Abstract
We present photometry of the large-scale environments of a sample of 12 broad line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with 0.06 < z < 0.37 from deep images in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey u, g, r, and i filters taken with the 90Prime prime focus camera on the Steward Observatory Bok Telescope. We measure galaxy clustering around these AGNs using two standard techniques: correlation amplitude (B gq) and the two point correlation function. We find average correlation amplitudes for the 10 radio-quiet objects in the sample equal to (9 ± 18, 144 ± 114, -39 ± 56, 295 ± 260) Mpc1.77 in (u, g, r, i), all consistent with the expectation from galaxy clustering. Using a ratio of the galaxy-quasar cross-correlation function to the galaxy autocorrelation function, we calculate the relative bias of galaxies and AGNs, b gq. The bias in the u band, b gq = 3.08 ± 0.51 is larger compared to that calculated in the other bands, but it does not correlate with AGN luminosity, black hole mass, or AGN activity via the luminosity of the [O III] emission line. Thus ongoing nuclear accretion activity is not reflected in the large scale environments from 10 h -1 kpc to 0.5 h -1 Mpc and may indicate a non-merger mode of AGN activity and/or a significant delay between galaxy mergers and nuclear activity in this sample of mostly radio-quiet quasars.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 93 |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 800 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 20 2015 |
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Keywords
- galaxies: active
- large-scale structure of universe
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Space and Planetary Science
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cite this
Wide field multiband imaging of low redshift quasar environments. / Scott, Jennifer E.; Rafiee, Alireza; Bechtold, Jill; Ellingson, Erica; Thibodeau, Christopher; Richmond, Michael.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 800, No. 2, 93, 20.02.2015.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Wide field multiband imaging of low redshift quasar environments
AU - Scott, Jennifer E.
AU - Rafiee, Alireza
AU - Bechtold, Jill
AU - Ellingson, Erica
AU - Thibodeau, Christopher
AU - Richmond, Michael
PY - 2015/2/20
Y1 - 2015/2/20
N2 - We present photometry of the large-scale environments of a sample of 12 broad line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with 0.06 < z < 0.37 from deep images in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey u, g, r, and i filters taken with the 90Prime prime focus camera on the Steward Observatory Bok Telescope. We measure galaxy clustering around these AGNs using two standard techniques: correlation amplitude (B gq) and the two point correlation function. We find average correlation amplitudes for the 10 radio-quiet objects in the sample equal to (9 ± 18, 144 ± 114, -39 ± 56, 295 ± 260) Mpc1.77 in (u, g, r, i), all consistent with the expectation from galaxy clustering. Using a ratio of the galaxy-quasar cross-correlation function to the galaxy autocorrelation function, we calculate the relative bias of galaxies and AGNs, b gq. The bias in the u band, b gq = 3.08 ± 0.51 is larger compared to that calculated in the other bands, but it does not correlate with AGN luminosity, black hole mass, or AGN activity via the luminosity of the [O III] emission line. Thus ongoing nuclear accretion activity is not reflected in the large scale environments from 10 h -1 kpc to 0.5 h -1 Mpc and may indicate a non-merger mode of AGN activity and/or a significant delay between galaxy mergers and nuclear activity in this sample of mostly radio-quiet quasars.
AB - We present photometry of the large-scale environments of a sample of 12 broad line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with 0.06 < z < 0.37 from deep images in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey u, g, r, and i filters taken with the 90Prime prime focus camera on the Steward Observatory Bok Telescope. We measure galaxy clustering around these AGNs using two standard techniques: correlation amplitude (B gq) and the two point correlation function. We find average correlation amplitudes for the 10 radio-quiet objects in the sample equal to (9 ± 18, 144 ± 114, -39 ± 56, 295 ± 260) Mpc1.77 in (u, g, r, i), all consistent with the expectation from galaxy clustering. Using a ratio of the galaxy-quasar cross-correlation function to the galaxy autocorrelation function, we calculate the relative bias of galaxies and AGNs, b gq. The bias in the u band, b gq = 3.08 ± 0.51 is larger compared to that calculated in the other bands, but it does not correlate with AGN luminosity, black hole mass, or AGN activity via the luminosity of the [O III] emission line. Thus ongoing nuclear accretion activity is not reflected in the large scale environments from 10 h -1 kpc to 0.5 h -1 Mpc and may indicate a non-merger mode of AGN activity and/or a significant delay between galaxy mergers and nuclear activity in this sample of mostly radio-quiet quasars.
KW - galaxies: active
KW - large-scale structure of universe
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84924294592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84924294592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/800/2/93
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/800/2/93
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84924294592
VL - 800
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 2
M1 - 93
ER -