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Register a new userThe role of AGN in the colour transformation of galaxies at redshifts z~1
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Antonis Georgakakis
Publication date
2008
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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We explore the role of AGN in establishing and/or maintaining the bimodal colour distribution of galaxies by quenching their star-formation and hence, causing their transition from the blue to the red cloud. Important tests for this scenario include (i) the X-ray properties of galaxies in the transition zone between the two clouds and (ii) the incidence of AGN in post-starbursts, i.e. systems observed shortly after (<1Gyr) the termination of their star-formation. We perform these tests by combining deep Chandra observations with multiwavelength data from the AEGIS survey. Stacking the X-ray photons at the positions of galaxies (0.4<z<0.9) not individually detected at X-ray wavelengths suggests a population of obscured AGN among sources in the transition zone and in the red cloud. Their mean X-ray and mid-IR properties are consistent with moderately obscured low-luminosity AGN, Compton thick sources or a mix of both. Morphologies show that major mergers are unlikely to drive the evolution of this population but minor interactions may play a role. The incidence of obscured AGN in the red cloud (both direct detections and stacking results) suggests that BH accretion outlives the termination of the star-formation. This is also supported by our finding that post-starburst galaxies at z~0.8 and AGN are associated, in agreement with recent results at low-z. A large fraction of post-starbursts and red cloud galaxies show evidence for at least moderate levels of AGN obscuration. This implies that if AGN outflows cause the colour transformation of galaxies, then some nuclear gas and dust clouds either remain unaffected or relax to the central galaxy regions after the quenching their star-formation.
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We explore the role of the group environment in the evolution of AGN at the redshift interval 0.7<z<1.4, by combining deep Chandra observations with extensive optical spectroscopy from the All-wavelength Extended Groth strip International Survey (AEGIS). The sample consists of 3902 optical sources and 71 X-ray AGN. Compared to the overall optically selected galaxy population, X-ray AGN are more frequently found in groups at the 99% confidence level. This is partly because AGN are hosted by red luminous galaxies, which are known to reside, on average, in dense environments. Relative to these sources, the excess of X-ray AGN in groups is significant at the 91% level only. Restricting the sample to 0.7<z<0.9 and M_B<-20mag in order to control systematics we find that X-ray AGN represent (4.7pm1.6) and (4.5pm1.0)% of the optical galaxy population in groups and in the field respectively. These numbers are consistent with the AGN fraction in low redshift clusters, groups and the field. The results above, although affected by small number statistics, suggest that X-ray AGN are spread over a range of environments, from groups to the field, once the properties of their hosts (e.g. colour, luminosity) are accounted for. There is also tentative evidence, significant at the 98% level, that the field produces more X-ray luminous AGN compared to groups, extending similar results at low redshift to z~1. This trend may be because of either cold gas availability or the nature of the interactions occurring in the denser group environment (i.e. prolonged tidal encounters).
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We present decompositions of the rotation curves of three spiral galaxies at redshifts z~0.7 and 1 into contributions by their bulges, disks, and dark halos, respectively. In order to set constraints on the degeneracy of the decompositions we interpret the morphology of the spiral structures quantitatively in the framework of density wave theory. Galaxy models constrained in such a way show that the distant galaxies, which are much younger than nearby galaxies, have very likely maximum disks, i.e. are dominated in their inner parts by baryonic matter. We argue that current theories of the cosmogony of galaxies must allow for these types of galaxies.
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