Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria

Details Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21922507d&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #225.07

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Spitzer IRAC selection is a powerful tool for identifying luminous AGN. The AGN selection wedges currently in use, however, are heavily contaminated by star-forming galaxies, especially at high redshift. Using the large samples of luminous AGN and high-redshift star-forming galaxies in COSMOS, we redefine the AGN selection criteria for use in deep IRAC surveys. The new IRAC criteria are designed to be both highly complete and reliable, and incorporate the best aspects of the current AGN selection wedges and of infrared power-law selection while excluding high redshift star-forming galaxies selected via the BzK, DRG, LBG, and SMG criteria. At QSO-luminosities of log L(2-10 keV)>44, the new IRAC criteria recover 75% of the hard X-ray and IRAC-detected XMM-COSMOS sample, yet only 37% of the IRAC AGN candidates have X-ray counterparts, a fraction that rises to 51% in regions with Chandra exposures of 50-160 ks. X-ray stacking of the individually X-ray non-detected AGN candidates leads to a hard X-ray signal indicative of heavily obscured to mildly Compton-thick obscuration (log NH >= 23.7). While IRAC selection recovers a substantial fraction of luminous unobscured and obscured AGN, it is incomplete to low-luminosity and host-dominated AGN.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Identifying Luminous AGN in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1578008