Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

The host galaxies and black holes of typical z\~0.5-1.4 AGNs

Alonso-Herrero, A.; Pérez-González, P.G.; Rieke, G.H.; Alexander, D.M.; Rigby, J.R.; Papovich, C.; Donley, J.L.; Rigopoulou, D.

The host galaxies and black holes of typical z\~0.5-1.4 AGNs Thumbnail


Authors

A. Alonso-Herrero

P.G. Pérez-González

G.H. Rieke

J.R. Rigby

C. Papovich

J.L. Donley

D. Rigopoulou



Abstract

We study the stellar and star formation properties of the host galaxies of 58 X-ray-selected AGNs in the GOODS portion of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) region at z~0.5-1.4. The AGNs are selected such that their rest-frame UV to near-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are dominated by stellar emission; i.e., they show a prominent 1.6 μm bump, thus minimizing the AGN emission ``contamination.'' This AGN population comprises approximately 50% of the X-ray-selected AGNs at these redshifts. We find that AGNs reside in the most massive galaxies at the redshifts probed here. Their characteristic stellar masses (M*~7.8×1010 and M*~1.2×1011 Msolar at median redshifts of 0.67 and 1.07, respectively) appear to be representative of the X-ray-selected AGN population at these redshifts and are intermediate between those of local type 2 AGNs and high-redshift (z~2) AGNs. The inferred black hole masses (MBH~2×108 Msolar) of typical AGNs are similar to those of optically identified quasars at similar redshifts. Since the AGNs in our sample are much less luminous (L2-10keV<1044 erg s-1) than quasars, typical AGNs have low Eddington ratios (η~0.01-0.001). This suggests that, at least at intermediate redshifts, the cosmic AGN ``downsizing'' is due to both a decrease in the characteristic stellar mass of typical host galaxies and less efficient accretion. Finally, there is no strong evidence in AGN host galaxies for either highly suppressed star formation (expected if AGNs played a role in quenching star formation) or elevated star formation when compared to mass-selected (i.e., IRAC-selected) galaxies of similar stellar masses and redshifts.

Citation

Alonso-Herrero, A., Pérez-González, P., Rieke, G., Alexander, D., Rigby, J., Papovich, C., …Rigopoulou, D. (2008). The host galaxies and black holes of typical z\~0.5-1.4 AGNs. Astrophysical Journal, 677(1), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1086/529010

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Apr 1, 2008
Deposit Date Apr 8, 2013
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Astrophysical Journal
Print ISSN 0004-637X
Electronic ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher American Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 677
Issue 1
Pages 127-136
DOI https://doi.org/10.1086/529010
Keywords Galaxies, Active, Evolution, High-redshift, Stellar content, Infrared.

Files

Published Journal Article (749 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
© 2008. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.





You might also like



Downloadable Citations