Revealing the Unresolved Hard Cosmic X-ray Background Using Spitzer

Details Revealing the Unresolved Hard Cosmic X-ray Background Using Spitzer Revealing the Unresolved Hard Cosmic X-ray Background Using Spitzer

Jun 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005sptz.prop20746s&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #20746

Computer Science

Scientific paper

We propose to use archival Spitzer IRAC and MIPS GOODS Legacy data, combined with supporting multi-band HST ACS and Chandra ACIS-I data, to find the sources that comprise the unresolved hard (2-8 keV) Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB). Heavily obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), which are thought to be responsible for the unresolved CXB, are powerful mid and far-infrared sources due to dust reprocessing of the absorbed near-infrared to soft-X-ray AGN light. This AGN heated dust is hotter than that heated by stellar processes and exhibits a bright 3-10 micron continuum. Using infrared color-color selection of the Spitzer IRAC and MIPS bands it is possible to select these obscured AGNs from the infrared source population. By combining the X-ray flux from the infrared- selected AGN population using X-ray stacking methods, it is possible to determine if this obscured AGN population is the source of the unresolved hard CXB. In addition, we propose to test recent luminosity-dependent AGN obscuration theories not addressed in the simple "unified" AGN model by calculating the bolometric luminosities of the infrared-selected AGNs. The unified AGN model predicts the existence of a population of heavily obscured, luminous AGNs that outnumber unobscured, luminous AGNs by a factor of 4:1. The luminosity- dependent, AGN obscuration theory predicts that these obscured AGN will predominately low-luminosity, obscured AGNs. We also propose to compile a comprehensive GOODS AGN catalog, which will contain AGN selected via many different techniques, including infrared and optical color selection and X-ray selection methods. We will develop AGN confidence methods that will be used to "grade" the sources based on the AGN candidates' multi-wavelength properties.

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