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Journal article
ON R − W1 AS A DIAGNOSTIC TO DISCOVER OBSCURED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN WIDE-AREA X-RAY SURVEYS
The Astrophysical journal, v 818(1)
09 Feb 2016
Abstract
ABSTRACT Capitalizing on the all-sky coverage of WISE and the 35% and 50% sky coverage from Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Pan-STARRS, respectively, we explore the efficacy of mR (optical) - (mid-infrared), hereafter , as a color diagnostic to identify obscured supermassive black hole accretion in wide-area X-ray surveys. We use the ∼16.5 deg2 Stripe 82 X-ray survey data as a test bed to compare with R − K, an oft-used obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) selection criterion, and examine where different classes of objects lie in this parameter space. Most stars follow a well-defined path in R − K versus space. We demonstrate that optically normal galaxies hosting X-ray AGNs at redshifts can be recovered with an color cut, while they typically are not selected as AGNs based on their colors. Additionally, different observed X-ray luminosity bins favor different regions in parameter space: moderate-luminosity AGNs (1043 erg erg s−1) tend to have red colors, while the highest-luminosity AGNs ( erg s−1) have bluer colors; higher spectroscopic completeness of the Stripe 82X sample is needed to determine whether this is a selection effect or an intrinsic property. Finally, we parameterize X-ray obscuration of Stripe 82X AGNs by calculating their hardness ratios (HRs) and find no clear trends between HR and optical reddening. Our results will help inform best-effort practices in following up obscured AGN candidates in current and future wide-area, shallow X-ray surveys, including the all-sky eROSITA mission.
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Details
- Title
- ON R − W1 AS A DIAGNOSTIC TO DISCOVER OBSCURED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN WIDE-AREA X-RAY SURVEYS
- Creators
- Stephanie M LaMassa - Yale UniversityFrancesca Civano - Smithsonian Astrophysical ObservatoryMarcella Brusa - University of BolognaDaniel Stern - Jet Propulsion LabEilat Glikman - Middlebury CollegeSarah Gallagher - Western UniversityC. Meg Urry - Yale UniversitySabrina Cales - University of ConcepciónNico Cappelluti - Osservatorio astronomico di BolognaCarolin Cardamone - Wheelock CollegeAndrea Comastri - Osservatorio astronomico di BolognaDuncan Farrah - Virginia TechJenny E Greene - Princeton UniversityS Komossa - Max Planck Institute for Radio AstronomyAndrea Merloni - High Energy Astrophysics, MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics, Max Planck SocietyTony Mroczkowski - United States Naval Research LaboratoryPriyamvada Natarajan - Yale UniversityGordon Richards - Drexel UniversityMara Salvato - Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial PhysicsKevin Schawinski - ETH ZurichEzequiel Treister - University of Concepción
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, v 818(1)
- Publisher
- The American Astronomical Society
- Number of pages
- 16
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000370370800088
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84959202462
- Other Identifier
- 991019168054704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Astronomy & Astrophysics