep Field South (XMM-CDFS) by a long XMM observation. Taking advantage of the good count statistics in the XMM CDFS we search for flux and spectral variability using the hardness ratio techniques. We also investigated spectral variability of different spectral components. The spectra were merged in six epochs (defined as adjacent observations) and in high and low flux states to understand whether the flux transitions are accompanied by spectral changes. The flux variability is significant in all the sources investigated. The hardness ratios in general are not as variable as the fluxes. Only one source displays a variable HR, anti-correlated with the flux (source 337). The spectral analysis in the available epochs confirms the steeper when brighter trend consistent with Comptonisation models only in this source. Finding this trend in one out of seven unabsorbed sources is consistent, within the statistical limits, with the 15 % of unabsorbed AGN in previous deep surveys. No significant variability in the column densities, nor in the Compton reflection component, has been detected across the epochs considered. The high and low states display in general different normalisations but consistent spectral properties. X-ray flux fluctuations are ubiquitous in AGN. In general, the significant flux variations are not associated with a spectral variability: photon index and column densities are not significantly variable in nine out of the ten AGN over long timescales (from 3 to 6.5 years). The photon index variability is found only in one source (which is steeper when brighter) out of seven unabsorbed AGN. These results are consistent with previous deep samples.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in A&

The G-dwarf distribution in star-forming galaxies: a tug-of-war between infall and outflow

In the past, the cumulative metallicity distribution function (CMDF) turned out as a useful tool to constrain the accretion history of various components of the Milky Way. In this Letter, by means of analytical, leaky-box chemical evolution models (i.e. including both infall and galactic outflows) we study the CMDF of local star-forming galaxies that follow two fundamental empirical scaling relations, namely the mass-metallicity and main sequence relations. At variance with any previous, historical knowledge of this quantity, our analysis shows that galactic winds, which are dominant mostly in low-mass systems, play a fundamental role in shaping this function and, in particular, in determining its steepness and curvature. We show that the CMDF of low-mass (M$_{\star}$/M$_{\odot} \le 10^{9.5}$) and high-mass (M$_{\star}$/M$_{\odot}$>10$^{10.5}$) galaxies deviate substantially from the results of a 'closed-box' model, as the evolution of the former (latter) systems is mostly dominated by outflows (infall). In the context of galactic downsizing, we show that downward-concave CMDFs (associated with systems with extremely small infall timescales and with very strong winds) are more frequent in low-mass galaxies, which include larger fractions of young systems and present more substantial deviations from equilibrium between gas accretion and reprocessing (either via star formation or winds).Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure