The Evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei in Clusters of Galaxies to Redshift 1.3

TL;DR

This study shows a significant increase in luminous AGN in galaxy clusters from low to high redshift, indicating strong evolution over cosmic time and implications for galaxy and black hole coevolution.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive measurement of AGN evolution in clusters up to z=1.3, revealing an eightfold increase in AGN fraction and extending previous high-redshift studies.

Findings

AGN fraction increases from ~0.13% at z~0.19 to ~1.00% at z~0.72

Significant evolution with a 3.8 sigma confidence level

Evolution parallels the star-forming galaxy population in clusters

Abstract

We have measured the luminous AGN population in a large sample of clusters of galaxies and find evidence for a substantial increase in the cluster AGN population from z~0.05 to z~1.3. The present sample now includes 32 clusters of galaxies, including 15 clusters above z=0.4, which corresponds to a three-fold increase compared to our previous work at high redshift. At z<0.4 we have obtained new observations of AGN candidates in six additional clusters and found no new luminous AGN in cluster members. Our total sample of 17 low-redshift clusters contains only two luminous AGN, while at high redshifts there are 18 such AGN, or an average of more than one per cluster. We have characterized the evolution of luminous X-ray AGN as the fraction of galaxies with M_R < M_R^*(z)+1 that host AGN with rest-frame, hard X-ray [2--10 keV] luminosities L_X,H >= 10^43 \ergs. The AGN fraction increases from f_A = 0.134^{+0.18}_{-0.087} percent at a median z=0.19 to f_A = 1.00^{+0.29}_{-0.23} percent at a median z=0.72. Our best estimate of the evolution is a factor of eight increase to z=1 and the statistical significance of the increase is 3.8sigma. This dramatic evolution is qualitatively similar to the evolution of the star-forming galaxy population in clusters known as the Butcher-Oemler effect. We discuss the implications of this result for the coevolution of black holes and galaxies in clusters, the evolution of AGN feedback, searches for clusters with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and the possible detection of environment-dependent downsizing.