A Multiwavelength Analysis of the Intrinsic Properties of X-ray Luminous AGN and their Host Galaxies

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2024

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Active galactic nuclei (AGN) represent a key stage in the evolution and growth of super massive black holes (SMBHs). To better understand how galaxies, form, grow, and evolve across cosmic time, it is vital to understand how their SMBHs grow and evolve as AGN. This work presents in depth analysis of the multiwavelngth properties of a large sample of X-ray luminous AGN. Detailed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the X-ray to FIR are constructed for 1246 X-ray selected AGN ($L_{0.5-10\rm{keV}}>10^{43}\ts$erg s$^{-1}$), with $z_{\rm{spec}}<1.2$. Data from three fields of differing depth and sky coverage (Stripe 82X, COSMOS, and GOODS-N/S) are utilized in order to identify sources spanning more than three orders of magnitude in intrinsic X-ray luminosities ($L_{0.5-10\rm{keV}} = 10^{43} - 10^{46}$erg s$^{-1}$) in addition to capturing the full range of SED emission features, from heavily obscured to unobscured AGN. Characteristic SED shapes are identified that fully capture the emission features of the entire sample. Each AGN is modeled with the SED fitting software CIGALE to determine intrinsic properties of the AGN and host galaxies such as $L_{\rm{AGN}}$ and the star formation rate. Imaging data of the AGN host galaxies are utilized to determine the galaxy morphology and to identify signs of past galaxy mergers, allowing for a more accurate identification of the AGN evolutionary stage. Finally, the multiwavelength properties for a sample of local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs, $L_{\rm{IR}}$ $> 10^{11} L_\odot$) and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, $L_{\rm{IR}}$ $> 10^{12}\ts L_\odot$), which have been identified as hosting heavily obscured AGN, are analyzed and directly compared to the high redshift sample. Each piece of this analysis works towards characterizing a potential AGN evolutionary scenario, described by key features in the SEDs.

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Astronomy, Astrophysics, Active galactic nuclei (AGN), AGN host galaxies, Galaxy evolution

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332 pages

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