AGN surveys

Content
General requirements
Different AGN surveys

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Direct aims
Measure QSO surface density: DN(F,z)/D
Needed to derive luminosity function

Get interesting objects for follow-up studies

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AGN are rare

Only 40 deg-2 brighter than B=21
Many more stars than AGN
Where as at Galactic poles: 1600 deg-2 brighter than B=21

need to survey large areas of sky

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Expected Number counts

Total number of sources in volume element dV
d N(r) = n(r) dV = n(r)r2 dr d

The surface density of sources between r and r+dr

DN(r)/D = n(r) r2 dr
Observed flux
F = L / 4 r2

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Detecting all the sources with F S, defines a

maximum distance:
rmax = (L/4)1/2

Number of detected sources per solid angle

N(S) = 0rmax n( r) r2 dr

Uniform
N(s) = n0 r3max /3 = n0/3 (L/4)3/2
Log N(s) - 3/2 log S

Differential source counts

DN/DS S5/2

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 Euclidean normalised differential source

counts as test of the geometry of the universe
and evolution of radio sources
Nearby radio galaxies

Distant

radio galaxies

Flat counts
Non evolving population
Steep counts
Evolving population
Katgert et al. 1988

Local starburst

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LogN(m) 0.6 m
(using m -2.5 log S)
One magnitude deeper gives 100.6 more sources

Maximise number of sources:

Trade-off area versus depth/integration time

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Survey quality

Large samples
Completeness
Reliability
Efficient
Yields ``interesting samples
Large range in redshift
Large range in properties

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Selection effects

A technique always selects preferentially a certain type of object

Beware of biases/selection effects and how they impact the science

Dust: extinguished optical/uv light

Surface brightness <-> size
Variability
Orientation: select only object oriented towards/away from us
Redshift: objects to faint at large redshift
Emission lines
etc

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Different AGN surveys

Optical imaging surveys
Slitless spectroscopic surveys
Proper motion and variability surveys
Radio surveys
X-rays
-rays

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Colour excess surveys

Quasar spectrum in optical are power laws/nonthermal
F() ~ - 0.5 <~ <~ 1
Or : -0.8 <~ U-B <~ -0.7

In general stars are redder/thermal

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Three color differences between

quasars and stars
UV and IR excess
Excess due to Ly emission
Absorption shortward of Ly due to
intervening HI gas

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Composite
quasar spectrum

P. J Francis et al. (Ap J, 373, 465-470, 1991). The wavelengths are those of an
object at rest. Shortward of Lyman Alpha (1216 A) and NV (1240 A), (towards
shorter wavelengths), spectral flux drops quickly because of the gas clouds located
in front of the quasar, on the line of sight (many Lyman Alpha lines in absorption,
corresponding to clouds of hydrogen of z lower than that of the quasar, result in
blocking the light of this last, it is what is called the "Lyman Alpha forest".

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Absorption shortward of Lya

Stern et al. 2005

ApJ,533, L75-L78
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Quasar finding project

Take two (or more) color CCD images / plates

Colors bands: redshift range
Depth: luminosity quasars

Select unresolved objects: quasar candidates

Take color cuts
Issue: completeness versus reliability

Confirm with spectroscopy

Resulting sample will be biased against
Low luminosity AGN in bright galaxies
Dusty AGN

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(**)

Zombeck, M. V. 1990, Handbook of Astronomy

and Astrophysics, Second Edition (Cambridge,
UK: Cambridge University Press).
Or

http://ads.harvard.edu/books/hs
aa/index.html
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U-B (3600 A - 4300 A)

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After Sandage 1965

Color cut U-B < -0.35
Complete for z<2.2

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B-V (4300 -5500)

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U-B colour as a function of redshift for qusars

from Hewitt and Burbidge (1993)
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This techniques selects mostly QSO with z<2.2

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U-B colour as a function of redshift for quasars

from Hewitt and Burbidge (1993)
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Quasars in the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
106 quasars to MB 22
+ a few at z=6
Selection on for example
g (green) r(red), i(very red)
SDSS color-color diagrams for 2625
quasars (color points) and 10,000 stars
(black points and black contours).
Quasar points are coded as a function
of redshift, where the redshift is given
by the color as indicated in the legend.
The long solid black lines are the
median color-color tracks of the
quasars..
Richard et al. 2001, AJ, 121, 2308
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Spectra from SDSS

Richard et al. 2001, AJ, 121, 2308

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Slitless spectroscopy
Low-resolution spectroscopy of all objects in field
Select peculiar ones, i.e., AGN candidates
Follow-up with higher spectral resolution
Examples:
Seyfert 1943: 6 `normal' galaxies with broad emission lines in star-like nucleus.
Most of them spirals. Defined a separate class of AGN called Seyfert galaxies

Grism surveys for quasars have now found objects to z5 (e.g., Schmidt, Gunn,
Schneider 1985--89)

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Slitless spectroscopy in
the field of 3C273
http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/spe6/quasar.htm

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Result

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 The spectrum of 3C273. 2.5-m telescope Isaac Newton

(Palma). M.G. Yates & R. P. Garden, My Not. R. astr.
Ploughshare, 241, 167-194, 1989.
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Proper motion surveys

and variability studies
Idea is clear
In practice not much used
Gaia might change this

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A proper motion and variability study of

1185 objects down to J=22.5 and F=21.5
Majewski

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p. 30

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A survey of proper motions and

variability was conducted of all 1185
stellar objects to J = 22.5 or F = 21.5 in
the North Galactic Pole field SA57.
None of the confirmed QSOs and
narrow emission line galaxies in the
sample was misidentified as a star due
to spuriously detected proper motion
larger than 3.5 sigma.
Variability was detected in 30 of the 31
previously confirmed QSOs and it was
concluded that all QSOs are variable
over a 16 year baseline.
It is shown that a search for objects
which are both variable and stationary
is a powerful technique for efficiently
finding QSOs with no selection bias
with regard to color, redshift, spectral
index, or emission line equivalent
widths.
QSOs with the color of normal stars
may be missed by conventional
multicolor searches and it was
concluded that multicolor surveys are
from 11 to 34 percent incomplete.
(Majewski et al. 1991)
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X-ray surveys
Most quasars have luminosities of 1044 - 1048 erg sec-1 in the
energy range 0.5 - 4.5 keV
Quasars: the X-ray to optical flux (dF/d Log 1) is unlike
unlike stars/galaxies
> X-ray surveys very efficient to find quasars

Two types
Soft-X-ray (< 1 keV) surveys
Good angular resolution, small field of view, high sensitivity
Spectra modified by absorption

Hard X-ray (> 1 keV) surveys

Lousy angular resolution, large field of view, modest sensitivity
Powerlaw spectra

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X-ray surveys
Need to observe above atmosphere
Early experiments

Rockets: > 100 km, 0.25 - 10 keV using Geiger tellers, integration
times a few minutes hence only the brightest sources could be
observed
Balloons: ~40 km, > 40 keV

Armada of space observatories (25 former, 8 active)

UHURU, SAS3, EINSTEIN, EXOSAT, GRANAT, GINGA, ROSAT,

ASCA, Chandra, XMM--Newton
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/corp/observatories.html

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- rays
Energies: 100 keV to GeV regime
Angular resolution modest (~ 1 degree)
First AGN identification with COS-B: 3C273 emits
major part of its power between 50--500 MeV
(Swanenburg et al. 1978)
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory: dozens of AGN
Seyferts: no evidence for detection of -rays above
20 MeV
Blazars (e.g., 3C279) very powerful in -rays:
energy equals or is greater than in optical/ir bands
may be primary source of cosmic ray
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3C273

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Some comments

Captions
References
largly, bright, high : quantify!
to constrain: try to avoid this: vague
Unscientific
The core of object-1 has four star forming regions.
There are very much resources available on this topic but these are the ones that contain
most of the presented info.
list of ref.

- 3C?? is een zogenaamd koel NLRG (narrow line radio galaxy) (van Bemmel) van
zestiende magnitude. Enige tijd werd gedacht dat het 1 stelsel was dat door
gravitatielensing vervormd was. Later werd bepaald dat het wel degelijk twee tamelijk
compacte kernen had die 4" of 6 kpc uit elkaar liggen. Een andere bewoording zegt
dat het twee losse Seyfert II galaxies betreft die heel dicht bij elkaar liggen.

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Radio surveys
Large area, low resolution
Radio galaxies, quasars plus some: radio
halos, supernova remnants, starburst galaxies
Early surveys
3C, 178 MHz: 350 sources, now completely
identified
4C: 5000 sources
5C, 6C, 7C, 8C
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Moon

Current State of the Art at

Low Frequencies:
8C survey by Rees (1990)
38 MHz (8meter), 5 arcmin,
> 1 Jy, 5000 source

Sun

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Overview recent large radio surveys

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De Breuck et al. 2000 AAS, 143, p.303-333

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Radio
surveys

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How to find distant radio

galaxies
Selection

spectra

of radio sources from surveys with extremely steep radio

VLA

snapshot radio observations to obtain accurate positions and

morphology.
Optical

or near-IR imaging to identify the host galaxy

Optical

spectroscopy to determine redshifts

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z- correlation

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The Ultra Steep Spectrum (USS) search

technique to find the most distant radio
galaxies

Radio spectrum of Cygnus A

Radio spectrum of powerful radio

sources is concave.

k-correction shifts a steeper part to

observed frequencies.

More powerful radio sources tend to

have steeper high-frequency radio
spectra.

Increasing importance of inverse

Compton losses of the CMB at the
highest redshifts.

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Keck NIRC K-band imaging

J1123+3141
z=3.217
K(2")=18.3
K(8")=17.5

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Spectroscopy of USS sources

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The Most Distant Radio Galaxy

TN J0924-2201, z=5.19

Identification:
Keck NIRC K-band.
VLA 14.9 Ghz.
K(2")=21.3
a=-1.63

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Redshift determination:
3 hour Keck LRIS spectrum.
Single emission line, identified as Lya by
exclusion of confirming lines if it were [OII] l3727,
[OIII] l5007, or Ha.

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LOFAR opens up the last ``unexplored

wavelength region

Unique frequency range

Unprecedented sensitivity
Enormous field of views

~ 10 - 240 MHz

Multi-beaming

up to 8 beams

Phase I: Fully funded (!)

Baselines: 100 km
Angular resolution:
4 arcsec at 200 MHz

Phase II
Baselines: ~1000 km
Angular resolution:
1 arcsec at 200 MHz

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Yattawatta
and the
entire CS1
team
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~ 50 super nova
remnants, many
z>2 radio galaxies,
A2255, A2256,
M82 ...
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The 1.4 GHz sky

at 5 resolution,
5 = 115 Jy so
~1/2 AGN
~1/2 star-forming
galaxies.
Like LOFAR 150
MHz image with
only 15 minutes
of integration!

part of the Spitzer FLS / VLA survey: courtesy Jim Condon

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- Surveys with LOFAR contain orders of magnitude more sources than

the old surveys
- LOFARs should contain radio galaxies near or at the epoch of
reionisiation (z~>6),
- allowing for studies of the formation of massive galaxies, black holes
and clusters, as well as the nature of the neutral gas that is being
ionised.

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Literature
Kembhavi & Narlikar, Chapter 6
Krolik, Chapter 2
Peterson, Chapter 10

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Assignment - one page !

1. Briefly describe the Majewski survey and the methods used to find quasars in
this survey
2. Make a table with for the various finding methods (i) the number of quasars
found, estimates of (ii) completeness (iii) and fractional contamination by nonquasars
3. On the basis of this table discuss the various pros and cons of the methods
if one would like to enlarge the QSO sample with a factor of a 100

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