X-ray and Multiwavelength Studies of Active Galactic Nuclei from Large Area Sky Surveys

X-ray and Multiwavelength Studies of Active Galactic Nuclei from Large Area Sky Surveys
Author: Jianfeng Wu
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are ideal laboratories for fundamental physics and cosmology. Our knowledge of AGNs has been greatly advanced during the past decades thanks to the unprecedentedly powerful X-ray missions (e.g., Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift) and modern large area surveys in the optical/UV band (e.g., the Sloan Digital Sky Survey; SDSS). Studies on the relation between multiwavelength properties of AGNs can reveal the physics of AGN accretion process. In this dissertation, I mainly study the relation between the AGN X-ray properties and their optical/UV spectral properties on emission lines, absorption lines and continuum. I also investigate the X-ray properties of AGNs with extreme radio properties in the early Universe. (1) We studied the X-ray properties of a class of radio-quiet SDSS quasars with weak broad emission lines (weak-line quasars; WLQs). Although the WLQ population shows diverse X-ray properties, they have an excess of X-ray weak sources. Besides having weak emission lines, the X-ray weak WLQs generally show other unusual UV emission-line properties similar to those of the remarkable X-ray weak quasar PHL 1811 (e.g., highly blueshifted C IV lines, weak semi-forbidden lines, and strong UV Fe emission). They are classified as "PHL 1811 analogs". The X-ray weak WLQs also show a harder X-ray spectrum, while the WLQ with normal X-ray brightness have similar X-ray spectral properties to those of typical quasars. We proposed an AGN geometry which can potentially unify the X-ray weak and X-ray normal WLQ populations via orientation effect. The infrared-to-UV spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of X-ray weak and X-ray normal WLQs have consistent SEDs with those for typical quasars, which disfavors the BL Lac-like scenario for the nature of these quasars (Chapters 2 and 3). (2) We have led the best X-ray study to date on quasars with intermediate-width absorption lines (mini-BALs). We found the X-ray brightness of mini-BAL quasars are more close to those of typical quasars than to BAL quasars (which are generally X-ray weak), showing they do not have substantial X-ray absorption. Strong correlations were found between the X-ray brightness and UV absorption parameters, e.g., the absorption strength and maximum outflow velocity. We further proposed new UV absorption parameters which better correlate with the X-ray properties than existing parameters do (Chapter 4). (3) We studied the relation between the optical/UV luminosity and X-ray luminosity (quantified by the alpha_ox parameter) for the most-luminous quasars over a wide range of redshifts. Our correlation analyses provide better constraints on the alpha_ox-UV luminosity correlation. We have also verified that the alpha_ox parameter does not significantly evolve with redshift. We provide the individual and composite mid-infrared-to-UV SEDs for the most-luminous quasars. (Chapter 5). (4) We presented the X-ray and multiwavelength properties of the highly radio-loud quasars (HRLQs) at z > 4. Our HRLQs show a significant enhancement of X-ray emission over those HRLQs at lower redshift with similar optical/UV and radio luminosities, suggesting that the jet-linked X-ray emission mechanism in the early universe may differ from that in the more evolved universe. The optical/UV emission-line strength of RLQs are correlated with radio loudness, but not with relative X-ray brightness. Our HRLQs generally follow the anti-correlation between radio loudness and X-ray power-law photon index. We also studied the broad-band SEDs of HRLQs. Some HRLQs have an excess of mid-infrared emission which may originate from the jet synchrotron emission. None of our z > 4 HRLQs is detected by the Fermi LAT two-year survey (Chapter 6).

X-ray Studies of the Central Engine in Active Galactic Nuclei with Suzaku

X-ray Studies of the Central Engine in Active Galactic Nuclei with Suzaku
Author: Hirofumi Noda
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2015-12-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9812877215

The aim of this research was to use the X-ray satellite Suzaku to establish a picture of a central engine that effectively converts the gravitational energy of accreting matter onto the supermassive black hole to a huge amount of radiation in an active galactic nucleus. Although the engine is known to consist of a Comptonizing corona and an accretion disk, its image has remained unclear because primary emissions, coming directly from the engine, cannot be identified in X-ray spectra without models. The book describes a technique of time variability assisted spectral decomposition to model-independently examine X-ray signals, and how this was applied to the Suzaku archive data of active galactic nuclei. As a result, at least three distinct primary X-ray components have been discovered in an X-ray from an active galactic nucleus, presumably indicating a novel picture that the engine is composed of multiple coronae with different physical properties in an accretion flow. Furthermore, the determination of the spectral shapes of the primary X-rays has a significant impact on estimations of black hole spins, because it is essential to quantify reprocessed X-ray spectra. The successful model-independent decomposition of X-ray spectral components with flux variations of active galactic nuclei is likely to be effective in future data analyses from the soon-to-be-launched Japanese X-ray satellite ASTRO-H, which is capable of achieving unprecedented fine spectros copy and broad energy band coverage.

Active Galactic Nuclei Studies in Cosmic X-ray Survey Fields

Active Galactic Nuclei Studies in Cosmic X-ray Survey Fields
Author: Qingling Ni
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2021
Genre:
ISBN:

X-ray surveys are an effective way to study growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galaxy centers, as actively accreting SMBHs manifest themselves as active galactic nuclei (AGN) that can be observed in the X-ray in most cases. Through studying AGNs in X-ray survey fields that have extensive multiwavelength data coverage, we can probe how SMBH growth links with their host galaxies over cosmic history. Previously, researchers mainly linked SMBH growth with stellar mass (M⋆) or star formation rate (SFR). In this dissertation, we utilize morphological information to show that among star-forming (SF) galaxies, long-term average SMBH accretion rate (BHAR) relates to host-galaxy compactness (Chapter 2). We found that the relation between BHAR and host-galaxy compactness is more fundamental than the relation between BHAR and M⋆ or SFR (Chapter 3). This dissertation also provides key results from the XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS), which will benefit studies of SMBH growth in the next decade with a large sample of AGNs that have superb multiwavelength data. The detection of X-ray point sources in two of the XMM-SERVS survey fields is presented in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, multiwavelength counterpart identification, photometric-redshift calculation, and source classification for X-ray sources in the XMM-SERVS survey fields are presented; most of the X-ray point-like sources detected are classified as AGNs, showing SMBH growth over the full range of cosmic environments. A Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) forced-photometry catalog that provides optical coverage for one of the XMM-SERVS survey fields is presented in Chapter 6. Apart from these works that focus on "Active Galactic Nuclei Studies in Cosmic X-ray Survey Fields", this dissertation also includes my other two first-author works in the appendices, where X-ray observational studies of weak-line quasars (WLQs) are presented. By studying these quasars with exceptional spectroscopic properties, we found good supporting evidence for optically thick inner accretion disks among quasars with high Eddington ratios.

The Restless Universe

The Restless Universe
Author: Eric Matthew Schlegel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2002
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0195148479

Carl Sagan once noted that there is only one generation that gets to see things for the first time. We are in the midst of such a time right now, standing on the threshold of discovery in the young and remarkable field of X-ray astronomy. In The Restless Universe, astronomer Eric Schlegel offers readers an informative survey of this cutting-edge science. Two major space observatories launched in the last few years--NASA's Chandra and the European Newton--are now orbiting the Earth, sending back a gold mine of data on the X-ray universe. Schlegel, who has worked on the Chandra project for seven years, describes the building and launching of this space-based X-ray observatory. But the book goes far beyond the story of Chandra. What Schlegel provides here is the background a nonscientist would need to grasp the present and follow the future of X-ray astronomy. He looks at the relatively brief history of the field, the hardware used to detect X-rays, the satellites--past, present, and future--that have been or will be flown to collect the data, the way astronomers interpret this data, and, perhaps most important, the insights we have already learned as well as speculations about what we may soon discover. And throughout the book, Schlegel conveys the excitement of looking at the universe from the perspective brought by these new observatories and the sharper view they deliver. Drawing on observations obtained from Chandra, Newton, and previous X-ray observatories, The Restless Universe gives a first look at an exciting field which significantly enriches our understanding of the universe.

The X-ray Background

The X-ray Background
Author: Xavier Barcons
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 328
Release: 1992-07-31
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780521416511

A review of the current observational knowledge and understanding of the cosmic X-ray background.

Multiwavelength Cosmology

Multiwavelength Cosmology
Author: Manolis Plionis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2006-04-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0306485702

The recent scientific efforts in Astrophysics & Cosmology have brought a revolution to our understanding of the Cosmos. Amazing results is the outcome of amazing experiments! The huge scientific, technological & financial effort that has gone into building the 10-m class telescopes as well as many space and balloon observatories, essential to observe the multitude of cosmic phenomena in their manifestations at different wavelengths, from gamma-rays to the millimetre and the radio, has given and is still giving its fruits of knowledge. These recent scientific achievements in Observational and Theoretical Cosmology were presented in the "Multiwavelength Cosmology" conference that took place on beautiful Mykonos island in the Aegean between 17 and 20 June 2003. More than 180 Cosmologists from all over the world gathered for a four-day intense meeting in which recent results from large ground based surveys (AAT/2-df, SLOAN) and space missions (WMAP, Chandra, XMM, ISO, HST) were presented and debated, providing a huge impetus to our knowledge of the Cosmos. The future of the subject (experiments, and directions of research) was also discussed. The conference was devoted mostly on the constraints on Cosmological models and galaxy formation theories that arise from the study of the high redshift Universe, from clusters of galaxies, and their evolution, from the cosmic microwave background, the large-scale structure and star-formation history.