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SMBH accretion properties of radio-selected AGN out to z~4

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Version 2 2023-06-12, 07:32
Version 1 2023-06-09, 16:04
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 07:32 authored by I Delvecchio, V Smolcic, G Zamorani, D J Rosario, M Bondi, S Marchesi, T Miyaji, M Novak, Mark Sargent, D M Alexander, J Delhaize
Exploring how radio-emitting active galactic nuclei (AGN) behave and evolve with time is critical for understanding how AGN feedback impacts galaxy evolution. In this work, we investigate the relationship between 1.4 GHz radio continuum AGN luminosity (LAGN1.4), specific black hole accretion rate (s-BHAR, defined as the accretion luminosity relative to the galaxy stellar mass) and redshift, for a luminosity-complete sample of radio-selected AGN in the VLA COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. The sample was originally selected from radio-continuum observations at 3 GHz, and includes about 1800 radio AGN identified via (>2s) radio-excess relative to the infrared-radio correlation of star-forming galaxies. We further select a subsample of over 1200 radio AGN that is complete in LAGN1.4 over different redshift ranges, out to z~4, and use X-ray stacking to calculate the average s-BHAR in each LAGN1.4-z bin. We find that the average s-BHAR is independent of LAGN1.4, at all redshifts. However, we see a strong increase of s-BHAR with redshift, at fixed LAGN1.4. This trend resembles the strong increase in the fraction of star-forming host galaxies (based on the (NUV-r) / (r-J) colours) with redshift, at fixed LAGN1.4. A possible explanation for this similarity might imply a link between average AGN radiative power and availability of cold gas supply within the host galaxy. This study corroborates the idea that radio-selected AGN become more radiatively efficient towards earlier epochs, independently of their radio power.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

ISSN

0035-8711

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Issue

4

Volume

481

Page range

4971-4983

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Astronomy Centre Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-11-28

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-11-28

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-11-27

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