A Benchmark Sample of Obscured QSOs Selected in the Mid-infrared

Details A Benchmark Sample of Obscured QSOs Selected in the Mid-infrared A Benchmark Sample of Obscured QSOs Selected in the Mid-infrared

Mar 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008sptz.prop50423s&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #50423

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Spitzer has led the way in finding large numbers of previously undetected, obscured, type 2 QSOs. Such sources have long been theorised, but are only recently being discovered in significant numbers and we are finding that they out number classical, unobscured type 1 QSOs by a ratio of ~2:1. As the central black hole of a galaxy is closely related to the mass of the host galaxy it is clear that obscured AGN represent an important stage in the coeval growth of the AGN and the host galaxy. Most important is the question of how star formation in the host galaxy relates to the obscruration and growth of the AGN. Using the IRAC colour-colour selection technique we have put together a complete sample of luminous AGN selected on a method independent of obscuration or our line of sight to the core. We have found that ~2/3 of our sample of 77 objects are not pure classical unobscured type 1 AGN, but have varying degrees of obscuration. Star formation is very hard to measure in such obscured objects with powerful AGN and currently the best methods are to observe the PAH features in the mid-IR or to directly measure the luminosity of the cold dust fueling the starformation. Hence, we propose to observe the 33/58 obscured type 2 sources from our sample which still require either IRS spectroscopy or MIPS far-IR imaging or both. These observations would help us for the first time to compile a complete sample of obscured AGN with star formation rate measures which would act as a `3C' bench mark sample for future surveys of obscured AGN to lower luminosity and to higher redshifts.

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