The Coevolution of Supermassive Black Holes and Massive Galaxies at High Redshift

Abstract

We exploit the recent, wide samples of far-infrared (FIR) selected galaxies followed-up in X rays and of X-ray/optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) followed-up in the FIR band, along with the classic data on AGN and stellar luminosity functions at high redshift z>1.5, to probe different stages in the coevolution of supermassive black holes (BHs) and host galaxies. The results of our analysis indicate the following scenario: (i) the star formation in the host galaxy proceeds within a heavily dust-enshrouded medium at an almost constant rate over a timescale ~0.5-1 Gyr, and then abruptly declines due to quasar feedback; over the same timescale, (ii) part of the interstellar medium loses angular momentum, reaches the circum-nuclear regions at a rate proportional to the star formation and is temporarily stored into a massive reservoir/proto-torus wherefrom it can be promptly accreted; (iii) the BH grows by accretion in a self-regulated regime with radiative power that can slightly exceed the Eddington limit L/L_Edd< 4, particularly at the highest redshifts; (iv) for massive BHs the ensuing energy feedback at its maximum exceeds the stellar one and removes the interstellar gas, thus stopping the star formation and the fueling of the reservoir; (v) afterwards, if the latter has retained enough gas, a phase of supply-limited accretion follows exponentially declining with a timescale of about 2 e-folding times. We show that the ratio of the FIR luminosity of the host galaxy to the bolometric luminosity of the AGN maps the various stages of the above sequence. Finally, we discuss how the detailed properties and the specific evolution of the reservoir can be investigated via coordinated, high-resolution observations of starforming, strongly-lensed galaxies in the (sub-)mm band with ALMA and in the X-ray band with Chandra and the next generation X-ray instruments.