Connecting the metallicity dependence and redshift evolution of high-mass X-ray binaries

Fornasini, Francesca M.; Civano, F.; Suh, Hyewon

doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1211

Cited by 38 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Moreover, the physical assumptions made by Fragos et al (2013) might not be valid for sub-mm bright DSFGs. For instance, at a fixed SFR, the X-ray emission produced by XRBs is expected to decrease with increasing metallicity (e.g., Basu-Zych et al 2016;Brorby et al 2016;Fornasini et al 2019Fornasini et al , 2020. The metallicity of high-redshift DSFGs is probably higher than that of the typical galaxy population (e.g., Swinbank et al 2004;Rigopoulou et al 2018;De Breuck et al 2019).…”

Section: X-ray Emission From Drc-1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z = 4 starbursting protocluster

Vito

Brandt

Lehmer

et al. 2020

A&A

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Context. Galaxy clusters in the local universe descend from high-redshift overdense regions known as protoclusters. The large gas reservoirs and high rate of galaxy interaction in protoclusters are expected to enhance star-formation activity and trigger luminous supermassive black-hole accretion in the nuclear regions of the host galaxies. Aims. We investigated the active galactic nucleus (AGN) content of a gas-rich and starbursting protocluster at z = 4.002, known as the Distant Red Core (DRC). In particular, we search for luminous and possibly obscured AGN in 13 identified members of the structure, and compare the results with protoclusters at lower redshifts. We also test whether a hidden AGN can power the Lyα blob (LAB) detected with VLT/MUSE in the DRC. Methods. We observed all of the identified members of the structure with 139 ks of Chandra ACIS-S imaging. Being less affected by absorption than optical and IR bands, even in the presence of large column densities of obscuring material, X-ray observations are the best tools to detect ongoing nuclear activity in the DRC galaxies. Results. We detect obscured X-ray emission from the two most gas-rich members of the DRC, named DRC-1 and DRC-2. Both of them are resolved into multiple interacting clumps in high-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope observations. In particular, DRC-2 is found to host a luminous (L2−10 keV ≈ 3 × 1045 erg s−1 ) Compton-thick (NH ≳ 1024 cm−2) quasar (QSO) candidate, comparable to the most luminous QSOs known at all cosmic times. The AGN fraction among DRC members is consistent with results found for lower redshift protoclusters. However, X-ray stacking analysis reveals that supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion is likely also taking place in other DRC galaxies that are not detected individually by Chandra. Conclusions. The luminous AGN detected in the most gas-rich galaxies in the DRC and the widespread SMBH accretion in the other members, which is suggested by stacking analysis, point toward the presence of a strong link between large gas reservoirs, galaxy interactions, and luminous and obscured nuclear activity in protocluster members. The powerful and obscured QSO detected in DRC-2 is likely powering the nearby LAB detected with VLT/MUSE, possibly through photoionization; however, we propose that the diffuse Lyα emission may be due to gas shocked by a massive outflow launched by DRC-2 over a ≈10 kpc scale.

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Section: X-ray Emission From Drc-1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z = 4 starbursting protocluster

Vito

Brandt

Lehmer

et al. 2020

A&A

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“…These locally-derived scaling relations for galaxyintegrated L X with SFR and mass have also been shown empirically to evolve with redshift (Basu-Zych et al 2013a;Lehmer et al 2016;Aird et al 2017), and very recently Fornasini et al (2019Fornasini et al ( , 2020 demonstrated that the increase of galaxy-integrated L X per unit SFR with increasing redshift is likely tied to the metallicity evolution of the Universe. This metallicity dependence of L X per unit SFR (L X /SFR) is supported by studies of HMXBs and ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), XRBs with L X > 10 39 erg s −1 , whose galaxy-integrated L X /SFR has been shown to increase with decreasing metallicity (e.g., Prestwich et al 2013;Douna et al 2015;Brorby et al 2014Brorby et al , 2016Basu-Zych et al 2013b.…”

mentioning

confidence: 63%

On the X-ray Spectral Energy Distributions of Star-Forming Galaxies: the 0.3-30 keV Spectrum of the Low-Metallicity Starburst Galaxy VV 114

Garofali,

Lehmer,

Basu-Zych

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Binary population synthesis combined with cosmological models suggest that X-ray emission from star-forming galaxies, consisting primarily of emission from X-ray binaries (XRBs) and the hot interstellar medium (ISM), could be an important, and perhaps dominant, source of heating of the intergalactic medium prior to the epoch of reionization. However, such models rely on empirical constraints for the X-ray spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies, which are currently lacking for low-metallicity galaxies. Using a combination of Chandra, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR observations, we present new constraints on the 0.3-30 keV SED of the low-metallicity starburst galaxy VV 114, which is known to host several ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with luminosities above 10 40 erg s −1 . We use an archival Chandra observation of VV 114 to constrain the contributions to the X-ray SED from the major X-ray emitting components of the galaxy, and newly acquired, nearly simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations to extend the spectral model derived from Chandra to cover the 0.3-30 keV range. Using our best-fit galaxy-wide spectral model, we derive the 0.3-30 keV SED of VV 114, which we find is dominated by emission from the XRB population, and in particular ULXs, at energies > 1.5 keV, and which we find to have an elevated galaxy-integrated X-ray luminosity per unit star formation rate relative to higher-metallicity star-forming galaxies. We discuss our results in terms of the effect of metallicity on XRB populations and the hot ISM, and the importance of X-ray emission from star-forming galaxies in the high redshift Universe.

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“…Note that a fraction of dwarf galaxies are characterized by low metallicity (see, e.g., Kirby et al 2013), which makes the X-ray detection of slowly accreting MBHs even more challenging. In fact, in low-metallicity environments the X-ray emission from star-forming regions is enhanced (Fragos et al 2013;Brorby et al 2016;Fornasini et al 2020). This is coupled to an apparent deficit in X-ray luminosity from BH accretion (Simmonds et al 2016;Cann et al 2020).…”

Section: Agn Buried Inside Compton-thick Column Densi-mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Sec. §3 we anticipated that the X-ray detection of MBHs in low-metallicity dwarf galaxies can present enhanced challenges, due to increased X-ray luminosity from star-forming regions (Fragos et al 2013;Brorby et al 2016;Fornasini et al 2020) and reduced X-ray luminosity from BH accretion (Simmonds et al 2016;Cann et al 2020). These two effects both increase the correction factor (1) described in Sec.…”

Section: The Active Fractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an example, we discuss the case of a decrease in metallicity from Z = Z to Z = 0.5 Z , where Z is the solar metallicity. Following Fornasini et al (2020), and assuming that the star formation rate of the galaxy is constant, we obtain that Z = Z , or 12 + log 10 (O/H) = 8.69, corresponds to a typical X-ray luminosity from X-ray binaries of 10 39.4 erg s −1 , while Z = 0.5 Z , 12+log 10 (O/H) = 8.39, corresponds to 10 39.7 erg s −1 , i.e. a factor ∼ 2 increase.…”

Section: The Active Fractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Active Fraction of Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies

Pacucci,

Mezcua,

Regan

2021

Preprint

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The population of massive black holes (MBHs) in dwarf galaxies is elusive, but fundamentally important to understand the co-evolution of black holes with their hosts and the formation of the first collapsed objects in the Universe. While some progress was made in determining the X-ray detected fraction of MBHs in dwarfs, with typical values ranging from 0% to 6%, their overall active fraction, A, is still largely unconstrained. Here, we develop a theoretical model to predict the multi-wavelength active fraction of MBHs in dwarf galaxies starting from first principles and based on physical properties of the host, namely its stellar mass and angular momentum content. We find multi-wavelength active fractions for MBHs, accreting at typically low rates, ranging from 5% to 22%, and increasing with the stellar mass of the host as A ∼ (log 10 M ) 4.5 . If dwarfs are characterized by low-metallicity environments, the active fraction may reach ∼ 30% for the most massive hosts. For galaxies with stellar mass in the range 10 7 < M [ M ] < 10 10 , our predictions are in agreement with occupation fractions derived from simulations and semi-analytical models. Additionally, we provide a fitting formula to predict the probability of finding an active MBH in a dwarf galaxy from observationally-derived data. This model will be instrumental to guide future observational efforts to find MBHs in dwarfs. JWST, in particular, will play a crucial role in detecting MBHs in dwarfs, possibly uncovering active fractions ∼ 3 larger than current X-ray surveys.

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Connecting the metallicity dependence and redshift evolution of high-mass X-ray binaries

Cited by 38 publications

References 77 publications

Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z = 4 starbursting protocluster

Chandra reveals a luminous Compton-thick QSO powering a Lyα blob in a z = 4 starbursting protocluster

On the X-ray Spectral Energy Distributions of Star-Forming Galaxies: the 0.3-30 keV Spectrum of the Low-Metallicity Starburst Galaxy VV 114

The Active Fraction of Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies

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