arXiv subjects

M. J. Temple

Publications and source records attributed to M. J. Temple.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Photometric redshifts for active galactic nuclei with LePHARE for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) play a crucial role in galaxy evolution, but they are a minority of extragalactic sources with diverse Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs), which depend on their means of selection. Upcoming large-scale surveys such as LSST will identify many AGN, but analysis tools are not optimized for them. The limited number of photometric bands in these surveys impacts the calculation of photometric redshifts for AGN, which are essential for scientific advancement. We use LePHARE to demonstrate the impact that a limited number of bands and erroneous assumptions have on the determination of the photometric redshifts of AGN. We conduct tests on six AGN samples selected using X-ray, radio, infrared, variability, color, and spectroscopic criteria in the COSMOS field, using photometry from HSC-CLAUDS, which is closest in depth and wavelength coverage to LSST. We present the LSST pipeline for LePHARE within the Redshift Assessment Infrastructure Layers (RAIL), facilitating comparison between SED fitting and machine learning algorithms. AGN that appear as point-like sources in optical data will be assigned highly unreliable photometric redshifts if they are processed using galaxy templates. Additionally, shallow all-sky surveys (like eROSITA, WISE, and ZTF) miss many AGN. As a result, these "hidden" AGN are often misidentified as galaxies in public survey data, leading to incorrect photometric redshift. We provide the configurations that are suggested for each type of AGN alongside measures of expected performance as a function of redshift, magnitude, and selection. To facilitate studies with a panchromatic view of AGN, we also release photometric redshifts and posterior distributions for all AGN sources identified in the COSMOS field using the six criteria, based on 28-band photometry.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Radio-dust connection in quasars driven by powerful ionised outflows

Feedback from dusty quasars is thought to be a key driver in galaxy evolution. Multiple studies have reported a link between dust extinction and radio emission in quasars, possibly attributed to winds or jets interacting with the interstellar medium. We use optical spectra from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to test whether ionised outflows could be driving the observed radio-dust connection and to determine whether dust and/or colour play a role in producing high-velocity ionised outflows in quasars. Based on a sample of 3418 DESI quasars at 0.5 < z < 0.9, we constrained the [OIII]$\lambda$5007 kinematics by fitting the spectra with PyQSOFit and comparing the observed trends among the [OIII] outflow velocity and the line-of-sight dust extinction E(B-V), optical-to-mid-infrared (MIR) colour g-W2, and L6$\mu$m/L5100A (a proxy for MIR excess). Utilising radio data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) DR2, we also explored the link between radio, dust, and outflows. We find that the link between radio emission and dust obscuration is driven by sources hosting high-velocity ionised outflows. However, we find no significant trend between the [OIII] outflow velocity and E(B-V), which suggests dust extinction alone is not a significant factor in determining whether a quasar hosts a powerful ionised outflow. On the other hand, we find a clear positive trend between g-W2 and outflow velocity, even after controlling for luminosity. We suggest this is due to a connection between a MIR excess (boosting the W2 band) and outflows, which is supported by a positive trend between L6$\mu$m/L5100A and outflow velocity. Our results point to a scenario in which outflows shock the surrounding dust and gas, heating the dust and boosting both the MIR and radio emission.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

VAR-PZnn: A machine-learning framework for AGN photometric redshifts using color and variability-based features

Photometric redshift estimation for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains a fundamental challenge for current and upcoming large-scale photometric surveys. Traditional spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting suffers from color-redshift degeneracies, particularly for AGNs whose power-law continua hide the strong spectral features required to anchor redshift estimates. While AGN variability provides additional constraining power, existing frameworks require multi-band light curves that are not always available. This work presents VAR-PZnn, a fully connected mixture density network that integrates 26 variability features extracted from ZTF g-band light curves with optical photometry from Pan-STARRS1, mid-infrared (MIR) photometry from CatWISE, and, for a subsample, NIR photometry from UKIDSS. The model is trained and tested on 72,728 spectroscopically confirmed AGNs/QSOs spanning 0.01 < z < 4.5 and g-band magnitudes from 17 to 21.5. For the main sample, we achieve \sigma_{NMAD} = 0.058 and an outlier fraction of \eta = 8.2%, which reduces to 5.4% when the 10% of sources with the highest predicted uncertainty are excluded. An ablation study demonstrates that MIR photometry provides the dominant constraint for photo-z accuracy, while variability features serve as a secondary refiner. Using UKIDSS NIR data as a proxy for future synergies between LSST and space-based missions like Euclid and Roman, we obtain \eta = 13.3% without MIR data and \eta = 4.6% when MIR is available. We benchmark against Low-Resolution Templates (LRT) SED fitting (\eta = 28.7%) and the VAR-PZ framework; applying single-band VAR-PZ priors worsens LRT performance to \eta = 39.4% due to single-band light-curve degeneracies, confirmed via simulations (\eta = 27.6% to 28.1%). This framework provides a scalable approach for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

4MOST ChANGES: Catalog of high-redshift quasar candidates (4.5 < $z$ < 7) selected with SED fitting

The identification of high-redshift quasars ($z > 4.5$) is critical for studying the early Universe, supermassive black hole growth, and cosmic reionization. Most known high-redshift quasars are located in the northern hemisphere, leaving the southern sky largely unexplored. As part of the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) and Chilean AGN/Galaxy Extragalactic Survey (ChANGES) S1604 survey, we aim to create a large catalog of high-redshift quasar candidates in the southern hemisphere using multiwavelength photometry and Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fitting, with the goal of spectroscopic follow-up with 4MOST. We construct a multi-band photometric catalog by combining optical data from DELVE DR2 and DECaLS DR10, near-infrared data from VHS DR5 with an additional field of VIKING, mid-infrared data from AllWISE, and optical astrometry from Gaia DR3. After applying morphological and color-based cuts, we perform SED fitting using quasar and brown dwarf templates. Statistical outputs, including $χ^2$, BIC, and F-test are used to rank and select candidates. Our final catalog contains 6104 high-redshift quasar candidates within $4.5 < z < 7$, with detections in 7 or more photometric bands satisfying our SED-based selection criteria (BIC > 0 and F-test > 10). Spectroscopic validation using NTT/EFOSC2 and Palomar/NGPS confirmed 3 high-redshift quasars at $z > 5$ out of 6 observed candidates.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

VAR-PZ: Constraining the Photometric Redshifts of Quasars using Variability

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST is expected to discover tens of millions of new Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). The survey's exceptional cadence and sensitivity will enable UV/optical/NIR monitoring of a significant fraction of these objects. The unprecedented number of sources makes spectroscopic follow-up for the vast majority of them unfeasible in the near future, so most studies will have to rely on photometric redshifts estimates which are traditionally much less reliable for AGN than for inactive galaxies. This work presents a novel methodology to constrain the photometric redshift of AGNs that leverages the effects of cosmological time dilation, and of the luminosity and wavelength dependence of AGN variability. Specifically, we assume that the variability can be modeled as a damped random walk (DRW) process, and adopt a parametric model to characterize the DRW timescale ($τ$) and asymptotic amplitude of the variability (SF$_\infty$) based on the redshift, the rest-frame wavelength, and the AGN luminosity. We construct variability-based photo-$z$ priors by modeling the observed variability using the expected DRW parameters at a given redshift. These variability-based photometric redshift (VAR-PZ) priors are then combined with traditional SED fitting to improve the redshift estimates from SED fitting. Validation is performed using observational data from the SDSS, demonstrating significant reduction in catastrophic outliers by more than 10% in comparison with SED fitting techniques and improvements in redshift precision. The simulated light curves with both SDSS and LSST-like cadences and baselines confirm that, VAR-PZ will be able to constrain the photometric redshifts of SDSS-like AGNs by bringing the outlier fractions down to below 7% from 32% (SED-alone) at the end of the survey.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

AGILE: an end-to-end Rubin-LSST simulation of AGNs, galaxies, and stars I. Software description and first data release

Contemporary large-scale surveys such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and Euclid present an unprecedented discovery potential for studying AGNs at the population level in the big data era. However, one major challenge is the accurate identification and classification of AGNs from optical/NIR photometry, or variability data alone. In order to optimize AGN selection, classification, and systematics, as well as to test different data analysis tools, we present AGILE (AGNs In the LSST Era), an LSST end-to-end simulation software. AGILE -- developed as part of the INAF LSST in-kind contribution -- is capable of simulating the anticipated AGN population in LSST and Euclid. We based AGILE on existing simulations of galaxies and stars, while we developed an AGN recipe based on empirical relations. AGILE populates complete galaxy samples with AGNs according to the observed AGN accretion rate distribution, and each AGN is assigned an optical/UV spectral energy distribution. Optical AGN variability is added using a damped random walk model connected to the AGN physical parameters. Finally, AGILE creates both LSST-like images and related data products. Using AGILE, we build a $24$ deg$^2$ complete mock truth catalog of AGNs, galaxies, and stars with $0.2 < z < 5.5$, $\log M/M_\odot > 8.5$ (AGNs and galaxies), and $r < 27.5$ mag (stars). We perform a pilot simulation (AGILE DR1) consisting of $1$ deg$^2$ of LSST operations in the COSMOS field observed up to three years according to the survey strategy. We use AGILE DR1 to quantify the accuracy of the LSST Science Pipelines in recovering true fluxes of AGNs, galaxies, and stars. We quantify the LSST completeness and purity in recovering Type 1 AGNs using typical color-color and variability selections. We share the AGILE DR1 dataset, an ideal test-bench for further scientific exploitation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

The Cosmic Evolution of CIV Absorbers at $1.4<z<4.5$: Insights from $100,000$ Systems in DESI Quasars

We present the largest catalog to date of triply ionized carbon (CIV) absorbers detected in quasar spectra from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. Using an automated matched-kernel convolution method with adaptive signal-to-noise thresholds, we identify $101,487$ CIV systems in the redshift range $1.4 < z < 4.5$ from $300,637$ quasar spectra. Completeness is estimated via Monte Carlo simulations and catalog is $50\%$ complete at $\mathrm{EW}_{\mathrm{CIV}} \geq 0.4$ Angstroms. The differential equivalent width frequency distribution declines exponentially and shows weak redshift evolution. The absorber incidence per unit comoving path increases by a factor of $2-5$ from $z \approx 4.5$ to $z \approx 1.4$, with stronger redshift evolution for strong systems. Using column densities derived from the apparent optical depth method, we constrain the cosmic mass density of CIV, $Ω_{\mathrm{CIV}}$, which increases by a factor of $\sim 3.8$ from $(0.82 \pm 0.05) \times 10^{-8}$ at $z \approx 4.5$ to $(3.16 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{-8}$ at $z \approx 1.4$. From $Ω_{\rm CIV}$, we estimate a lower limit on intergalactic medium metallicity $\log(Z_{\rm IGM}/Z_{\odot}) \gtrsim -3.25$ at $z \sim 2.3$, with a smooth decline at higher redshifts. These trends trace the cosmic star formation history and HeII photoheating rate, suggesting a link between CIV enrichment, star formation, and UV background over $\sim 3$ Gyr. The catalog also provides a critical resource for future studies connecting circumgalactic metals to galaxy evolution, especially near cosmic noon.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Evidence for universal gas depletion in a sample of 41 luminous Type 1 quasars at z $\sim$ 2

We present ALMA CO observations of the molecular gas in a sample of 41 luminous unobscured quasars at z $\sim$ 2 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. 32 targets comprise the main sample observed in CO(3-2) and 9 targets have archival ALMA data of CO(3-2), CO(4-3) and CO(7-6). All quasars have rest-UV to optical spectra tracing ionised gas in the broad line region (e.g. CIV) and the narrow line region (e.g. [OIII]) and they cover the full range of outflow properties in the SDSS quasar population at these redshifts. 15 out of the 32 quasars in the main sample are detected in CO(3-2) and five out of the nine archival quasars are also detected in CO. The median gas mass for all 20 CO detected quasars is 8.0 $\pm$ 1.5 $\times$ 10$^9$ M$_{\odot}$ with a median M$_{dyn}$ of 1.4 $\pm$ 0.9 $\times$ 10$^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$. We find gas fractions in the range 0.02 - 0.32, which are generally lower than both inactive galaxies and obscured quasars at similar redshifts. We suggest an evolutionary trend in gas fractions of quasar host galaxies from obscured and gas rich to unobscured and gas poor. We note a tentative correlation between the gas fractions and the broad-line region properties with quasars showing high CIV blueshifts, indicating stronger broad-line region winds, having higher gas fractions. Six of the quasars corresponding to 15% of the sample also show evidence for at least one companion galaxy detected in CO at the same redshift.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

HYPERION: broad-band X-ray-to-near-infrared emission of Quasars in the first billion years of the Universe

We aim at characterizing the X-ray-to-optical/near-infrared broad-band emission of luminous QSOs in the first Gyr of cosmic evolution to understand whether they exhibit differences compared to the lower-\textit{z} QSO population. Our goal is also to provide for these objects a reliable and uniform catalog of SED fitting derivable properties such as bolometric and monochromatic luminosities, Eddington ratios, dust extinction, strength of the hot dust emission. We characterize the X-ray/UV emission of each QSO using average SEDs from luminous Type 1 sources and calculate bolometric and monochromatic luminosities. Finally we construct a mean SED extending from the X-rays to the NIR bands. We find that the UV-optical emission of these QSOs can be modelled with templates of $z\sim$2 luminous QSOs. We observe that the bolometric luminosities derived adopting some bolometric corrections at 3000 Å ($BC_{3000\textÅ}$) largely used in the literature are slightly overestimated by 0.13 dex as they also include reprocessed IR emission. We estimate a revised value, i.e. $BC_{3000\textÅ}=3.3 $ which can be used for deriving $L_\text{bol}$ in \textit{z} $\geq$ 6 QSOs. A sub-sample of 11 QSOs is provided with rest-frame NIR photometry, showing a broad range of hot dust emission strength, with two sources exhibiting low levels of emission. Despite potential observational biases arising from non-uniform photometric coverage and selection biases, we produce a X-ray-to-NIR mean SED for QSOs at \textit{z} $\gtrsim$ 6, revealing a good match with templates of lower-redshift, luminous QSOs up to the UV-optical range, with a slightly enhanced contribution from hot dust in the NIR.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Investigating Changing-Look Active Galactic Nuclei with Long-term Optical and X-Ray Observations

Changing-look active galactic nuclei (CLAGNs) show the appearance and disappearance of broad emission lines in their UV/optical spectra on timescales of months to decades. Here, we investigate how CL transitions depend on several AGN parameters such as accretion rate, obscuration properties and black hole mass. We study a sample of 20 nearby optically-identified CLAGNs from the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS), using quasi-simultaneous optical and X-ray observations taken in the last $\sim 40$ years. We find that for all CLAGNs, the transition is accompanied by a change in Eddington ratio. The CL transitions are not associated with changes in the obscuration properties of the AGN. CLAGNs are found to have a median Eddington ratio lower than the AGNs in the BASS sample in which CL transitions were not detected. The median of the transition Eddington ratio (Eddington ratio at which AGN changes its state) is found to be $\sim 0.01$ for type 1 $\leftrightarrow$ 1.8/1.9/2 transition, which is consistent with the hard $\leftrightarrow$ soft state transition in black hole X-ray binaries. Most CL events are constrained to occur within 3-4 years, which is considerably shorter than the expected viscous timescale in AGN accretion disk. The transitions of the optical CLAGNs studied here are likely associated to state changes in the accretion flow, possibly driven by disk-instability.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

BASS XLI: the correlation between Mid-infrared emission lines and Active Galactic Nuclei emission

We analyze the Spitzer spectra of 140 active galactic nuclei (AGN) detected in the hard X-rays (14-195 keV) by the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board Swift. This sample allows us to probe several orders of magnitude in black hole masses ($10^6-10^9 M_{\odot}$), Eddington ratios ($10^{-3}-1$), X-ray luminosities ($10^{42}-10^{45}\rm\,erg\,s^{-1}$), and X-ray column densities ($10^{20}-10^{24}\rm\,cm^{-2}$). The AGN emission is expected to be the dominant source of ionizing photons with energies $\gtrsim50$ eV, and therefore high-ionization mid-infrared (MIR) emission lines such as [Ne V] 14.32, 24.32 $μ$m and [O IV] 25.89 $μ$m are predicted to be good proxies of AGN activity, and robust against obscuration effects. We find high detection rates ($\gtrsim85-90$ per cent) for the mid-infrared coronal emission lines in our AGN sample. The luminosities of these lines are correlated with the 14-150 keV luminosity (with a typical scatter of $σ\sim 0.4-0.5$ dex), strongly indicating that the mid-infrared coronal line emission is driven by AGN activity. Interestingly, we find that the coronal lines are more tightly correlated to the bolometric luminosity ($σ\sim 0.2-0.3$ dex), calculated from careful analysis of the spectral energy distribution, than to the X-ray luminosity. We find that the relationship between the coronal line strengths and $L_{14-150\rm\,keV}$ is independent of black hole mass, Eddington ratio and X-ray column density. This confirms that the mid-infrared coronal lines can be used as unbiased tracers of the AGN power for X-ray luminosities in the $10^{42}-10^{45}\rm\,erg\,s^{-1}$ range.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

CircleZ: Reliable Photometric redshifts for AGN computed using only photometry from Legacy Survey Imaging for DESI

(abridged)Photometric redshifts for AGN (galaxies hosting an accreting supermassive black hole in their center) are notoriously challenging and currently better computed via SED fitting, assuming that deep photometry for many wavelengths is available. However, for AGN detected all-sky, the photometry is limited and provided by different projects. This makes the task of homogenising the data challenging and is a dramatic drawback for the millions of AGN that wide surveys like SRG/eROSITA will detect. This work aims to compute reliable photometric redshifts for X-ray-detected AGN using only one dataset that covers a large area: the 10th Data Release of the Imaging Legacy Survey (LS10) for DESI. LS10 provides deep grizW1-W4 forced photometry within various apertures, thus avoids issues related to the cross-calibration of surveys. We present the results from CircleZ, a machine-learning algorithm based on a Fully Connected Neural Network. CircleZ uses training sample of 14,000 X-ray-detected AGN and utilizes multi-aperture photometry. The accuracy and the fraction of outliers reached in a test sample of 2913 AGN are 0.067 and 11.6%, respectively. The results are comparable to or better than those obtained previously for the same field but with much less effort. We further tested the stability of the results by computing the photometric redshifts for the sources detected in CSC2 and Chandra-COSMOS Legacy, reaching comparable accuracy as in eFEDS when limiting the magnitude of the counterparts with respect to the depth of LS10. The method applies to fainter samples of AGN using deeper optical data from future surveys (e.g., LSST, Euclid), granted LS10-like information on the light distribution beyond a morphological type is provided. With the paper, we release an updated version of the photometric redshifts (including errors and probability distribution function) for eROSITA/eFEDS.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

BASS XLII: The relation between the covering factor of dusty gas and the Eddington ratio in nearby active galactic nuclei

Accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) located at the center of galaxies are typically surrounded by large quantities of gas and dust. The structure and evolution of this circumnuclear material can be studied at different wavelengths, from the submillimeter to the X-rays. Recent X-ray studies have shown that the covering factor of the obscuring material tends to decrease with increasing Eddington ratio, likely due to radiative feedback on dusty gas. Here we study a sample of 549 nearby (z<0.1) hard X-ray (14-195 keV) selected non-blazar active galactic nuclei (AGN), and use the ratio between the AGN infrared and bolometric luminosity as a proxy of the covering factor. We find that, in agreement with what has been found by X-ray studies of the same sample, the covering factor decreases with increasing Eddington ratio. We also confirm previous findings which showed that obscured AGN typically have larger covering factors than unobscured sources. Finally, we find that the median covering factors of AGN located in different regions of the column density-Eddington ratio diagram are in good agreement with what would be expected from a radiation-regulated growth of SMBHs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

BASS XXXVII: The role of radiative feedback in the growth and obscuration properties of nearby supermassive black holes

We study the relation between obscuration and supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth using a large sample of hard X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We find a strong decrease in the fraction of obscured sources above the Eddington limit for dusty gas ($\log λ_{\rm Edd}\gtrsim -2$) confirming earlier results, and consistent with the radiation-regulated unification model. This also explains the difference in the Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs) of type 1 and type 2 AGN obtained by a recent study. The break in the ERDF of nearby AGN is at $\log λ_{\rm Edd}^{*}=-1.34\pm0.07$. This corresponds to the $λ_{\rm Edd}$ where AGN transition from having most of their sky covered by obscuring material to being mostly devoid of absorbing material. A similar trend is observed for the luminosity function, which implies that most of the SMBH growth in the local Universe happens when the AGN is covered by a large reservoir of gas and dust. These results could be explained with a radiation-regulated growth model, in which AGN move in the $N_{\rm H}-λ_{\rm Edd}$ plane during their life cycle. The growth episode starts with the AGN mostly unobscured and accreting at low $λ_{\rm Edd}$. As the SMBH is further fueled, $λ_{\rm Edd}$, $N_{\rm H}$ and covering factor increase, leading AGN to be preferentially observed as obscured. Once $λ_{\rm Edd}$ reaches the Eddington limit for dusty gas, the covering factor and $N_{\rm H}$ rapidly decrease, leading the AGN to be typically observed as unobscured. As the remaining fuel is depleted, the SMBH goes back into a quiescent phase.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

X-ray Observations of Luminous Dusty Quasars at z > 2

We present new X-ray observations of luminous heavily dust-reddened quasars (HRQs) selected from infrared sky surveys. HRQs appear to be a dominant population at high redshifts and the highest luminosities, and may be associated with a transitional "blowout" phase of black hole and galaxy co-evolution models. Despite this, their high-energy properties have been poorly known. We use the overall sample of $10$ objects with XMM-Newton coverage to study the high-energy properties of HRQs at $\left< L_{\rm bol} \right> = 10^{47.5}$ erg/s and $\left< z \right>= 2.5$. For the seven sources with strong X-ray detections, we perform spectral analyses. These find a median X-ray luminosity of $\left< L_{\rm 2-10\,keV} \right> = 10^{45.1}$ erg/s, comparable to the most powerful X-ray quasars known. The gas column densities are $N_{\rm H}=(1$-$8)\times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, in agreement with the amount of dust extinction observed. The dust to gas ratios are sub-Galactic, but are higher than found in local AGN. The intrinsic X-ray luminosities of HRQs are weak compared to the mid-infrared ($L_{\rm 6μm}$) and bolometric luminosities ($L_{\rm bol}$), in agreement with findings for other luminous quasar samples. For instance, the X-ray to bolometric corrections range from $κ_{\rm bol}\approx 50$-$3000$. The moderate absorption levels and accretion rates close to the Eddington limit ($\left< λ_{\rm Edd} \right>=1.06$) are in agreement with a quasar blowout phase. Indeed, we find that the HRQs lie in the forbidden region of the $N_{\rm H}$-$λ_{\rm Edd}$ plane, and therefore that radiation pressure feedback on the dusty interstellar medium may be driving a phase of blowout that has been ongoing for a few $10^{5}$ years. The wider properties, including [OIII] narrow-line region kinematics, broadly agree with this interpretation.

astro-ph.HE↗