The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

T. Somboonpanyakul; M. McDonald; A. Noble; M. Aguena; S. Allam; A. Amon; F. Andrade-Oliveira; D. Bacon; M. B. Bayliss; E. Bertin; S. Bhargava; D. Brooks; E. Buckley-Geer; D. L. Burke; M. Calzadilla; R. Canning; A. Carnero Rosell; M. Carrasco Kind; J. Carretero; M. Costanzi; L. N. Da Costa; M. E.S. Pereira; J. De Vicente; P. Doel; P. Eisenhardt; S. Everett; A. E. Evrard; I. Ferrero; B. Flaugher; B. Floyd; J. García-Bellido; E. Gaztanaga; D. W. Gerdes; A. Gonzalez; D. Gruen; R. A. Gruendl; J. Gschwend; N. Gupta; G. Gutierrez; S. R. Hinton; D. L. Hollowood; K. Honscheid; B. Hoyle; D. J. James; T. Jeltema; G. Khullar; K. J. Kim; M. Klein; K. Kuehn; M. Lima; M. A.G. Maia; J. L. Marshall; P. Martini; P. Melchior; F. Menanteau; R. Miquel; J. J. Mohr; R. Morgan; R. L.C. Ogando; A. Palmese; F. Paz-Chinchón; A. Pieres; A. A. Plazas Malagón; K. Reil; A. K. Romer; F. Ruppin; E. Sanchez; A. Saro; V. Scarpine; M. Schubnell; S. Serrano; I. Sevilla-Noarbe; P. Singh; M. Smith; M. Soares-Santos; V. Strazzullo; E. Suchyta; M. E.C. Swanson; G. Tarle; C. To; D. L. Tucker; R. D. Wilkinson

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030

The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

T. Somboonpanyakul, M. McDonald, A. Noble, M. Aguena, S. Allam, A. Amon, F. Andrade-Oliveira, D. Bacon, M. B. Bayliss, E. Bertin, S. Bhargava, D. Brooks, E. Buckley-Geer, D. L. Burke, M. Calzadilla, R. Canning, A. Carnero Rosell, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, M. CostanziL. N. Da Costa, M. E.S. Pereira, J. De Vicente, P. Doel, P. Eisenhardt, S. Everett, A. E. Evrard, I. Ferrero, B. Flaugher, B. Floyd, J. García-Bellido, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, A. Gonzalez, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, J. Gschwend, N. Gupta, G. Gutierrez, S. R. Hinton, D. L. Hollowood, K. Honscheid, B. Hoyle, D. J. James, T. Jeltema, G. Khullar, K. J. Kim, M. Klein, K. Kuehn, M. Lima, M. A.G. Maia, J. L. Marshall, P. Martini, P. Melchior, F. Menanteau, R. Miquel, J. J. Mohr, R. Morgan, R. L.C. Ogando, A. Palmese, F. Paz-Chinchón, A. Pieres, A. A. Plazas Malagón, K. Reil, A. K. Romer, F. Ruppin, E. Sanchez, A. Saro, V. Scarpine, M. Schubnell, S. Serrano, I. Sevilla-Noarbe, P. Singh, M. Smith, M. Soares-Santos, V. Strazzullo, E. Suchyta, M. E.C. Swanson, G. Tarle, C. To, D. L. Tucker, R. D. Wilkinson

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Abstract

We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.

Original language	English
Article number	146
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	163
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030
State	Published - Apr 1 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Funding

Funding for the DES Projects has been provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Education of Spain, the Science and Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago, the Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics at the Ohio State University, the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientìfico e Tecnológico and the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey. This publication makes use of data products from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. T.S. and M.M. acknowledge support from the Kavli Research Investment Fund at MIT, and from NASA through Chandra grant GO5-16143. The South Pole Telescope is supported by the National Science Foundation through grant PLR-1248097. Partial support is also provided by the NSF Physics Frontier Center grant PHY-1125897 to the Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago, the Kavli Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant GBMF 947. F.R. acknowledges financial support provided by NASA through SAO Award Number SV2-82023 issued by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for and on behalf of NASA under contract NAS8-03060.

Funders	Funder number
Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientìfico e Tecnológico
Kavli Research Investment Fund
Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University
NSF Physics Frontier Center	PHY-1125897
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Science and Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom
National Science Foundation	PLR-1248097
U.S. Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NAS8-03060, SV2-82023, GO5-16143
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation	GBMF 947
Kavli Foundation
Ohio State University
University of Chicago
Higher Education Funding Council for England
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação
Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

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Somboonpanyakul, T., McDonald, M., Noble, A., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Amon, A., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Bacon, D., Bayliss, M. B., Bertin, E., Bhargava, S., Brooks, D., Buckley-Geer, E., Burke, D. L., Calzadilla, M., Canning, R., Carnero Rosell, A., Carrasco Kind, M., Carretero, J., ... Wilkinson, R. D. (2022). The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies. Astronomical Journal, 163(4), Article 146. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030

@article{4da12ac2042f4cf68af6ac31ed0c0493,

title = "The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies",

abstract = "We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.",

author = "T. Somboonpanyakul and M. McDonald and A. Noble and M. Aguena and S. Allam and A. Amon and F. Andrade-Oliveira and D. Bacon and Bayliss, {M. B.} and E. Bertin and S. Bhargava and D. Brooks and E. Buckley-Geer and Burke, {D. L.} and M. Calzadilla and R. Canning and {Carnero Rosell}, A. and {Carrasco Kind}, M. and J. Carretero and M. Costanzi and {Da Costa}, {L. N.} and Pereira, {M. E.S.} and {De Vicente}, J. and P. Doel and P. Eisenhardt and S. Everett and Evrard, {A. E.} and I. Ferrero and B. Flaugher and B. Floyd and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga and Gerdes, {D. W.} and A. Gonzalez and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and J. Gschwend and N. Gupta and G. Gutierrez and Hinton, {S. R.} and Hollowood, {D. L.} and K. Honscheid and B. Hoyle and James, {D. J.} and T. Jeltema and G. Khullar and Kim, {K. J.} and M. Klein and K. Kuehn and M. Lima and Maia, {M. A.G.} and Marshall, {J. L.} and P. Martini and P. Melchior and F. Menanteau and R. Miquel and Mohr, {J. J.} and R. Morgan and Ogando, {R. L.C.} and A. Palmese and F. Paz-Chinch{\'o}n and A. Pieres and {Plazas Malag{\'o}n}, {A. A.} and K. Reil and Romer, {A. K.} and F. Ruppin and E. Sanchez and A. Saro and V. Scarpine and M. Schubnell and S. Serrano and I. Sevilla-Noarbe and P. Singh and M. Smith and M. Soares-Santos and V. Strazzullo and E. Suchyta and Swanson, {M. E.C.} and G. Tarle and C. To and Tucker, {D. L.} and Wilkinson, {R. D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2022",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030",

language = "English",

volume = "163",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

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Somboonpanyakul, T, McDonald, M, Noble, A, Aguena, M, Allam, S, Amon, A, Andrade-Oliveira, F, Bacon, D, Bayliss, MB, Bertin, E, Bhargava, S, Brooks, D, Buckley-Geer, E, Burke, DL, Calzadilla, M, Canning, R, Carnero Rosell, A, Carrasco Kind, M, Carretero, J, Costanzi, M, Da Costa, LN, Pereira, MES, De Vicente, J, Doel, P, Eisenhardt, P, Everett, S, Evrard, AE, Ferrero, I, Flaugher, B, Floyd, B, García-Bellido, J, Gaztanaga, E, Gerdes, DW, Gonzalez, A, Gruen, D, Gruendl, RA, Gschwend, J, Gupta, N, Gutierrez, G, Hinton, SR, Hollowood, DL, Honscheid, K, Hoyle, B, James, DJ, Jeltema, T, Khullar, G, Kim, KJ, Klein, M, Kuehn, K, Lima, M, Maia, MAG, Marshall, JL, Martini, P, Melchior, P, Menanteau, F, Miquel, R, Mohr, JJ, Morgan, R, Ogando, RLC, Palmese, A, Paz-Chinchón, F, Pieres, A, Plazas Malagón, AA, Reil, K, Romer, AK, Ruppin, F, Sanchez, E, Saro, A, Scarpine, V, Schubnell, M, Serrano, S, Sevilla-Noarbe, I, Singh, P, Smith, M, Soares-Santos, M, Strazzullo, V, Suchyta, E, Swanson, MEC, Tarle, G, To, C, Tucker, DL & Wilkinson, RD 2022, 'The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies', Astronomical Journal, vol. 163, no. 4, 146. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

AU - Somboonpanyakul, T.

AU - McDonald, M.

AU - Noble, A.

AU - Aguena, M.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Amon, A.

AU - Andrade-Oliveira, F.

AU - Bacon, D.

AU - Bayliss, M. B.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Bhargava, S.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Buckley-Geer, E.

AU - Burke, D. L.

AU - Calzadilla, M.

AU - Canning, R.

AU - Carnero Rosell, A.

AU - Carrasco Kind, M.

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Costanzi, M.

AU - Da Costa, L. N.

AU - Pereira, M. E.S.

AU - De Vicente, J.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Eisenhardt, P.

AU - Everett, S.

AU - Evrard, A. E.

AU - Ferrero, I.

AU - Flaugher, B.

AU - Floyd, B.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Gonzalez, A.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gschwend, J.

AU - Gupta, N.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Hinton, S. R.

AU - Hollowood, D. L.

AU - Honscheid, K.

AU - Hoyle, B.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Jeltema, T.

AU - Khullar, G.

AU - Kim, K. J.

AU - Klein, M.

AU - Kuehn, K.

AU - Lima, M.

AU - Maia, M. A.G.

AU - Marshall, J. L.

AU - Martini, P.

AU - Melchior, P.

AU - Menanteau, F.

AU - Miquel, R.

AU - Mohr, J. J.

AU - Morgan, R.

AU - Ogando, R. L.C.

AU - Palmese, A.

AU - Paz-Chinchón, F.

AU - Pieres, A.

AU - Plazas Malagón, A. A.

AU - Reil, K.

AU - Romer, A. K.

AU - Ruppin, F.

AU - Sanchez, E.

AU - Saro, A.

AU - Scarpine, V.

AU - Schubnell, M.

AU - Serrano, S.

AU - Sevilla-Noarbe, I.

AU - Singh, P.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Strazzullo, V.

AU - Suchyta, E.

AU - Swanson, M. E.C.

AU - Tarle, G.

AU - To, C.

AU - Tucker, D. L.

AU - Wilkinson, R. D.

PY - 2022/4/1

Y1 - 2022/4/1

N2 - We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.

AB - We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126625316&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030

DO - 10.3847/1538-3881/ac5030

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85126625316

SN - 0004-6256

VL - 163

JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 4

M1 - 146

ER -

The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

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