Browsing by Author "Vito, F."

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    An Extreme X-Ray Variability Event of a Weak-line Quasar
    (2020) Ni, Q.; Brandt, W. N.; Yi, W.; Luo, B.; Timlin, J. D., III; Hall, P. B.; Liu, Hezhen; Plotkin, R. M.; Shemmer, O.; Vito, F.; Wu, Jianfeng
    We report the discovery of an extreme X-ray flux rise (by a factor of greater than or similar to 20) of the weak-line quasar Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) J153913.47+395423.4 (hereafter SDSS J1539+3954) at z = 1.935. SDSS J1539+3954 is the most-luminous object among radio-quiet type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) where such dramatic X-ray variability has been observed. Before the X-ray flux rise, SDSS J1539+3954 appeared X-ray weak compared with the expectation from its ultraviolet (UV) flux; after the rise, the ratio of its X-ray flux and UV flux is consistent with the majority of the AGN population. We also present a contemporaneous HET spectrum of SDSS J1539+3954, which demonstrates that its UV continuum level remains generally unchanged despite the dramatic increase in the X-ray flux, and its C IV emission line remains weak. The dramatic change only observed in the X-ray flux is consistent with a shielding model, where a thick inner accretion disk can block our line of sight to the central X-ray source. This thick inner accretion disk can also block the nuclear ionizing photons from reaching the high-ionization broad emission-line region, so that weak high-ionization emission lines are observed. Under this scenario, the extreme X-ray variability event may be caused by slight variations in the thickness of the disk. This event might also be explained by gravitational light-bending effects in a reflection model.
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    An X-ray fading, UV brightening QSO at z ≈ 6
    (2022) Vito, F.; Mignoli, M.; Gilli, R.; Brandt, W. N.; Shemmer, O.; Bauer, F. E.; Bisogni, S.; Luo, B.; Marchesi, S.; Nanni, R.; Zamorani, G.; Comastri, A.; Cusano, F.; Gallerani, S.; Vignali, C.; Lanzuisi, G.
    Explaining the existence of super massive black holes (SMBHs) with M-BH greater than or similar to 10(8) M-circle dot at z greater than or similar to 6 is a persistent challenge to modern astrophysics. Multiwavelength observations of z greater than or similar to 6 quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) reveal that, on average, their accretion physics is similar to that of their counterparts at lower redshift. However, QSOs showing properties that deviate from the general behavior can provide useful insights into the physical processes responsible for the rapid growth of SMBHs in the early universe. We present X-ray (XMM-Newton, 100 ks) follow-up observations of a z approximate to 6 QSO, J1641+3755, which was found to be remarkably X-ray bright in a 2018 Chandra dataset. J1641+3755 is not detected in the 2021 XMM-Newton observation, implying that its X-ray flux decreased by a factor greater than or similar to 7 on a notably short timescale (i.e., approximate to 115 rest-frame days), making it the z > 4 QSO with the largest variability amplitude. We also obtained rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopic and photometric data with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Surprisingly, comparing our LBT photometry with archival data, we found that J1641+3755 became consistently brighter in the rest-frame UV band from 2003 to 2016, while no strong variation occurred from 2016 to 2021. Its rest-frame UV spectrum is consistent with the average spectrum of high-redshift QSOs. Multiple narrow absorption features are present, and several of them can be associated with an intervening system at z = 5 :67. Several physical causes can explain the variability properties of J1641+3755, including intrinsic variations of the accretion rate, a small-scale obscuration event, gravitational lensing due to an intervening object, and an unrelated X-ray transient in a foreground galaxy in 2018. Accounting for all of the z > 6 QSOs with multiple X-ray observations separated by more that ten rest-frame days, we found an enhancement of strongly (i.e., by a factor >3) X-ray variable objects compared to QSOs at later cosmic times. This finding may be related to the physics of fast accretion in high-redshift QSOs.
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    Black Hole Growth Is Mainly Linked to Host-galaxy Stellar Mass Rather Than Star Formation Rate
    (2017) Wang, J.; Yang, G.; Chen, C.; Vito, F.; Brandt, W.; Alexander, D.; Luo, B.; Sun, M.; Xue, Y.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Koekemoer, A.; Lehmer, B.; Liu, T.; Schneider, D.; Shemmer, O.; Trump J.; Vignali, C.
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    Broad Absorption Line Disappearance/Emergence in Multiple Ions in a Weak Emission-line Quasar
    (2019) Yi, W.; Vivek, M.; Brandt, W. N.; Wang, T.; Timlin, J.; Ak, N. Filiz; Schneider, D. P.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Ni, Q.; Vito, F.; Indahl, B. L.; Sameer
    We report the discovery of the disappearance of Mg II, Al III, C IV, and Si IV broad absorption lines (BALs) at the same velocity (0.07c), accompanied by a new C IV BAL emerging at a higher velocity (up to 0.11c), in the quasar J0827+4252 at z = 2.038. This is the first report of BAL disappearance (i) over Mg II, Al III, C IV, and Si IV ions and (ii) in a weak emission-line quasar (WLQ). The discovery is based on four spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and one follow-up spectrum from Hobby-Eberly Telescope/Low-Resolution Spectrograph-2. The simultaneous C IV BAL disappearance and emergence at different velocities, together with no variations in the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey light curve, indicate that ionization changes in the absorbing material are unlikely to cause the observed BAL variability. Our analyses reveal that transverse motion is the most likely dominant driver of the BAL disappearance/emergence. Given the presence of mildly relativistic BAL outflows and an apparently large C IV emission-line blueshift that is likely associated with strong bulk outflows in this WLQ, J0827+4252 provides a notable opportunity to study extreme quasar winds and their potential in expelling material from inner to large-scale regions.
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    Discovery of a galaxy overdensity around a powerful, heavily obscured FRII radio galaxy at z=1.7: star formation promoted by large-scale AGN feedback?
    (2019) Gilli, R.; Mignoli, M.; Peca, A.; Nanni, R.; Prandoni, I.; Liuzzo, E.; D'Amato, Q.; Brusa, M.; Calura, F.; Caminha, G. B.; Chiaberge, M.; Comastri, A.; Cucciati, O.; Cusano, F.; Grandi, P.; Decarli, R.; Lanzuisi, G.; Mannucci, F.; Pinna, E.; Tozzi, P.; Vanzella, E.; Vignali, C.; Vito, F.; Balmaverde, B.; Citro, A.; Cappelluti, N.; Zamorani, G.; Norman, C.
    We report the discovery of a galaxy overdensity around a Compton-thick Fanaroff-Riley type II (FRII) radio galaxy at z = 1:7 in the deep multiband survey around the z = 6.3 quasi-stellar object (QSO) SDSS J1030 +0524. Based on a 6 h VLT/MUSE and on a 4 h LBT/LUCI observation, we identify at least eight galaxy members in this structure with spectroscopic redshift z = 1 .687 1 .699, including the FRII galaxy at z = 1.699. Most members are distributed within 400 kpc from the FRII core. Nonetheless, the whole structure is likely much more extended, as one of the members was serendipitously found at similar to 800 kpc projected separation. The classic radio structure of the FRII itself extends for similar to 600 kpc across the sky. Most of the identified overdensity members are blue, compact galaxies that are actively forming stars at rates of similar to 8-60 M-circle dot yr(-1). For the brightest of them, a half-light radius of 2 .2 similar to 0 .8 kpc at 8000A rest-frame was determined based on adaptive optics-assisted observations with LBT/SOUL in the Ks band. We do not observe any strong galaxy morphological segregation or concentration around the FRII core. This suggests that the structure is far from being virialized and likely constitutes the progenitor of a local massive galaxy group or cluster caught in its main assembly phase. Based on a 500 ks Chandra ACIS-I observation, we found that the FRII nucleus hosts a luminous QSO (L2-10 keV = 1 .3 similar to 10(44) erg s(-1), intrinsic and rest-frame) that is obscured by Compton-thick absorption (N-H = 1.5 +/- 0 .6 x 10(24) cm(-2)). Under standard bolometric corrections, the total measured radiative power (L-rad similar to 4 x 10(45) erg s(-1)) is similar to the jet kinetic power that we estimated from radio observations at 150MHz (P-kin = 6.3 x 10(45) erg s(-1)), in agreement with what is observed in powerful jetted AGN. Our Chandra observation is the deepest so far for a distant FRII within a galaxy overdensity. It revealed significant di ffuse X-ray emission within the region that is covered by the overdensity. In particular, X-ray emission extending for similar to 240 kpc is found around the eastern lobe of the FRII. Four out of the six MUSE star-forming galaxies in the overdensity are distributed in an arc-like shape at the edge of this di ffuse X-ray emission. These objects are concentrated within 200 kpc in the plane of the sky and within 450 kpc in radial separation. Three of them are even more concentrated and fall within 60 kpc in both transverse and radial distance. The probability of observing four out of the six z = 1.7 sources by chance at the edge of the di ffuse emission is negligible. In addition, these four galaxies have the highest specific star formation rates of the MUSE galaxies in the overdensity and lie above the main sequence of field galaxies of equal stellar mass at z = 1.7. We propose that the di ffuse X-rays originate from an expanding bubble of gas that is shock heated by the FRII jet, and that star formation is promoted by the compression of the cold interstellar medium of the galaxies around the bubble, which may be remarkable evidence of positive AGN feedback on cosmological scales.
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    Discovery of the first heavily obscured QSO candidate at z > 6 in a close galaxy pair
    (2019) Vito, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Bauer, F. E.; Gilli, R.; Luo, B.; Zamorani, G.; Calura, F.; Comastri, A.; Mazzucchelli, C.; Mignoli, M.; Nanni, R.; Shemmer, O.; Vignali, C.; Brusa, M.; Cappelluti, N.; Civano, F.; Volonteri, M.
    While theoretical arguments predict that most of the early growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) happened during heavily obscured phases of accretion, current methods used for selecting z > 6 quasars (QSOs) are strongly biased against obscured QSOs, thus considerably limiting our understanding of accreting SMBHs during the first gigayear of the Universe from an observational point of view. We report the Chandra discovery of the first heavily obscured QSO candidate in the early universe, hosted by a close (approximate to 5 kpc) galaxy pair at z = 6.515. One of the members is an optically classified type-1 QSO, PSO167-13. The companion galaxy was first detected as a [C II] emitter by Atacama large millimeter array (ALMA). An X-ray source is significantly (P = 0.9996) detected by Chandra in the 2-5 keV band, with < 1.14 net counts in the 0.5-2 keV band, although the current positional uncertainty does not allow a conclusive association with either PSO167-13 or its companion galaxy. From X-ray photometry and hardness-ratio arguments, we estimated an obscuring column density of N-H > 2 x 10(24) cm(-2) and N-H > 6 x 10(23) cm(-2) at 68% and 90% confidence levels, respectively. Thus, regardless of which of the two galaxies is associated with the X-ray emission, this source is the first heavily obscured QSO candidate at z > 6.
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    Does black hole growth depend fundamentally on host-galaxy compactness?
    (2019) Ni, Q.; Yang, G.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.; Chen, C-T J.; Luo, B.; Vito, F.; Xue, Y. Q.
    Possible connections between central black hole (BH) growth and host-galaxy compactness have been found observationally, which may provide insight into BH-galaxy coevolution: compact galaxies might have large amounts of gas in their centres due to their high mass-to-size ratios, and simulations predict that high central gas density can boost BH accretion. However, it is not yet clear if BH growth is fundamentally related to the compactness of the host galaxy, due to observational degeneracies between compactness, stellar mass (M-star) and star formation rate (SFR). To break these degeneracies, we carry out systematic partial-correlation studies to investigate the dependence of sample-averaged BH accretion rate ((BHAR) over bar) on the compactness of host galaxies, represented by the surface-mass density, Sigma(e), or the projected central surface-mass density within 1 kpc, Sigma(1). We utilize 8842 galaxies with H < 24.5 in the five CANDELS fields at z = 0.5-3. We find that <(BHAR)over bar> does not significantly depend on compactness when controlling for SFR or M-star among bulge-dominated galaxies and galaxies that are not dominated by bulges, respectively. However, when testing is confined to star-forming galaxies at z = 0.5-1.5, we find that the (BHAR) over bar-Sigma(1) relation is not simply a secondary manifestation of a primary (BHAR) over bar -M-star relation, which may indicate a link between BH growth and the gas density within the central 1 kpc of galaxies.
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    Does black-hole growth depend on the cosmic environment?
    (2018) Yang, G.; Brandt, W.N.; Darvish, B.; Chen, C.T.; Vito, F.; Alexander, D.M.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Trump, J.R.
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    Dust and gas content of high-redshift galaxies hosting obscured AGN in the Chandra Deep Field-South
    (2020) D'Amato, Q.; Gilli, R.; Vignali, C.; Massardi, M.; Pozzi, F.; Zamorani, G.; Circosta, C.; Vito, F.; Fritz, J.; Cresci, G.; Casasola, V.; Calura, F.; Feltre, A.; Manieri, V.; Rigopoulou, D.; Tozzi, P.; Norman, C.
    Context. Obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) represent a significant fraction of the entire AGN population, especially at high redshift (similar to 70% at z=3-5). They are often characterized by the presence of large gas and dust reservoirs that are thought to sustain and possibly obscure vigorous star formation processes that make these objects shine at FIR and submillimeter wavelengths. Studying the physical properties of obscured AGN and their host galaxies is crucial to shedding light on the early stages of a massive system lifetime.Aims. We aim to investigate the contribution of the interstellar medium (ISM) to the obscuration of quasars in a sample of distant highly star forming galaxies and to unveil their morphological and kinematics properties.Methods. We exploit Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Cycle 4 observations of the continuum (similar to 2.1 mm) and high-J CO emission of a sample of six X-ray selected, FIR detected galaxies hosting an obscured AGN at z(spec)> 2.5 in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South. We measured the masses and sizes of the dust and molecular gas by fitting the images, visibilities, and spectra, and we derived the gas density and column density on the basis of a uniform sphere geometry. Finally, we compared the measured column densities with those derived from the Chandra X-ray spectra.Results. We detected both the continuum and line emission for three sources for which we measured both the flux density and size. For the undetected sources, we derived an upper limit on the flux density from the root mean square of the images. We found that the detected galaxies are rich in gas and dust (molecular gas mass in the range < 0.5-2.7x10(10) M- for alpha (CO)=0.8 and up to similar to 2x10(11) M-circle dot for alpha (CO)=6.5, and dust mass < 0.9-4.9x10(8) M-) and generally compact (gas major axis 2.1-3.0 kpc, dust major axis 1.4-2.7 kpc). The column densities associated with the ISM are on the order of 10(23-24) cm(-2), which is comparable with those derived from the X-ray spectra. For the detected sources we also derived dynamical masses in the range 0.8-3.7x10(10) M-circle dot.Conclusions. We conclude that the ISM of high redshift galaxies can substantially contribute to nuclear obscuration up to the Compton-thick (> 10(24) cm(-2)) regime. In addition, we found that all the detected sources show a velocity gradient reminding one rotating system, even though two of them show peculiar features in their morphology that can be associated with a chaotic, possibly merging, structure.
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    Evident black hole-bulge coevolution in the distant universe
    (2019) Yang, G.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.; Chen, C. -T. J.; Ni, Q.; Vito, F.; Zhu, F. -F.
    Observations in the local universe show a tight correlation between the masses of supermassive black holes (SMBHs; M-BH) and host-galaxy bulges (M-bulge), suggesting a strong connection between SMBH and bulge growth. However, direct evidence for such a connection in the distant universe remains elusive. We have studied sample-averaged SMBH accretion rate ((BHAR) over bar) for bulge-dominated galaxies at z = 0.5-3. While previous observations found (BHAR) over bar is strongly related to host-galaxy stellar mass (M-star) for the overall galaxy population, our analyses show that, for the bulge-dominated population, (BHAR) over bar is mainly related to SFR rather than M-star. This (BHAR) over bar -SFR relation is highly significant, e.g. 9.0 sigma (Pearson statistic) at z = 0.5-1.5. Such a (BHAR) over bar -SFR connection does not exist among our comparison sample of galaxies that are not bulge dominated, for which M-star appears to be the main determinant of SMBH accretion. This difference between the bulge-dominated and comparison samples indicates that SMBHs only coevolve with bulges rather than the entire galaxies, explaining the tightness of the local M-BH - M-bulge correlation. Our best-fitting (BHAR) over bar -SFR relation for the bulge-dominated sample is log (BHAR) over bar = log SFR - (2.48 +/- 0.05) (solar units). The best-fitting (BHAR) over bar /SFR ratio (10(-2.48)) for bulge-dominated galaxies is similar to the observed M-BH/M-bulge values in the local universe. Our results reveal that SMBH and bulge growth are in lockstep, and thus non-causal scenarios of merger averaging are unlikely the origin of the M-BH-M-bulge correlation. This lockstep growth also predicts that the M-BH-M-bulge relation should not have strong redshift dependence.
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    Chandra and Magellan/FIRE follow-up observations of PSO167-13: An X-ray weak QSO at z=6.515
    (2021) Vito, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Ricci, F.; Congiu, E.; Connor, T.; Banados, E.; Bauer, F. E.; Gilli, R.; Luo, B.; Mazzucchelli, C.; Mignoli, M.; Shemmer, O.; Vignali, C.; Calura, F.; Comastri, A.; Decarli, R.; Gallerani, S.; Nanni, R.; Brusa, M.; Cappelluti, N.; Civano, F.; Zamorani, G.
    Context. The discovery of hundreds of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in the first gigayear of the Universe powered by already grown supermassive black holes (SMBHs) challenges our knowledge of SMBH formation. In particular, investigations of z>6 QSOs that present notable properties can provide unique information on the physics of fast SMBH growth in the early Universe.Aims. We present the results of follow-up observations of the z=6.515 radio-quiet QSO PSO167-13, which is interacting with a close companion galaxy. The PSO167-13 system has recently been proposed to host the first heavily obscured X-ray source at high redshift. The goals of these new observations are to confirm the existence of the X-ray source and to investigate the rest-frame UV properties of the QSO.Methods. We observed the PSO167-13 system with Chandra/ACIS-S (177 ks) and obtained new spectroscopic observations (7.2 h) with Magellan/FIRE.Results. No significant X-ray emission is detected from the PSO167-13 system, suggesting that the obscured X-ray source previously tentatively detected was either due to a strong background fluctuation or is highly variable. The upper limit (90% confidence level) on the X-ray emission of PSO167-13 (L2-10 keV<8.3x10(43) erg s(-1)) is the lowest available for a z>6 QSO. The ratio between the X-ray and UV luminosity of alpha (ox)<-1.95 makes PSO167-13 a strong outlier from the (ox)-L-UV and L-X-L-bol relations. In particular, its X-ray emission is more than six times weaker than the expectation based on its UV luminosity. The new Magellan/FIRE spectrum of PSO167-13 is strongly affected by unfavorable sky conditions, but the tentatively detected C IV and Mg II emission lines appear strongly blueshifted.Conclusions. The most plausible explanations for the X-ray weakness of PSO167-13 are intrinsic weakness or small-scale absorption by Compton-thick material. The possible strong blueshift of its emission lines hints at the presence of nuclear winds, which could be related to its X-ray weakness.
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    Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z=4 starbursting protocluster
    (2020) Vito, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Lehmer, B. D.; Vignali, C.; Zou, F.; Bauer, F. E.; Bremer, M.; Gilli, R.; Ivison, R. J.; Spingola, C.
    Context. Galaxy clusters in the local universe descend from high-redshift overdense regions known as protoclusters. The large gas reservoirs and high rate of galaxy interaction in protoclusters are expected to enhance star-formation activity and trigger luminous supermassive black-hole accretion in the nuclear regions of the host galaxies.Aims. We investigated the active galactic nucleus (AGN) content of a gas-rich and starbursting protocluster at z=4.002, known as the Distant Red Core (DRC). In particular, we search for luminous and possibly obscured AGN in 13 identified members of the structure, and compare the results with protoclusters at lower redshifts. We also test whether a hidden AGN can power the Ly alpha blob (LAB) detected with VLT/MUSE in the DRC.Methods. We observed all of the identified members of the structure with 139 ks of Chandra ACIS-S imaging. Being less affected by absorption than optical and IR bands, even in the presence of large column densities of obscuring material, X-ray observations are the best tools to detect ongoing nuclear activity in the DRC galaxies.Results. We detect obscured X-ray emission from the two most gas-rich members of the DRC, named DRC-1 and DRC-2. Both of them are resolved into multiple interacting clumps in high-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope observations. In particular, DRC-2 is found to host a luminous (L2-10 keV approximate to 3x10(45) erg s(-1) ) Compton-thick (N-H greater than or similar to 10(24) cm(-2)) quasar (QSO) candidate, comparable to the most luminous QSOs known at all cosmic times. The AGN fraction among DRC members is consistent with results found for lower redshift protoclusters. However, X-ray stacking analysis reveals that supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion is likely also taking place in other DRC galaxies that are not detected individually by Chandra.Conclusions. The luminous AGN detected in the most gas-rich galaxies in the DRC and the widespread SMBH accretion in the other members, which is suggested by stacking analysis, point toward the presence of a strong link between large gas reservoirs, galaxy interactions, and luminous and obscured nuclear activity in protocluster members. The powerful and obscured QSO detected in DRC-2 is likely powering the nearby LAB detected with VLT/MUSE, possibly through photoionization; however, we propose that the diffuse Ly alpha emission may be due to gas shocked by a massive outflow launched by DRC-2 over a approximate to 10 kpc scale.
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    Revealing the relation between black hole growth and host-galaxy compactness among star-forming galaxies
    (2021) Ni, Q.; Brandt, W. N.; Yang, G.; Leja, J.; Chen, C-T J.; Luo, B.; Matharu, J.; Sun, M.; Vito, F.; Xue, Y. Q.; Zhang, K.
    Recent studies show that a universal relation between black hole (BH) growth and stellar mass (M-*) or star formation rate (SFR) is an oversimplification of BH-galaxy coevolution, and that morphological and structural properties of host galaxies must also be considered. Particularly, a possible connection between BH growth and host-galaxy compactness was identified among star-forming (SF) galaxies. Utilizing approximate to 6300 massive galaxies with I-814W < 24 at z < 1.2 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field, we perform systematic partial correlation analyses to investigate how sample-averaged BH accretion rate (BHAR) depends on host-galaxy compactness among SF galaxies, when controlling for morphology and M-* (or SFR). The projected central surface mass density within 1 kpc, Sigma(1), is utilized to represent host-galaxy compactness in our study. We find that the BHAR-Sigma(1) relation is stronger than either the BHAR-M-* or BHAR-SFR relation among SF galaxies, and this BHAR-Sigma(1) relation applies to both bulge-dominated galaxies and galaxies that are not dominated by bulges. This BHAR-Sigma(1) relation among SF galaxies suggests a link between BH growth and the central gas density of host galaxies on the kpc scale, which may further imply a common origin of the gas in the vicinity of the BH and in the central similar to kpc of the galaxy. This BHAR-Sigma(1) relation can also be interpreted as the relation between BH growth and the central velocity dispersion of host galaxies at a given gas content (i.e. gas mass fraction), indicating the role of the host-galaxy potential well in regulating accretion on to the BH.
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    THE CHANDRA DEEP FIELD-SOUTH SURVEY: 7 MS SOURCE CATALOGS
    (2017) Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Xue, Y. Q.; Lehmer, B.; Alexander, D. M.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Vito, F.; Yang, G.; Basu-Zych, A. R.; Comastri, A.
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    The deep Chandra survey in the SDSS J1030+0524 field
    (2020) Nanni, R.; Gilli, R.; Vignali, C.; Mignoli, M.; Peca, A.; Marchesi, S.; Annunziatella, M.; Brusa, M.; Calura, F.; Cappelluti, N.; Chiaberge, M.; Comastri, A.; Iwasawa, K.; Lanzuisi, G.; Liuzzo, E.; Marchesini, D.; Prandoni, I.; Tozzi, P.; Vito, F.; Zamorani, G.; Norman, C.
    We present the X-ray source catalog for the similar to 479 ks Chandra exposure of the SDSS J1030+0524 field, which is centered on a region that shows the best evidence to date of an overdensity around a z > 6 quasar, and also includes a galaxy overdensity around a Compton-thick Fanaroff-Riley type II (FRII) radio galaxy at z = 1.7. Using wavdetect for initial source detection and ACIS Extract for source photometry and significance assessment, we create preliminary catalogs of sources that are detected in the full (0.5-7.0 keV), soft (0.5-2.0 keV), and hard (2-7 keV) bands, respectively. We produce X-ray simulations that mirror our Chandra observation to filter our preliminary catalogs and achieve a completeness level of > 91% and a reliability level of similar to 95% in each band. The catalogs in the three bands are then matched into a final main catalog of 256 unique sources. Among them, 244, 193, and 208 are detected in the full, soft, and hard bands, respectively. The Chandra observation covers a total area of 335 arcmin(2) and reaches flux limits over the central few square arcmins of similar to 3 x 10(-16), 6 x 10(-17), and 2 x 10(-16) erg cm(-2) s(-1) in the full, soft, and hard bands, respectively This makes J1030 field the fifth deepest extragalactic X-ray survey to date. The field is part of the Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC), and is also covered by optical imaging data from the Large Binocular Camera (LBC) at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), near-infrared imaging data from the Canada France Hawaii Telescope WIRCam (CFHT/WIRCam), and Spitzer IRAC. Thanks to its dense multi-wavelength coverage, J1030 represents a legacy field for the study of large-scale structures around distant accreting supermassive black holes. Using a likelihood ratio analysis, we associate multi-band (r, z, J, and 4.5 mu m) counterparts for 252 (98.4%) of the 256 Chandra sources, with an estimated reliability of 95%. Finally, we compute the cumulative number of sources in each X-ray band, finding that they are in general agreement with the results from the Chandra Deep Fields.
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    The deepest X-ray view of high-redshift galaxies : constraints on low-rate black hole accretion
    (2016) Vito, F.; Gilli, R.; Vignali, C.; Brandt, W. N.; Comastri, A.; Yang, G.; Lehmer, B. D.; Luo, B.; Basu-Zych, A.; Bauer, Franz Erik
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    The Evolving AGN Duty Cycle in Galaxies Since z ∼ 3 as Encoded in the X-Ray Luminosity Function
    (2020) Delvecchio, I.; Daddi, E.; Aird, J.; Mullaney, J. R.; Bernhard, E.; Grimmett, L. P.; Carraro, R.; Cimatti, A.; Zamorani, G.; Caplar, N.; Vito, F.; Elbaz, D.; Rodighiero, G.
    We present a new modeling of the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) out to z similar to 3, dissecting the contributions of main-sequence (MS) and starburst (SB) galaxies. For each galaxy population, we convolved the observed galaxy stellar mass (M-*) function with a grid of M-*- independent Eddington ratio (lambda(EDD)) distributions, normalized via empirical black hole accretion rate (BHAR) to star formation rate (SFR) relations. Our simple approach yields an excellent agreement with the observed XLF since z similar to 3. We find that the redshift evolution of the observed XLF can only be reproduced through an intrinsic flattening of the lambda(EDD) distribution and with a positive shift of the break lambda*, consistent with an antihierarchical behavior. The AGN accretion history is predominantly made by massive (10(10) < M-* < 10(11) M-circle dot) MS galaxies, while SB-driven BH accretion, possibly associated with galaxy mergers, becomes dominant only in bright quasars, at log(L-X/erg s(-1)) > 44.36 + 1.28 x (1 + z). We infer that the probability of finding highly accreting (lambda(EDD) > 10%) AGNs significantly increases with redshift, from 0.4% (3.0%) at z = 0.5%-6.5% (15.3%) at z = 3 for MS (SB) galaxies, implying a longer AGN duty cycle in the early universe. Our results strongly favor a M-*-dependent ratio between BHAR and SFR, as BHAR/SFR proportional to M-*(0.73[+0.22,-0.29]), supporting a nonlinear BH buildup relative to the host. Finally, this framework opens potential questions on super-Eddington BH accretion and different lambda(EDD) prescriptions for understanding the cosmic BH mass assembly.
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    The universal shape of the X-ray variability power spectrum of AGN up to z ∼ 3
    (2023) Paolillo, M.; Papadakis, I. E.; Brandt, W. N.; Bauer, F. E.; Lanzuisi, G.; Allevato, V.; Shemmer, O.; Zheng, X. C.; De Cicco, D.; Gilli, R.; Luo, B.; Thomas, M.; Tozzi, P.; Vito, F.; Xue, Y. Q.
    Aims. We study the ensemble X-ray variability properties of active galactic nuclei (AGN) over large ranges of timescale (20 ks <= T <= 14 yr), redshift (0 <= z less than or similar to 3), luminosity (10(40) erg s(-1) <= L-X <= 10(46) erg s(-1)), and black hole (BH) mass (10(6) <= M-circle dot <= 10(9)).
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    The X-ray properties of z > 6 quasars: no evident evolution of accretion physics in the first Gyr of the Universe
    (2019) Vito, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Bauer, F. E.; Calura, F.; Gilli, R.; Luo, B.; Shemmer, O.; Vignali, C.; Zamorani, G.; Brusa, M.; Civano, F.; Comastri, A.; Nanni, R.
    Context. X-ray emission from quasars (QSOs) has been used to assess supermassive black hole accretion properties up to z approximate to 6. However, at z > 6 only approximate to 15 QSOs are covered by sensitive X-ray observations, preventing a statistically significant investigation of the X-ray properties of the QSO population in the first Gyr of the Universe.