We propose a cosmological survey to probe star formation and nuclear activity in galaxies at redshifts of z=2-4 by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features using the SPICA mid-infrared instrument (SMI) with a spectral resolution of R=20. We will cover a wavelength range of 20-36 μm that corresponds to z=2-4 for the PAH features (11.3, 7.7, and 6.2 μm). The sensitivity will be 1 X 10-19 W/m2 (5 σ) in case of a reference survey that covers 4 arcmin2 field in a one-hour observation. It corresponds to LIR=2 X 1011 L⊙ at z=3 and will give us more than 10000 galaxies in a 450 hour survey.
There exists strong evidence supporting the co-evolution of central supermassive black holes and their host galaxies; however it is still under debate how such a relation comes about and whether it is relevant for all or only a subset of galaxies. An important mechanism connecting AGN to their host galaxies is AGN feedback, potentially heating up or even expelling gas from galaxies. AGN feedback may hence be responsible for the eventual quenching of star formation and halting of galaxy growth. A rich multi- wavelength dataset ranging from the X-ray regime (Chandra), to far-IR (Herschel), and radio (WSRT) is available for the North Ecliptic Pole field, most notably surveyed by the AKARI infrared space telescope, covering a total area on the sky of 5.4 sq. degrees. We investigate the star formation properties and possible signatures of radio feedback mechanisms in the host galaxies of 237 radio sources below redshift z = 2 and at a radio 1.4 GHz ux density limit of 0.1 mJy. Using broadband SED modelling, the nuclear and host galaxy components of these sources are studied simultaneously as a function of their radio luminosity. Here we present results concerning the AGN content of the radio sources in this eld, while also offering evidence showcasing a link between AGN activity and host galaxy star formation. In particular, we show results supporting a maintenance type of feedback from powerful radio-jets.
We demonstrate the luminosity dependence of the covering factor (CF) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), based on AKARI mid-infrared all-sky survey catalog. Combining the AKARI with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic data, we selected 243 galaxies at 9 m and 255 galaxies at 18 m. We then identied 64 AGNs at 9 μm and 105 AGNs at 18 μm by their optical emission lines. Following that, we estimated the CF as the fraction of type 2 AGN in all AGNs. We found that the CF decreased with increasing 18 μm luminosity, regardless of the choice of type 2 AGN classification criteria.
Utilizing a unique capability of AKARI that allows deep spectroscopy at 2.5 - 5.0 μm, we performed a spectroscopy study of more than 200 quasars through one of the AKARI mission programs, QSONG (Quasar Spectroscopic Observation with NIR Grism). QSONG targeted 155 high redshift (3:3 < z < 6:42) quasars and 90 low redshift active galactic nuclei (0:002 < z < 0:48). In order to provide black hole mass estimates based on the rest-frame optical spectra, the high redshift part of QSONG is designed to detect the Hα line and the rest-frame optical spectra of quasars at z > 3:3. The low redshift part of QSONG is geared to uncover the rest-frame 2.5 - 5.0 μm spectral features of active galactic nuclei to gain useful information such as the dust-extinction-free black hole mass estimators based on the Brackett lines and the temperatures of the hot dust torus. We outline the program strategy, and present some of the scientific highlights from QSONG, including the detection of the Hα line from a quasar at z > 4:5 which indicates a rigorous growth of black holes in the early universe, and the Brβ-based black hole mass estimators and the hot dust temperatures (~ 1100 K) of low redshift AGNs.
The Infrared Camera onboard the AKARI satellite carried out spectroscopic observations with a grism mode named NG, whose wavelength coverage was 2.5{5.0 m. We reinvestigate the current ux calibration for the NG grism mode, with which calculated ux density implausibly decreases at 4.9 m especially for red objects due to the second-order light contamination. We perform a new spectral response calibration using blue and red standard objects simultaneously. New response curves which contain both the rst- and second-order light are able to separate each contribution consistently and useful for studies of red objects such as CO ro-vibrational absorption in active galactic nuclei.