Multiwavelength perspective of AGN evolution

TL;DR

This paper explores the evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) across multiple wavelengths, emphasizing the importance of obscured AGN at high redshifts for understanding galaxy evolution and feedback processes.

Contribution

It presents new results on the properties of high-redshift, obscured AGN host galaxies and discusses a pilot program to extend the search to even higher redshifts.

Findings

High-redshift galaxies with high mid-infrared to optical flux ratios are massive and star-forming.

Many of these galaxies host highly obscured AGN.

A pilot program aims to identify moderately obscured AGN up to z=6.

Abstract

Discovering and studying obscured AGN at z>1-3 is important not only to complete the AGN census, but also because they can pinpoint galaxies where nuclear accretion and star-formation are coeval, and mark the onset of AGN feedback. We present the latest results on the characterization of z=1-3 galaxies selected for their high mid-infrared to optical flux ratio, showing that they are massive and strongly star-forming galaxies, and that many do host highly obscured AGN. We present a pilot program to push the search of moderately obscured AGN up to z=5-6 and discuss the perspectives of this line of research.