Speaker
Description
Determining which conditions within galaxies enhance or reduce central SMBH growth is challenging. AGN variability can wash out underlying correlations between galaxy and AGN properties, while AGN selection biases further complicate the observational picture. I will present recent work that addresses these issues, using deep Chandra X-ray data and stellar mass-selected galaxy samples to determine the full distribution of AGN accretion rates within the galaxy population. We trace how the AGN incidence changes as a function of both stellar mass and star formation rate over the bulk of cosmic time (z~0.1-4). We find that within the star-forming population there is a stellar mass dependence to AGN activity; however, no such dependence is seen within the quiescent population. We show that the incidence of AGN within star-forming galaxies on the main sequence is correlated with their SFR, indicating that AGN activity is primarily related to the amount of cold gas in a galaxy. However, we also see that galaxies below the main sequence have a higher AGN incidence, indicating that a broader range of mechanisms are responsible for the triggering and fueling of AGN across the full galaxy population.
| Presenter status | Invited speaker |
|---|
