Exploring the X-ray-radio connection for AGN via measurements of the multi-dimensional luminosity function

TL;DR

This paper develops new methods to analyze the joint distribution of X-ray and radio luminosities in AGN, revealing that high-luminosity AGN are more likely to emit strongly in both bands, indicating a connection between accretion and jet production.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-dimensional luminosity function for AGN, combining X-ray and radio data, and provides new insights into the luminosity dependence of AGN emission properties.

Findings

Weak intrinsic correlation between X-ray and radio luminosities at fixed redshift.

High-luminosity AGN are more likely to be detected in both X-ray and radio bands.

The fraction of dual-detected AGN approaches 100% at the highest luminosities.

Abstract

We present new methods to quantify the AGN population in terms of a multi-dimensional luminosity function that describes the space density of sources as a function of both X-ray and radio luminosity. We compile a sample of 1538 radio and X-ray detected extragalactic sources from the Bo\"otes and COSMOS fields. First, we investigate the X-ray-radio luminosity correlation in the sample and find that an apparent correlation is introduced due to the sensitivity limits of the surveys; when considering individual redshift bins we find a wide range of radio luminosities associated with a given X-ray luminosity, and vice versa, indicating little direct connection between the emission processes. We then measure the X-ray luminosity function, radio luminosity function and multi-dimensional X-ray-radio luminosity function across redshift ($0<z<6$). We apply luminosity thresholds in X-ray and radio to restrict our sample to those in the AGN-dominated regime and explore how the fraction of radio-selected AGN within the overall X-ray sample varies with increasing X-ray luminosity (and vice versa). We find that towards the highest X-ray and radio luminosities the fraction of sources with both an X-ray and radio detection increases towards 100%, indicating that at the highest luminosities we are more likely to obtain a detection in both bands, though the source will not necessarily be bright in both bands. Thus, the most luminous accretion events are more likely to be associated with the production of a jet, despite the distinct physical structures that produce the emission and likely persist over very different timescales.