Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS
Active dwarf galaxies are important because they contribute to the evolution of dwarf galaxies and can reveal their hosted massive black holes. However, the sample size of such sources beyond the local universe is still highly limited. In this work, we search for active dwarf galaxies in the recentl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acce39 |
| _version_ | 1827829571272048640 |
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| author | Fan Zou W. N. Brandt Qingling Ni Shifu Zhu David M. Alexander Franz E. Bauer Chien-Ting J. Chen Bin Luo Mouyuan Sun Cristian Vignali Fabio Vito Yongquan Xue Wei Yan |
| author_facet | Fan Zou W. N. Brandt Qingling Ni Shifu Zhu David M. Alexander Franz E. Bauer Chien-Ting J. Chen Bin Luo Mouyuan Sun Cristian Vignali Fabio Vito Yongquan Xue Wei Yan |
| author_sort | Fan Zou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Active dwarf galaxies are important because they contribute to the evolution of dwarf galaxies and can reveal their hosted massive black holes. However, the sample size of such sources beyond the local universe is still highly limited. In this work, we search for active dwarf galaxies in the recently completed XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS). XMM-SERVS is currently the largest medium-depth X-ray survey covering 13 deg ^2 in three extragalactic fields, which all have well-characterized multiwavelength information. After considering several factors that may lead to misidentifications, we identify 73 active dwarf galaxies at z < 1, which constitutes the currently largest X-ray-selected sample beyond the local universe. Our sources are generally less obscured than predictions based on the massive-AGN (active galactic nucleus) X-ray luminosity function and have a low radio-excess fraction. We find that our sources reside in environments similar to those of inactive dwarf galaxies. We further quantify the accretion distribution of the dwarf-galaxy population after considering various selection effects and find that it decreases with X-ray luminosity, but redshift evolution cannot be statistically confirmed. Depending on how we define an AGN, the active fraction may or may not show a strong dependence on stellar mass. Their Eddington ratios and X-ray bolometric corrections significantly deviate from the expected relation, which is likely caused by several large underlying systematic biases when estimating the relevant parameters for dwarf galaxies. Throughout this work, we also highlight problems in reliably measuring photometric redshifts and overcoming strong selection effects for distant active dwarf galaxies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:06:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-19ebe1ef596449f0a9d0c6b277024025 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:06:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-19ebe1ef596449f0a9d0c6b2770240252023-09-03T11:16:27ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-01950213610.3847/1538-4357/acce39Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVSFan Zou0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4436-6923W. N. Brandt1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0167-2453Qingling Ni2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8577-2717Shifu Zhu3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1653-4969David M. Alexander4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5896-6313Franz E. Bauer5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8686-8737Chien-Ting J. Chen6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4945-5079Bin Luo7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9036-0063Mouyuan Sun8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-2153Cristian Vignali9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8853-9611Fabio Vito10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0680-9305Yongquan Xue11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1935-8104Wei Yan12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9519-1812Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA ; fuz64@psu.edu; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USADepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA ; fuz64@psu.edu; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Physics, 104 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAMax-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) , Gießenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching bei München, GermanyDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA ; fuz64@psu.edu; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USACentre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University , South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UKInstituto de Astrofísica, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Campus San Joaquín, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 7820436, 4860, Macul Santiago, Chile; Centro de Astroingeniería, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Campus San Joaquín, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 7820436, 4860, Macul Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute of Astrophysics , Nuncio Monseñor Sótero Sanz 100, of 104, Providencia, Santiago, Chile; Space Science Institute , 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USAScience and Technology Institute, Universities Space Research Association , Huntsville, AL 35805, USA; Astrophysics Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center , ST12, Huntsville, AL 35812, USASchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University) , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, 361005, Fujian, People's Republic of ChinaDipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi,” Alma Mater Studiorum, Università degli Studi di Bologna , Via Gobetti 93/2, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; INAF—Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna , Via Gobetti 93/3, I-40129 Bologna, ItalyINAF—Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna , Via Gobetti 93/3, I-40129 Bologna, ItalyCAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People's Republic of China; School of Astronomy and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA ; fuz64@psu.edu; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAActive dwarf galaxies are important because they contribute to the evolution of dwarf galaxies and can reveal their hosted massive black holes. However, the sample size of such sources beyond the local universe is still highly limited. In this work, we search for active dwarf galaxies in the recently completed XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS). XMM-SERVS is currently the largest medium-depth X-ray survey covering 13 deg ^2 in three extragalactic fields, which all have well-characterized multiwavelength information. After considering several factors that may lead to misidentifications, we identify 73 active dwarf galaxies at z < 1, which constitutes the currently largest X-ray-selected sample beyond the local universe. Our sources are generally less obscured than predictions based on the massive-AGN (active galactic nucleus) X-ray luminosity function and have a low radio-excess fraction. We find that our sources reside in environments similar to those of inactive dwarf galaxies. We further quantify the accretion distribution of the dwarf-galaxy population after considering various selection effects and find that it decreases with X-ray luminosity, but redshift evolution cannot be statistically confirmed. Depending on how we define an AGN, the active fraction may or may not show a strong dependence on stellar mass. Their Eddington ratios and X-ray bolometric corrections significantly deviate from the expected relation, which is likely caused by several large underlying systematic biases when estimating the relevant parameters for dwarf galaxies. Throughout this work, we also highlight problems in reliably measuring photometric redshifts and overcoming strong selection effects for distant active dwarf galaxies.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acce39Dwarf galaxiesIntermediate-mass black holesX-ray active galactic nuclei |
| spellingShingle | Fan Zou W. N. Brandt Qingling Ni Shifu Zhu David M. Alexander Franz E. Bauer Chien-Ting J. Chen Bin Luo Mouyuan Sun Cristian Vignali Fabio Vito Yongquan Xue Wei Yan Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS The Astrophysical Journal Dwarf galaxies Intermediate-mass black holes X-ray active galactic nuclei |
| title | Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS |
| title_full | Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS |
| title_fullStr | Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS |
| title_short | Identification and Characterization of a Large Sample of Distant Active Dwarf Galaxies in XMM-SERVS |
| title_sort | identification and characterization of a large sample of distant active dwarf galaxies in xmm servs |
| topic | Dwarf galaxies Intermediate-mass black holes X-ray active galactic nuclei |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acce39 |
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