The accretion and obscured growth of supermassive black holes : first constraints on the local heavily obscured AGN fraction with NuSTAR / Peter Boorman.
2021
QB858.3
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Title
The accretion and obscured growth of supermassive black holes : first constraints on the local heavily obscured AGN fraction with NuSTAR / Peter Boorman.
Author
ISBN
9783030603618 (electronic book)
303060361X (electronic book)
3030603601
9783030603601
303060361X (electronic book)
3030603601
9783030603601
Published
Cham, Switzerland : Springer, [2021]
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xxiv, 311 pages) : illustrations (some color)
Item Number
10.1007/978-3-030-60361-8 doi
Call Number
QB858.3
Dewey Decimal Classification
523.112
Summary
This thesis describes the application of state-of-the-art high-energy X-ray studies to the astronomical quest for understanding obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). These AGN are supermassive black holes growing by accretion of matter located in the nuclei of galaxies. The material that feeds these black holes also obscures them from view, rendering them challenging to study. It is possible to study them by effectively 'X-raying' galactic nuclei to peer through these obscuring veils. Beginning with the proof-of-concept application of novel X-ray Monte Carlo codes to the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray (NuSTAR) spectrum of a known heavily obscured AGN, the thesis establishes the relevant parameters that characterise the AGN spectrum and central black hole growth rate. Next the largest sample of known heavily obscured AGN is compiled, finding the strength of a prominent iron spectral feature to weaken with AGN power. This is puzzling, and suggests that there may be more hidden AGN than previously thought. Finally by combining an all-sky infrared selection with NuSTAR follow-up, new heavily obscured AGN are identified. Obscuration emits infrared radiation, meaning that the infrared-selected AGN catalogue should be representative of the underlying AGN population. The absence of such representative catalogues has continually plagued cosmological studies, and the resultant obscured AGN fraction will be strongly constraining for AGN models.
Note
"Doctoral thesis accepted by University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom."
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references.
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Access limited to authorized users.
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text file
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Series
Springer theses.
Available in Other Form
Print version: 9783030603601
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Table of Contents
Introduction
IC 3639
A New Bona Fide Compton-thick AGN Unveiled by NuSTAR
An Iwasawa-Taniguchi Effect for Compton-thick Active Galactic Nuclei
The NuSTAR Local AGN NH Distribution Survey: Prospects for Mitigating Obscuration Bias in Local AGN Selection
The NuLANDS NH Distribution
Summary, Conclusions & Outlook.
IC 3639
A New Bona Fide Compton-thick AGN Unveiled by NuSTAR
An Iwasawa-Taniguchi Effect for Compton-thick Active Galactic Nuclei
The NuSTAR Local AGN NH Distribution Survey: Prospects for Mitigating Obscuration Bias in Local AGN Selection
The NuLANDS NH Distribution
Summary, Conclusions & Outlook.