We have carried out a survey of the north and south ecliptic poles, EP-N and EP-S, respectively, with the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The primary objective was to cross-calibrate WISE with the Spitzer and Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) photometric systems by developing a set of calibration stars that are common to these infrared missions. The ecliptic poles were continuous viewing zones for WISE due to its polar-crossing orbit, making these areas ideal for both absolute and internal calibrations. The Spitzer IRAC and MIPS imaging survey covers a complete area of 0.40 deg^2 for the EP-N and 1.28 deg^2 for the EP-S. WISE observed the whole sky in four mid-infrared bands, 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 μm, during its eight-month cryogenic mission, including several hundred ecliptic polar passages; here we report on the highest coverage depths achieved by WISE, an area of ~1.5 deg^2 for both poles. Located close to the center of the EP-N, the Sy-2 galaxy NGC 6552 conveniently functions as a standard calibrator to measure the red response of the 22 μm channel of WISE. Observations from Spitzer-IRAC/MIPS/IRS-LL and WISE show that the galaxy has a strong red color in the mid-infrared due to star-formation and the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), while over a baseline >1 year the mid-IR photometry of NGC 6552 is shown to vary at a level less than 2%. Combining NGC 6552 with the standard calibrator stars, the achieved photometric accuracy of the WISE calibration, relative to the Spitzer and MSX systems, is 2.4%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 5.7% for W1 (3.4 μm), W2 (4.6 μm), W3 (12 μm), and W4 (22 μm), respectively. The WISE photometry is internally stable to better than 0.1% over the cryogenic lifetime of the mission. The secondary objective of the Spitzer-WISE Survey was to explore the poles at greater flux-level depths, exploiting the higher angular resolution Spitzer observations and the exceptionally deep (in total coverage) WISE observations that potentially reach down to the confusion limit of the survey. The rich Spitzer and WISE data sets were used to study the Galactic and extragalactic populations through source counts, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams. As an example of what the data sets facilitate, we have separated stars from galaxies, delineated normal galaxies from power-law-dominated AGNs, and reported on the different fractions of extragalactic populations. In the EP-N, we find an AGN source density of ~260 deg^(–2) to a 12 μm depth of 115 μJy, representing 15% of the total extragalactic population to this depth, similar to what has been observed for low-luminosity AGNs in other fields.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/112/pdf

The Spitzer-WISE Survey of the Ecliptic Poles

Spitzer/IRAC selection is a powerful tool for identifying luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs). For deep IRAC data, however, the AGN selection wedges currently in use are heavily contaminated by star-forming galaxies, especially at high redshift. Using the large samples of luminous AGNs and high-redshift star-forming galaxies in COSMOS, we redefine the AGN selection criteria for use in deep IRAC surveys. The new IRAC criteria are designed to be both highly complete and reliable, and incorporate the best aspects of the current AGN selection wedges and of infrared power-law selection while excluding high-redshift star-forming galaxies selected via the BzK, distant red galaxy, Lyman-break galaxy, and submillimeter galaxy criteria. At QSO luminosities of log L_(2-10keV)(erg s^(–1)) ≥44, the new IRAC criteria recover 75% of the hard X-ray and IRAC-detected XMM-COSMOS sample, yet only 38% of the IRAC AGN candidates have X-ray counterparts, a fraction that rises to 52% in regions with Chandra exposures of 50-160 ks. X-ray stacking of the individually X-ray non-detected AGN candidates leads to a hard X-ray signal indicative of heavily obscured to mildly Compton-thick obscuration (log N H (cm^(–2)) = 23.5 ± 0.4). While IRAC selection recovers a substantial fraction of luminous unobscured and obscured AGNs, it is incomplete to low-luminosity and host-dominated AGNs.

/pdf/identifying-luminous-active-galactic-nuclei-in-deep-surveys-3bevdtg1z6.pdf

Identifying Luminous Active Galactic Nuclei in Deep Surveys: Revised IRAC Selection Criteria

We have detected the 158 {mu}m [C II] line from 12 galaxies at z {approx} 1-2. This is the first survey of this important star formation tracer at redshifts covering the epoch of maximum star formation in the universe and quadruples the number of reported high-z [C II] detections. The line is very luminous, between <0.024% and 0.65% of the far-infrared (FIR) continuum luminosity of our sources, and arises from photodissociation regions on molecular cloud surfaces. An exception is PKS 0215+015, where half of the [C II] emission could arise from X-ray-dominated regions near the central active galactic nucleus (AGN). The L{sub [C{sub II}]}/L{sub FIR} ratio in our star formation-dominated systems is {approx}8 times larger than that of our AGN-dominated systems. Therefore this ratio selects for star formation-dominated systems. Furthermore, the L{sub [C{sub II}]}/L{sub FIR} and L{sub [C{sub II}]}/L{sub (CO(1-0))} ratios in our star-forming galaxies and nearby starburst galaxies are the same, so that luminous star-forming galaxies at earlier epochs (z {approx} 1-2) appear to be scaled-up versions of local starbursts entailing kiloparsec-scale starbursts. Most of the FIR and [C II] radiation from our AGN-dominated sample (excepting PKS 0215+015) also arises from kiloparsec-scale star formation, but with far-UV radiation fieldsmore » {approx}8 times more intense than in our star formation-dominated sample. We speculate that the onset of AGN activity stimulates large-scale star formation activity within AGN-dominated systems. This idea is supported by the relatively strong [O III] line emission, indicating very young stars, that was recently observed in high-z composite AGN/starburst systems. Our results confirm the utility of the [C II] line, and in particular, the L{sub [C{sub II}]}/L{sub (FIR)} and L{sub [C{sub II}]}/L{sub CO(1-0)} ratios as tracers of star formation in galaxies at high redshifts.« less

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/957/pdf

A 158 μm [C II] Line Survey of Galaxies at z ~ 1-2: An Indicator of Star Formation in the Early Universe

We review the properties and nature of luminous high-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs, z > 2) and the environments in which they are located. HzRGs have several distinct constituents which interact with each other—relativistic plasma, gas in various forms, dust, stars and an active galactic nucleus (AGN). These building blocks provide unique diagnostics about conditions in the early Universe. We discuss the properties of each constituent. Evidence is presented that HzRGs are massive forming galaxies and the progenitors of brightest cluster galaxies in the local Universe. HzRGs are located in overdense regions in the early Universe and are frequently surrounded by protoclusters. We review the properties and nature of these radio-selected protoclusters. Finally we consider the potential for future progress in the field during the next few decades. A compendium of known HzRGs is given in an appendix.

/pdf/distant-radio-galaxies-and-their-environments-sowzu41vdu.pdf

Distant radio galaxies and their environments

AGN feedback now appears as an attractive mechanism to resolve some of the outstanding problems with the “standard” cosmological models, in particular those related to massive galaxies. At low redshift, evidence is growing that gas cooling and star formation may be efficiently suppressed by mechanical energy input from radio sources. To directly constrain how this may influence the formation of massive galaxies near the peak in the redshift distribution of powerful quasars, z ∼ 2, we present an analysis of the emission-line kinematics of 3 powerful radio galaxies at z ∼ 2−3 (HzRGs) based on rest-frame optical integral-field spectroscopy obtained with SINFONI on the VLT. The host galaxies of powerful radio-loud AGN are among the most massive galaxies, and thus AGN feedback may have a particularly clear signature in these galaxies. We find evidence for bipolar outflows in all HzRGs, with kinetic energies that are equivalent to 0.2% of the rest-mass of the supermassive black hole. Observed total velocity offsets in the outflows are ∼800−1000 km s −1 between the blueshifted and redshifted line emission, and FWHMs ∼ 1000 km s −1 suggest strong turbulence. Line ratios allow to measure electron temperatures, ∼10 4 K from [OIII]λλλ4363, 4959, 5007 at z ∼ 2, electron densities (∼500 cm −3 ) and extinction (AV ∼ 1−4 mag). Ionized gas masses estimated from the Hα luminosity are of order 10 10 M� , similar to the molecular gas content of HzRGs, underlining that these outflows may indicate a significant phase in the evolution of the host galaxy. The total energy release of ∼10 60 erg during a dynamical time of ∼10 7 yrs corresponds to about the binding energy of a massive galaxy, similar to the prescriptions adopted in galaxy evolution models. Geometry, timescales and energy injection rates of order 10% of the kinetic energy flux of the jet suggest that the outflows are most likely driven by the radio source. The global energy density release of ∼10 57 erg s −1 Mpc −3 may also influence the subsequent evolution of the HzRG by enhancing the entropy and pressure in the surrounding halo and facilitating ram-pressure stripping of gas in satellite galaxies that may contribute to the subsequent mass assembly of the HzRG through low-dissipation “dry” mergers.

/pdf/evidence-for-powerful-agn-winds-at-high-redshift-dynamics-of-5djps759tq.pdf

Evidence for powerful AGN winds at high redshift: dynamics of galactic outflows in radio galaxies during the “Quasar Era”

We present the results of a comprehensive Spitzer survey of 69 radio galaxies across 1 60% for ~75% of the high-redshift radio galaxies. As expected from unified models of AGNs, the stellar fraction of the rest-frame H-band luminosity has no correlation with redshift, radio luminosity, or rest-frame mid-IR (5 μm) luminosity. In addition, while the stellar H-band luminosity does not vary with stellar fraction, the total H-band luminosity anticorrelates with the stellar fraction as would be expected if the underlying hosts of these radio galaxies comprise a homogeneous population. The resultant stellar luminosities imply stellar masses of 10^(11)-10^(11.5) M_☉ even at the highest redshifts. Powerful radio galaxies tend to lie in a similar region of mid-IR color-color space as unobscured AGNs, despite the stellar contribution to their mid-IR SEDs at shorter wavelengths. The mid-IR luminosities alone classify most HzRGs as LIRGs or ULIRGs with even higher total-IR luminosities. As expected, these exceptionally high mid-IR luminosities are consistent with an obscured, highly accreting AGN. We find a weak correlation of stellar mass with radio luminosity.

/pdf/the-massive-hosts-of-radio-galaxies-across-cosmic-time-1thyrvnh24.pdf

Gary P. Wormser

Papers

The Massive Hosts of Radio Galaxies across Cosmic Time