A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies

Chien Ting J. Chen; Ryan C. Hickox; Stacey Alberts; Mark Brodwin; Christine Jones; Stephen S. Murray; David M. Alexander; Roberto J. Assef; Michael J.I. Brown; Arjun Dey; William R. Forman; Varoujan Gorjian; Andrew D. Goulding; Emeric Le Floc'H; Buell T. Jannuzi; James R. Mullaney; Alexandra Pope

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies

Chien Ting J. Chen, Ryan C. Hickox, Stacey Alberts, Mark Brodwin, Christine Jones, Stephen S. Murray, David M. Alexander, Roberto J. Assef, Michael J.I. Brown, Arjun Dey, William R. Forman, Varoujan Gorjian, Andrew D. Goulding, Emeric Le Floc'H, Buell T. Jannuzi, James R. Mullaney, Alexandra Pope

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

165 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a measurement of the average supermassive black hole accretion rate (BHAR) as a function of the star formation rate (SFR) for galaxies in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.8. We study a sample of 1767 far-IR-selected star-forming galaxies in the 9 deg² Boötes multi-wavelength survey field. The SFR is estimated using 250 μm observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, for which the contribution from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is minimal. In this sample, 121 AGNs are directly identified using X-ray or mid-IR selection criteria. We combined these detected AGNs and an X-ray stacking analysis for undetected sources to study the average BHAR for all of the star-forming galaxies in our sample. We find an almost linear relation between the average BHAR (in M_⊙ yr^-1) and the SFR (in M_⊙ yr^-1) for galaxies across a wide SFR range 0.85 < log SFR < 2.56: log BHAR = (- 3.72 ± 0.52) + (1.05 ± 0.33)log SFR. This global correlation between SFR and average BHAR is consistent with a simple picture in which SFR and AGN activity are tightly linked over galaxy evolution timescales.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	3
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	773
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3
State	Published - Aug 10 2013
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

galaxies: active
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: starburst
infrared: galaxies
X-rays: galaxies

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10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

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Chen, C. T. J., Hickox, R. C., Alberts, S., Brodwin, M., Jones, C., Murray, S. S., Alexander, D. M., Assef, R. J., Brown, M. J. I., Dey, A., Forman, W. R., Gorjian, V., Goulding, A. D., Le Floc'H, E., Jannuzi, B. T., Mullaney, J. R., & Pope, A. (2013). A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies. Astrophysical Journal, 773(1), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

@article{1e81c0da3b334d9681de3abbebd6aeef,

title = "A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies",

abstract = "We present a measurement of the average supermassive black hole accretion rate (BHAR) as a function of the star formation rate (SFR) for galaxies in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.8. We study a sample of 1767 far-IR-selected star-forming galaxies in the 9 deg2 Bo{\"o}tes multi-wavelength survey field. The SFR is estimated using 250 μm observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, for which the contribution from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is minimal. In this sample, 121 AGNs are directly identified using X-ray or mid-IR selection criteria. We combined these detected AGNs and an X-ray stacking analysis for undetected sources to study the average BHAR for all of the star-forming galaxies in our sample. We find an almost linear relation between the average BHAR (in M⊙ yr-1) and the SFR (in M⊙ yr-1) for galaxies across a wide SFR range 0.85 < log SFR < 2.56: log BHAR = (- 3.72 ± 0.52) + (1.05 ± 0.33)log SFR. This global correlation between SFR and average BHAR is consistent with a simple picture in which SFR and AGN activity are tightly linked over galaxy evolution timescales.",

keywords = "galaxies: active, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: starburst, infrared: galaxies, X-rays: galaxies",

author = "Chen, {Chien Ting J.} and Hickox, {Ryan C.} and Stacey Alberts and Mark Brodwin and Christine Jones and Murray, {Stephen S.} and Alexander, {David M.} and Assef, {Roberto J.} and Brown, {Michael J.I.} and Arjun Dey and Forman, {William R.} and Varoujan Gorjian and Goulding, {Andrew D.} and {Le Floc'H}, Emeric and Jannuzi, {Buell T.} and Mullaney, {James R.} and Alexandra Pope",

year = "2013",

month = aug,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "773",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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Chen, CTJ, Hickox, RC, Alberts, S, Brodwin, M, Jones, C, Murray, SS, Alexander, DM, Assef, RJ, Brown, MJI, Dey, A, Forman, WR, Gorjian, V, Goulding, AD, Le Floc'H, E, Jannuzi, BT, Mullaney, JR & Pope, A 2013, 'A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 773, no. 1, 3. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

TY - JOUR

T1 - A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies

AU - Chen, Chien Ting J.

AU - Hickox, Ryan C.

AU - Alberts, Stacey

AU - Brodwin, Mark

AU - Jones, Christine

AU - Murray, Stephen S.

AU - Alexander, David M.

AU - Assef, Roberto J.

AU - Brown, Michael J.I.

AU - Dey, Arjun

AU - Forman, William R.

AU - Gorjian, Varoujan

AU - Goulding, Andrew D.

AU - Le Floc'H, Emeric

AU - Jannuzi, Buell T.

AU - Mullaney, James R.

AU - Pope, Alexandra

PY - 2013/8/10

Y1 - 2013/8/10

N2 - We present a measurement of the average supermassive black hole accretion rate (BHAR) as a function of the star formation rate (SFR) for galaxies in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.8. We study a sample of 1767 far-IR-selected star-forming galaxies in the 9 deg2 Boötes multi-wavelength survey field. The SFR is estimated using 250 μm observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, for which the contribution from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is minimal. In this sample, 121 AGNs are directly identified using X-ray or mid-IR selection criteria. We combined these detected AGNs and an X-ray stacking analysis for undetected sources to study the average BHAR for all of the star-forming galaxies in our sample. We find an almost linear relation between the average BHAR (in M⊙ yr-1) and the SFR (in M⊙ yr-1) for galaxies across a wide SFR range 0.85 < log SFR < 2.56: log BHAR = (- 3.72 ± 0.52) + (1.05 ± 0.33)log SFR. This global correlation between SFR and average BHAR is consistent with a simple picture in which SFR and AGN activity are tightly linked over galaxy evolution timescales.

AB - We present a measurement of the average supermassive black hole accretion rate (BHAR) as a function of the star formation rate (SFR) for galaxies in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.8. We study a sample of 1767 far-IR-selected star-forming galaxies in the 9 deg2 Boötes multi-wavelength survey field. The SFR is estimated using 250 μm observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, for which the contribution from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is minimal. In this sample, 121 AGNs are directly identified using X-ray or mid-IR selection criteria. We combined these detected AGNs and an X-ray stacking analysis for undetected sources to study the average BHAR for all of the star-forming galaxies in our sample. We find an almost linear relation between the average BHAR (in M⊙ yr-1) and the SFR (in M⊙ yr-1) for galaxies across a wide SFR range 0.85 < log SFR < 2.56: log BHAR = (- 3.72 ± 0.52) + (1.05 ± 0.33)log SFR. This global correlation between SFR and average BHAR is consistent with a simple picture in which SFR and AGN activity are tightly linked over galaxy evolution timescales.

KW - galaxies: active

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: starburst

KW - infrared: galaxies

KW - X-rays: galaxies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881135285&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84881135285&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/3

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84881135285

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 773

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 3

ER -

A correlation between star formation rate and average black hole accretion in star-forming galaxies

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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