Star formation in AGN hosts in GOODS-N

Shao, L.; Lutz, D.; Nordon, R.; Maiolino, R.; Alexander, D. M.; Altieri, B.; Andreani, P.; Aussel, H.; Bauer, F. E.; Berta, S.; Bongiovanni, A.; Brandt, W. N.; Brusa, M.; Cava, A.; Cepa, J.; Cimatti, A.; Daddi, E.; Dominguez-Sanchez, H.; Elbaz, D.; Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Geis, N.; Genzel, R.; Grazian, A.; Gruppioni, C.; Magdis, G.; Magnelli, B.; Mainieri, V.; Pérez-García, A. M.; Poglitsch, A.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Riguccini, L.; Rodighiero, G.; Rovilos, E.; Saintonge, A.; Salvato, M.; Sanchez Portal, M.; Santini, P.; Sturm, E.; Tacconi, L. J.; Valtchanov, I.; Wetzstein, M.; Wieprecht, E.
Bibliographical reference

Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 518, id.L26

Advertised on:
7
2010
Number of authors
43
IAC number of authors
4
Citations
158
Refereed citations
148
Description
Sensitive Herschel far-infrared observations can break degeneracies that were inherent to previous studies of star formation in high-z AGN hosts. Combining PACS 100 and 160 μm observations of the GOODS-N field with 2 Ms Chandra data, we detect 20% of X-ray AGN individually at >3σ. The host far-infrared luminosity of AGN with L2-10 keV ≈ 1043 erg s-1 increases with redshift by an order of magnitude from z = 0 to z 1. In contrast, there is little dependence of far-infrared luminosity on AGN luminosity, for {L2-10 keV} ⪉ 1044 erg s-1 AGN at z ⪆ 1. We do not find a dependence of far-infrared luminosity on X-ray obscuring column, for our sample which is dominated by L2-10 keV < 1044 erg s-1 AGN. In conjunction with properties of local and luminous high-z AGN, we interpret these results as reflecting the interplay between two paths of AGN/host coevolution. A correlation of AGN luminosity and host star formation is traced locally over a wide range of luminosities and also extends to luminous high-z AGN. This correlation reflects an evolutionary connection, likely via merging. For lower AGN luminosities, star formation is similar to that in non-active massive galaxies and shows little dependence on AGN luminosity. The level of this secular, non-merger driven star formation increasingly dominates over the correlation at increasing redshift. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.