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Register a new userThe XXL Survey: XXXIII. Chandra Constraints on the AGN Contamination of z > 1 XXL Galaxy Clusters
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Context. The XMM-XXL survey uses observations from XMM-Newton to detect clusters of galaxies over a wide range in mass and redshift. The moderate PSF of XMM-Newton means that point sources within or projected onto a cluster may not be separated from the cluster emission, leading to enhanced luminosities and affecting the selection function of the cluster survey. Aims. We present the results of short Chandra observations of 21 galaxy clusters and cluster candidates at redshifts z $>$ 1 detected in the XMM-XXL survey in X-rays or selected in the optical and infra-red. Methods. With the superior angular resolution of Chandra we investigate whether there are any point sources within the cluster region that were not detected by the XMM-XXL analysis pipeline, and whether any point sources were misclassified as distant clusters. Results. Of the 14 X-ray selected clusters, nine are free from significant point source contamination, either having no previously unresolved sources detected by Chandra, or with less than about 10% of the reported XXL cluster flux being resolved into point sources. Of the other five sources, one is significantly contaminated by previously unresolved AGN, and four appear to be AGN misclassified as clusters. All but one of these cases are in the subset of less secure X-ray selected cluster detections and the false positive rate is consistent with that expected from the XXL selection function modelling. We also considered a further seven optically-selected cluster candidates associated with faint XXL sources that were not classed as clusters. By decontaminating and vetting these distant clusters, we provide a pure sample of clusters at redshift z $>$ 1 for deeper follow-up observations, and demonstrate the utility of using Chandra snapshots to test for AGN in surveys with high sensitivity but poor angular resolution.
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The main goal of this study is to investigate the LF of a sample of 142 X-ray selected clusters, with spectroscopic redshift confirmation and a well defined selection function, spanning a wide redshift and mass range, and to test the LF dependence on cluster global properties, in a homogeneous and unbiased way. Our study is based on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHTLS) photometric galaxy catalogue,associated with photometric redshifts. We constructed LFs inside a scaled radius using a selection in photometric redshift around the cluster spectroscopic redshift in order to reduce projection effects. The width of the photometric redshift selection was carefully determined to avoid biasing the LF and depended on both the cluster redshift and the galaxy magnitudes. The purity was then enhanced by applying a precise background subtraction. We constructed composite luminosity functions (CLFs) by stacking the individual LFs and studied their evolution with redshift and richness, analysing separately the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and non-BCG members. We fitted the dependences of the CLFs and BCG distributions parameters with redshift and richness conjointly in order to distinguish between these two effects. We find that the usual photometric redshift selection methods can bias the LF estimate if the redshift and magnitude dependence of the photometric redshift quality is not taken into account. Our main findings concerning the evolution of the galaxy luminosity distribution with redshift and richness are that, in the inner region of clusters and in the redshift-mass range we probe (about $0<z<1$ and $10^{13} M_{odot}<M_{500}<5times10^{14}M_{odot}$), the bright part of the LF (BCG excluded) does not depend much on mass or redshift except for its amplitude, whereas the BCG luminosity increases both with redshift and richness, and its scatter decreases with redshift.
The combination of optical and mid-infrared (MIR) photometry has been extensively used to select red active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our aim is to explore the obscuration properties of these red AGNs with both X-ray spectroscopy and spectral energy distributions (SEDs). In this study, we re-visit the relation between optical/MIR extinction and X-ray absorption. We use IR selection criteria, specifically the $W1$ and $W2$ WISE bands, to identify 4798 AGNs in the $it{XMM-XXL}$ area ($sim 25$deg$^2$). Application of optical/MIR colours ($r- W2 > 6$) reveals 561 red AGNs (14$%$). Of these, 47 have available X-ray spectra with at least 50 net (background-subtracted) counts per detector. For these sources, we construct SEDs from the optical to the MIR using the CIGALE code. The SED fitting shows that 44 of these latter 47 sources present clear signs of obscuration based on the AGN emission and the estimated inclination angle. Fitting the SED also reveals ten systems ($sim20%$) which are dominated by the galaxy. In these cases, the red colours are attributed to the host galaxy rather than AGN absorption. Excluding these ten systems from our sample and applying X-ray spectral fitting analysis shows that up to $76%$ (28/37) of the IR red AGNs present signs of X-ray absorption. Thus, there are nine sources ($sim20%$ of the sample) that although optically red, are not substantially X-ray absorbed. Approximately $50%$ of these sources present broad emission lines in their optical spectra. We suggest that the reason for this apparent discrepancy is that the r-W2 criterion is sensitive to smaller amounts of obscuration relative to the X-ray spectroscopy. In conclusion, it appears that the majority of red AGNs present considerable obscuration levels as shown by their SEDs. Their X-ray absorption is moderate with a mean of $rm N_H sim 10^{22}, rm{cm^{-2}}$.
An X-ray survey with the XMM-Newton telescope, XMM-XXL, has identified hundreds of galaxy groups and clusters in two 25 deg$^2$ fields. Combining spectroscopic and X-ray observations in one field, we determine how the kinetic energy of galaxies scales with hot gas temperature and also, by imposing prior constraints on the relative energies of galaxies and dark matter, infer a power-law scaling of total mass with temperature. Our goals are: i) to determine parameters of the scaling between galaxy velocity dispersion and X-ray temperature, $T_{rm 300kpc}$, for the halos hosting XXL-selected clusters, and; ii) to infer the log-mean scaling of total halo mass with temperature, $langle ln M_{200} , | , T, z rangle$. We apply an ensemble velocity likelihood to a sample of $> 1500$ spectroscopic redshifts within $132$ spectroscopically confirmed clusters with redshifts $z < 0.6$ to model, $langle ln sigma_{rm gal},|,T,zrangle$, where $sigma_{rm gal}$ is the velocity dispersion of XXL cluster member galaxies and $T$ is a 300 kpc aperture temperature. To infer total halo mass we use a precise virial relation for massive halos calibrated by N-body simulations along with a single degree of freedom summarizing galaxy velocity bias with respect to dark matter. For the XXL-N cluster sample, we find $sigma_{rm gal} propto T^{0.63pm0.05}$, a slope significantly steeper than the self-similar expectation of $0.5$. Assuming scale-independent galaxy velocity bias, we infer a mean logarithmic mass at a given X-ray temperature and redshift, $langleln (E(z) M_{200}/10^{14},{rm M}_{odot})|T,zrangle=pi+alpha ln(T/T_p )+betaln (E(z)/E(z_p) )$ using pivot values ${rm k}T_{p}=2.2,{rm keV}$ and $z_p=0.25$, with normalization $pi=0.45pm0.24$ and slope $alpha=1.89pm0.15$. We obtain only weak constraints on redshift evolution, $beta=-1.29pm1.14$.
This work is part of a series of studies focusing on the environment and the properties of the X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) population from the XXL survey. The present survey, given its large area, continuity, extensive multiwavelength coverage, and large-scale structure information, is ideal for this kind of study. Here, we focus on the XXL-South (XXL-S) field. Our main aim is to study the environment of the various types of X-ray selected AGN and investigate its possible role in AGN triggering and evolution. We studied the large-scale (>1 Mpc) environment up to redshift z=1 using the nearest neighbour distance method to compare various pairs of AGN types. We also investigated the small-scale environment (<0.4 Mpc) by calculating the local overdensities of optical galaxies. In addition, we built a catalogue of AGN concentrations with two or more members using the hierarchical clustering method and we correlated them with the X-ray galaxy clusters detected in the XXL survey. It is found that radio detected X-ray sources are more obscured than non-radio ones, though not all radio sources are obscured AGN. We did not find any significant differences in the large-scale clustering between luminous and faint X-ray AGN, or between obscured and unobscured ones, or between radio and non-radio sources. At local scales (<0.4 Mpc), AGN typically reside in overdense regions, compared to non-AGN; however, no differences were found between the various types of AGN. A majority of AGN concentrations with two or more members are found in the neighbourhood of X-ray galaxy clusters within <25-45 Mpc. Our results suggest that X-ray AGN are typically located in supercluster filaments, but they are also found in over- and underdense regions.
The XXL survey currently covers two 25 sq. deg. patches with XMM observations of ~10ks. We summarise the scientific results associated with the first release of the XXL data set, that occurred mid 2016. We review several arguments for increasing the survey depth to 40 ks during the next decade of XMM operations. X-ray (z<2) cluster, (z<4) AGN and cosmic background survey science will then benefit from an extraordinary data reservoir. This, combined with deep multi-$lambda$ observations, will lead to solid standalone cosmological constraints and provide a wealth of information on the formation and evolution of AGN, clusters and the X-ray background. In particular, it will offer a unique opportunity to pinpoint the z>1 cluster density. It will eventually constitute a reference study and an ideal calibration field for the upcoming eROSITA and Euclid missions.
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