Dwarf AGNs from Optical Variability for the Origins of Seeds (DAVOS): insights from the dark energy survey deep fields
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT We present a sample of 706, z < 1.5 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected from optical photometric variability in three of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) deep fields (E2, C3, and X3) over an area of 4.64 deg2. We construct light curves using difference imaging aperture photometry for resolved sources and non-difference imaging PSF photometry for unresolved sources, respectively, and characterize the variability significance. Our DES light curves have a mean cadence of 7 d, a 6-yr baseline, and a single-epoch imaging depth of up to g ∼ 24.5. Using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we find 26 out of total 706 variable galaxies are consistent with dwarf galaxies with a reliable stellar mass estimate ($M_{\ast }\lt 10^{9.5}\, {\rm M}_\odot$; median photometric redshift of 0.9). We were able to constrain rapid characteristic variability time-scales (∼ weeks) using the DES light curves in 15 dwarf AGN candidates (a subset of our variable AGN candidates) at a median photometric redshift of 0.4. This rapid variability is consistent with their low black hole (BH) masses. We confirm the low-mass AGN nature of one source with a high S/N optical spectrum. We publish our catalogue, optical light curves, and supplementary data, such as X-ray properties and optical spectra, when available. We measure a variable AGN fraction versus stellar mass and compare to results from a forward model. This work demonstrates the feasibility of optical variability to identify AGNs with lower BH masses in deep fields, which may be more ‘pristine’ analogues of supermassive BH seeds.
Authors: Colin J Burke, Xin Liu, Yue Shen, Kedar A Phadke, Qian Yang, Will G Hartley, Ian Harrison, Antonella Palmese, Hengxiao Guo, Kaiwen Zhang, Richard Kron, David J Turner, Paul A Giles, Christopher Lidman, Yu-Ching Chen, Robert A Gruendl, Ami Choi, Alexandra Amon, Erin Sheldon, M Aguena, S Allam, F Andrade-Oliveira, D Bacon, E Bertin, D Brooks, A Carnero Rosell, M Carrasco Kind, J Carretero, C Conselice, M Costanzi, L N da Costa, M E S Pereira, T M Davis, J De Vicente, S Desai, H T Diehl, S Everett, I Ferrero, B Flaugher, J García-Bellido, E Gaztanaga, D Gruen, J Gschwend, G Gutierrez, S R Hinton, D L Hollowood, K Honscheid, B Hoyle, D J James, K Kuehn, M A G Maia, J L Marshall, F Menanteau, R Miquel, R Morgan, F Paz-Chinchón, A Pieres, A A Plazas Malagón, K Reil, A K Romer, E Sanchez, M Schubnell, S Serrano, I Sevilla-Noarbe, M Smith, E Suchyta, G Tarle, D Thomas, C To, T N Varga, R D Wilkinson
Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Geneva, University of Manchester, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Chicago, University of California, Irvine, University of Sussex, Australian National University, The Ohio State University, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Laboratório Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), University of Portsmouth, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, University College London, Institute for High Energy Physics, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, University of Nottingham, University of Trieste, Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, National Observatory, Universität Hamburg, University of Michigan, The University of Queensland, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Oslo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Institute of Space Sciences, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, Lowell Observatory, Australian Astronomical Optics, Texas A&M University, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Southampton, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Stanford University, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Texas A and M University, University of Portsmouth, National Centre for Supercomputing Applications, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, University of Cambridge, University College London, European Commission, University of Nottingham, University of Sussex, University of Edinburgh, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Generalitat de Catalunya, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Office of Science, Seventh Framework Programme, Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Ohio State University, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, European Regional Development Fund, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, High Energy Physics, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, H2020 European Research Council, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Awards: G1014665743, G1294705454, G132386199, G1328166135, G1365077241, G1491530973, G1635920164, G1750188476, G1907584174, G1993551506, Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual (sub)Kpc Active Galactic Nuclei, G2372018196, G2409381996, G2560588496, G265847165, G3154116105, G3207356259, G3467815775, G3663515235, G3690247286, G3715052068, The Dark Energy Survey Data Management Operations, G3927356395, G393177772, G3965623739, G4104599821, G4279081818, G4404904460, G496129201, G498139845, Collaborative Research: Reverberation Mapping with Multi-Object Spectroscopy - from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping to the Black Hole Mapper, G5051949629, G540951289, G5417015564, G5616713406, G5702163051, G585908603, G600983903, G6242770028, G63770550, G6480793128, G6598239468, G6676276723, G7038324121, G716412294, G7335011630, G7543250249, G7581296362, G7957276493, Collaborative Research: The Dark Energy Survey Data Management Operations, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, G86560745, G910519217, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4291287572