The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background

F. A. Harrison; J. Aird; F. Civano; G. Lansbury; J. R. Mullaney; D. R. Ballantyne; D. M. Alexander; D. Stern; M. Ajello; D. Barret; F. E. Bauer; M. Balokovic; W. N. Brandt; M. Brightman; S. E. Boggs; F. E. Christensen; A. Comastri; W. W. Craig; A. Del Moro; K. Forster; P. Gandhi; P. Giommi; B. W. Grefenstette; C. J. Hailey; R. C. Hickox; A. Hornstrup; T. Kitaguchi; J. Koglin; B. Luo; K. K. Madsen; P. H. Mao; H. Miyasaka; K. Mori; M. Perri; M. Pivovaroff; S. Puccetti; V. Rana; E. Treister; D. Walton; N. J. Westergaard; D. Wik; L. Zappacosta; W. W. Zhang; A. Zoglauer

doi:10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background

F. A. Harrison, J. Aird, F. Civano, G. Lansbury, J. R. Mullaney, D. R. Ballantyne, D. M. Alexander, D. Stern, M. Ajello, D. Barret, F. E. Bauer, M. Balokovic, W. N. Brandt, M. Brightman, S. E. Boggs, F. E. Christensen, A. Comastri, W. W. Craig, A. Del Moro, K. ForsterP. Gandhi, P. Giommi, B. W. Grefenstette, C. J. Hailey, R. C. Hickox, A. Hornstrup, T. Kitaguchi, J. Koglin, B. Luo, K. K. Madsen, P. H. Mao, H. Miyasaka, K. Mori, M. Perri, M. Pivovaroff, S. Puccetti, V. Rana, E. Treister, D. Walton, N. J. Westergaard, D. Wik, L. Zappacosta, W. W. Zhang, A. Zoglauer

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present the 3-8 keV and 8-24 keV number counts of active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified in the NuSTAR extragalactic surveys. NuSTAR has now resolved 33-39% of the X-ray background in the 8-24 keV band, directly identifying AGN with obscuring columns up to approximately 1e25 /cm2. In the softer 3-8 keV band the number counts are in general agreement with those measured by XMM-Newton and Chandra over the flux range 5e-15 <S(3 - 8 keV)/(erg/cm2/s) <1e-12 probed by NuSTAR. In the hard 8-24 keV band NuSTAR probes fluxes over the range 2e-14 <S(8-24 keV)/(erg/cm2/s) <1e-12, a factor of approximately 100 fainter than previous measurements. The 8-24 keV number counts match predictions from AGN population synthesis models, directly confirming the existence of a population of obscured and/or hard X-ray sources inferred from the shape of the integrated cosmic X-ray background. The measured NuSTAR counts lie significantly above simple extrapolation with a Euclidian slope to low flux of the Swift/BAT 15-55 keV number counts measured at higher fluxes S(15-55 keV) > 1e-11 erg/cm2/s, reflecting the evolution of the AGN population between the Swift/BAT local (z

Original language	English
Number of pages	8
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	831
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185
Publication status	Published - 7 Nov 2016

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astro-ph.HE

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10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

Aird - Harrison16_acceptedAccepted author manuscript, 379 KB

https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.04183

James Aird
- School of Physics and Astronomy - UKRI Future Leader Fellowship
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Harrison, F. A., Aird, J., Civano, F., Lansbury, G., Mullaney, J. R., Ballantyne, D. R., Alexander, D. M., Stern, D., Ajello, M., Barret, D., Bauer, F. E., Balokovic, M., Brandt, W. N., Brightman, M., Boggs, S. E., Christensen, F. E., Comastri, A., Craig, W. W., Moro, A. D., ... Zoglauer, A. (2016). The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background. Astrophysical Journal, 831(2). https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

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abstract = " We present the 3-8 keV and 8-24 keV number counts of active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified in the NuSTAR extragalactic surveys. NuSTAR has now resolved 33-39% of the X-ray background in the 8-24 keV band, directly identifying AGN with obscuring columns up to approximately 1e25 /cm2. In the softer 3-8 keV band the number counts are in general agreement with those measured by XMM-Newton and Chandra over the flux range 5e-15 1e-11 erg/cm2/s, reflecting the evolution of the AGN population between the Swift/BAT local (z",

keywords = "astro-ph.HE",

author = "Harrison, {F. A.} and J. Aird and F. Civano and G. Lansbury and Mullaney, {J. R.} and Ballantyne, {D. R.} and Alexander, {D. M.} and D. Stern and M. Ajello and D. Barret and Bauer, {F. E.} and M. Balokovic and Brandt, {W. N.} and M. Brightman and Boggs, {S. E.} and Christensen, {F. E.} and A. Comastri and Craig, {W. W.} and Moro, {A. Del} and K. Forster and P. Gandhi and P. Giommi and Grefenstette, {B. W.} and Hailey, {C. J.} and Hickox, {R. C.} and A. Hornstrup and T. Kitaguchi and J. Koglin and B. Luo and Madsen, {K. K.} and Mao, {P. H.} and H. Miyasaka and K. Mori and M. Perri and M. Pivovaroff and S. Puccetti and V. Rana and E. Treister and D. Walton and Westergaard, {N. J.} and D. Wik and L. Zappacosta and Zhang, {W. W.} and A. Zoglauer",

note = "8 pages; accepted by the Astrophysical Journal",

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Harrison, FA, Aird, J, Civano, F, Lansbury, G, Mullaney, JR, Ballantyne, DR, Alexander, DM, Stern, D, Ajello, M, Barret, D, Bauer, FE, Balokovic, M, Brandt, WN, Brightman, M, Boggs, SE, Christensen, FE, Comastri, A, Craig, WW, Moro, AD, Forster, K, Gandhi, P, Giommi, P, Grefenstette, BW, Hailey, CJ, Hickox, RC, Hornstrup, A, Kitaguchi, T, Koglin, J, Luo, B, Madsen, KK, Mao, PH, Miyasaka, H, Mori, K, Perri, M, Pivovaroff, M, Puccetti, S, Rana, V, Treister, E, Walton, D, Westergaard, NJ, Wik, D, Zappacosta, L, Zhang, WW & Zoglauer, A 2016, 'The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 831, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

TY - JOUR

T1 - The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys

T2 - The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background

AU - Harrison, F. A.

AU - Aird, J.

AU - Civano, F.

AU - Lansbury, G.

AU - Mullaney, J. R.

AU - Ballantyne, D. R.

AU - Alexander, D. M.

AU - Stern, D.

AU - Ajello, M.

AU - Barret, D.

AU - Bauer, F. E.

AU - Balokovic, M.

AU - Brandt, W. N.

AU - Brightman, M.

AU - Boggs, S. E.

AU - Christensen, F. E.

AU - Comastri, A.

AU - Craig, W. W.

AU - Moro, A. Del

AU - Forster, K.

AU - Gandhi, P.

AU - Giommi, P.

AU - Grefenstette, B. W.

AU - Hailey, C. J.

AU - Hickox, R. C.

AU - Hornstrup, A.

AU - Kitaguchi, T.

AU - Koglin, J.

AU - Luo, B.

AU - Madsen, K. K.

AU - Mao, P. H.

AU - Miyasaka, H.

AU - Mori, K.

AU - Perri, M.

AU - Pivovaroff, M.

AU - Puccetti, S.

AU - Rana, V.

AU - Treister, E.

AU - Walton, D.

AU - Westergaard, N. J.

AU - Wik, D.

AU - Zappacosta, L.

AU - Zhang, W. W.

AU - Zoglauer, A.

N1 - 8 pages; accepted by the Astrophysical Journal

PY - 2016/11/7

Y1 - 2016/11/7

N2 - We present the 3-8 keV and 8-24 keV number counts of active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified in the NuSTAR extragalactic surveys. NuSTAR has now resolved 33-39% of the X-ray background in the 8-24 keV band, directly identifying AGN with obscuring columns up to approximately 1e25 /cm2. In the softer 3-8 keV band the number counts are in general agreement with those measured by XMM-Newton and Chandra over the flux range 5e-15 1e-11 erg/cm2/s, reflecting the evolution of the AGN population between the Swift/BAT local (z

AB - We present the 3-8 keV and 8-24 keV number counts of active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified in the NuSTAR extragalactic surveys. NuSTAR has now resolved 33-39% of the X-ray background in the 8-24 keV band, directly identifying AGN with obscuring columns up to approximately 1e25 /cm2. In the softer 3-8 keV band the number counts are in general agreement with those measured by XMM-Newton and Chandra over the flux range 5e-15 1e-11 erg/cm2/s, reflecting the evolution of the AGN population between the Swift/BAT local (z

KW - astro-ph.HE

U2 - 10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

DO - 10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/185

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 831

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

ER -

The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: The Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Resolved Fraction of the Cosmic X-ray Background

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