arXiv subjects

Nick Seymour

Publications and source records attributed to Nick Seymour.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Constraining the Radio Properties of the $z$=6.44 QSO VIK J2318$-$3113

The recent detection of the quasi-stellar object (QSO) VIKING J231818.3$-$311346 (hereafter VIK J2318$-$3113) at redshift $z=6.44$ in the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) uncovered its radio-loud nature, making it one of the most distant known to date in this class. By using data from several radio surveys of the Galaxy and Mass Assembly 23$^\mathrm{h}$ field and from dedicated follow-up, we were able to constrain the radio spectrum of VIK J2318$-$3113 in the observed range $\sim$0.1--10 GHz. At high frequencies (0.888--5.5 GHz in the observed frame) the QSO presents a steep spectrum ($α_{\rm r}$=1.24, with $S_ν\propto ν^{-α_{\rm r}}$), while at lower frequencies (0.4--0.888 GHz in the observed frame) it is nearly flat. The overall spectrum can be modelled by either a curved function with a rest-frame turnover around 5 GHz, or with a smoothly varying double power law that is flat below a rest-frame break frequency of about 20 GHz and which significantly steepens above it. Based on the model adopted, we estimated that the radio jets of VIK J2318$-$3113 must be a few hundred years old, in the case of a turnover, or less than few$\times$10$^4$ years, in the case of a break in the spectrum. Having multiple observations at two frequencies (888 MHz and 5.5 GHz), we further investigated the radio variability previously reported for this source. We found that the marginally significant flux density variations are consistent with the expectations from refractive interstellar scintillation, even though relativistic effects related to the orientation of the source may still play a non-negligible role. Further radio and X-ray observations are required to conclusively discern the nature of this variation.

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arXiv2021

Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS): Identification of AGN through SED Fitting and the Evolution of the Bolometric AGN Luminosity Function

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are typically identified through radio, mid-infrared, or X-ray emission or through the presence of broad and/or narrow emission lines. AGN can also leave an imprint on a galaxy's spectral energy distribution (SED) through the re-processing of photons by the dusty torus. Using the SED fitting code ProSpect with an incorporated AGN component, we fit the far ultraviolet to far-infrared SEDs of $\sim$494,00 galaxies in the D10-COSMOS field and $\sim$230,000 galaxies from the GAMA survey. By combining an AGN component with a flexible star formation and metallicity implementation, we obtain estimates for the AGN luminosities, stellar masses, star formation histories, and metallicity histories for each of our galaxies. We find that ProSpect can identify AGN components in 91 per cent of galaxies pre-selected as containing AGN through narrow-emission line ratios and the presence of broad lines. Our ProSpect-derived AGN luminosities show close agreement with luminosities derived for X-ray selected AGN using both the X-ray flux and previous SED fitting results. We show that incorporating the flexibility of an AGN component when fitting the SEDs of galaxies with no AGN has no significant impact on the derived galaxy properties. However, in order to obtain accurate estimates of the stellar properties of AGN host galaxies, it is crucial to include an AGN component in the SED fitting process. We use our derived AGN luminosities to map the evolution of the AGN luminosity function for $0<z<2$ and find good agreement with previous measurements and predictions from theoretical models.

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arXiv2021

The GLEAMing of the First Supermassive Black Holes

We present the results of a new selection technique to identify powerful ($L_{\rm 500\,MHz}>10^{27}\,$WHz$^{-1}$) radio galaxies towards the end of the Epoch of Reionisation. Our method is based on the selection of bright radio sources showing radio spectral curvature at the lowest frequency ($\sim 100\,$MHz) combined with the traditional faintness in $K-$band for high redshift galaxies. This technique is only possible thanks to the Galactic and Extra-galactic All-sky Murchison wide-field Array (GLEAM) survey which provides us with 20 flux measurements across the $70-230\,$MHz range. For this pilot project, we focus on the GAMA 09 field to demonstrate our technique. We present the results of our follow-up campaign with the Very Large Telescope, Australian Telescope Compact Array and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) to locate the host galaxy and to determine its redshift. Of our four candidate high redshift sources, we find two powerful radio galaxies in the $1 5.5$ has a high $25-50\%$ success rate.

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arXiv2021

The Nature and Likely Redshift of GLEAM J0917-0012

We previously reported a putative detection of a radio galaxy at z=10.15, selected from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey. The redshift of this source, GLEAM J0917-0012, was based upon three weakly detected molecular emission lines observed with the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA). In order to confirm this result, we conducted deep spectroscopic follow-up observations with ALMA and the Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The ALMA observations targeted the same CO lines previously reported in Band 3 (84-115GHz) and the VLA targeted the CO(4-3) and [CI(1-0)] lines for an independent confirmation in Q-band (41 and 44GHz). Neither observation detected any emission lines, removing support for our original interpretation. Adding publicly available optical data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam survey, WISE and Herschel Space Observatory in the infrared, as well as <10GHz polarisation and 162MHz inter-planetary scintillation observations, we model the physical and observational characteristics of GLEAM J0917-0012 as a function of redshift. Comparing these predictions and observational relations to the data, we are able to constrain its nature and distance. We argue that if GLEAM J0917-0012 is at z<3 then it has an extremely unusual nature, and that the more likely solution is that the source lies above z=7.

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arXiv2020

Massive molecular gas reservoir around the central AGN in the CARLA J1103+3449 cluster at z=1.44

Passive early-type galaxies dominate cluster cores at z $\lesssim$1.5. At higher redshift, cluster core galaxies are observed to have still on-going star-formation, fuelled by cold molecular gas. We measure the molecular gas reservoir of the central region around the radio-loud AGN in the cluster CARLA J1103+3449 at z=1.44 with NOEMA. The AGN synchrotron emission dominates the continuum emission at 94.48 GHz, and we measure its flux at the AGN position and at the position of two radio jets. Combining our measurements with published results over the range 4.71 GHz-94.5 GHz, we obtain a flat spectral index $α= 0.14 \pm 0.03$ for the AGN core emission, and a steeper index $α= 1.43 \pm 0.04$ and $α= 1.15 \pm 0.04$ at positions close to the western and eastern lobe, respectively. The total spectral index is $α= 0.92 \pm 0.02$ over the range 73.8 MHz-94.5 GHz. We detect two CO(2-1) emission lines, both blue-shifted with respect to the AGN. Their emission corresponds to two regions, ~17 kpc south-east and ~14 kpc south-west of the AGN, not associated with galaxies. In these two regions, we find a total massive molecular gas reservoir of $M_{gas}$ = 3.9 $\pm$ 0.4 $10^{10} M_{\odot}$, which dominates (~ 60%) the central total molecular gas reservoir. These results can be explained by massive cool gas flows in the center of the cluster. The AGN early-type host is not yet quenched; its star formation rate is consistent with being on the main sequence of star-forming galaxies in the field (SFR~30-140 $M_{\odot}$/yr), and the cluster core molecular gas reservoir is expected to feed the AGN and the host star-formation before quiescence. The other cluster confirmed members show star formation rates at ~2 $σ$ below the field main sequence at similar redshifts and do not have molecular gas masses larger than galaxies of similar stellar mass in the field.

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arXiv2020

RAiSERed: radio continuum redshifts for lobed AGNs

Next-generation radio surveys are expected to detect tens of millions of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with a median redshift of z > 1. Beyond targeted surveys, the vast majority of these objects will not have spectroscopic redshifts, whilst photometric redshifts for high-redshift AGNs are of limited quality, and even then require optical and infrared photometry. We propose a new approach to measure the redshifts of lobed radio galaxies based exclusively on radio-frequency imaging and broadband radio photometry. Specifically, our algorithm uses the lobe flux density, angular size and width, and spectral shape to derive probability density functions for the most likely source redshift based on the Radio AGN in Semi-analytic Environments (RAiSE) dynamical model. The full physically based model explains 70% of the variation in the spectroscopic redshifts of a high-redshift (2 < z < 4) sample of radio AGNs, compared to at most 27% for any one of the observed attributes in isolation. We find that upper bounds on the angular size, as expected for unresolved sources, are sufficient to yield accurate redshift measurements at z > 2. The error in the model upon calibration using at least nine sources with known spectroscopic redshifts is <14% in redshift (as 1 + z) across all redshifts. We provide python code for the calculation and calibration of our radio continuum redshifts in an online library.

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arXiv2020

The GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample: II. Host-galaxy identification for individual sources

The entire southern sky (Declination, $δ<$ 30 deg) has been observed using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which provides radio imaging of $\sim$2-arcmin resolution at low frequencies (72-231 MHz). This is the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) Survey, and we have previously used a combination of visual inspection, cross-checks against the literature, and internal matching to identify the 'brightest' radio-sources ($S_{\mathrm{151MHz}} >$ 4 Jy) in the extragalactic catalogue (Galactic latitude, $|b| >$ 10 deg). We refer to these 1,863 sources as the GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample, and use radio images (of $\leq$ 45-arcsec resolution), and multi-wavelength information, to assess their morphology and identify the galaxy that is hosting the radio emission (where appropriate). Details of how to access all of the overlays used for this work are available at https://github.com/svw26/G4Jy. Alongside this we conduct further checks against the literature, which we document in this paper for individual sources. Whilst the vast majority of the G4Jy Sample are active galactic nuclei with powerful radio-jets, we highlight that it also contains a nebula, two nearby, star-forming galaxies, a cluster relic, and a cluster halo. There are also three extended sources for which we are unable to infer the mechanism that gives rise to the low-frequency emission. In the G4Jy catalogue we provide mid-infrared identifications for 86% of the sources, and flag the remainder as: having an uncertain identification (129 sources), having a faint/uncharacterised mid-infrared host (126 sources), or it being inappropriate to specify a host (2 sources). For the subset of 129 sources, there is ambiguity concerning candidate host-galaxies, and this includes four sources (B0424$-$728, B0703$-$451, 3C 198, and 3C 403.1) where we question the existing identification.

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arXiv2020

The GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample: I. Definition and the catalogue

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) has observed the entire southern sky (Declination, $δ<$ 30 deg) at low radio-frequencies, over the range 72-231 MHz. These observations constitute the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) Survey, and we use the extragalactic catalogue (Galactic latitude, $|b| >$ 10 deg) to define the GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample. This is a complete sample of the 'brightest' radio-sources ($S_{\mathrm{151MHz}} >$ 4 Jy), the majority of which are active galactic nuclei with powerful radio-jets. Crucially, low-frequency observations allow the selection of such sources in an orientation-independent way (i.e. minimising the bias caused by Doppler boosting, inherent in high-frequency surveys). We then use higher-resolution radio images, and information at other wavelengths, to morphologically classify the brightest components in GLEAM. We also conduct cross-checks against the literature, and perform internal matching, in order to improve sample completeness (which is estimated to be $>$ 95.5%). This results in a catalogue of 1,863 sources, making the G4Jy Sample over 10 times larger than that of the revised Third Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources (3CRR; $S_{\mathrm{178MHz}} >$ 10.9 Jy). Of these G4Jy sources, 78 are resolved by the MWA (Phase-I) synthesised beam ($\sim$2 arcmin at 200 MHz), and we label 67% of the sample as 'single', 26% as 'double', 4% as 'triple', and 3% as having 'complex' morphology at $\sim$1 GHz (45-arcsec resolution). Alongside this, our value-added catalogue provides mid-infrared source associations (subject to 6-arcsec resolution at 3.4 micron) for the radio emission, as identified through visual inspection and thorough checks against the literature. As such, the G4Jy Sample can be used as a reliable training set for cross-identification via machine-learning algorithms. [Abstract abridged for arXiv submission.]

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arXiv2020

Searching for Dark Matter Signals from Local Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies at Low Radio Frequencies in the GLEAM Survey

The search for emission from weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter annihilation and decay has become a multi-pronged area of research not only targeting a diverse selection of astrophysical objects, but also taking advantage of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The decay of WIMP particles into standard model particles has been suggested as a possible channel for synchrotron emission to be detected at low radio frequencies. Here, we present the stacking analysis of a sample of 33 dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies with low-frequency (72 - 231 MHz) radio images from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey. We produce radial surface brightness profiles of images centred upon each dSph galaxy with background radio sources masked. We remove ten fields from the stacking due to contamination from either poorly subtracted, bright radio sources or strong background gradients across the field. The remaining 23 dSph galaxies are stacked in an attempt to obtain a statistical detection of any WIMP-induced synchrotron emission in these systems. We find that the stacked radial brightness profile does not exhibit a statistically significant detection above the 95% confidence level of $\sim$1.5 mJy beam$^{-1}$. This novel technique shows the potential of using low-frequency radio images to constrain fundamental properties of particle dark matter.

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arXiv2018

The MWA GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample

Powerful radio-galaxies feature heavily in our understanding of galaxy evolution. However, when it comes to studying their properties as a function of redshift and/or environment, the most-detailed studies tend to be limited by small-number statistics. During Focus Meeting 3, on "Radio Galaxies: Resolving the AGN phenomenon", SVW presented a new sample of nearly 2,000 of the brightest radio-sources in the southern sky (Dec. $<$ 30 deg). These were observed at low radio-frequencies as part of the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) Survey, which is a continuum survey conducted using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). This instrument is the precursor telescope for the low-frequency component of the Square Kilometre Array, and allows us to select radio galaxies in an orientation-independent way (i.e. minimising the bias caused by Doppler boosting, inherent in high-frequency surveys). Being brighter than 4 Jy at 151 MHz, we refer to these objects as the GLEAM 4-Jy (G4Jy) Sample. The G4Jy catalogue is close to being finalised, with SVW describing how multi-wavelength data have been used to determine the morphology of the radio emission, and identify the host galaxy. In addition, the MWA's excellent spectral-coverage and sensitivity to extended/diffuse emission were highlighted. Both of these aspects are important for understanding the physical mechanisms that take place within active galaxies, and how they interact with their environment.

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arXiv2018

Massive galaxies on the road to quenching: ALMA observations of powerful high redshift radio galaxies

We present 0.3" (band 6) and 1.5" (band 3) ALMA observations of the (sub)millimeter dust continuum emission for 25 radio galaxies at 1<z<5.2. Our survey reaches a rms flux density of ~50$μ$Jy in band 6 and ~20$μ$Jy in band 3. This is an order of magnitude deeper than single-dish 850 $μ$m observations, and reaches fluxes where synchrotron and thermal dust emission are expected to be of the same order of magnitude. Combining our sensitive ALMA observations with radio data from ATCA, VLA, and IR photometry from Herschel and Spitzer, we have disentangled the synchrotron and thermal dust emission. We determine the star-formation rates (SFR) and AGN IR luminosities using our newly developed spectral energy distribution fitting code MrMoose. We find that synchrotron emission contributes substantially at ~1 mm. Through our sensitive flux limits and accounting for a contribution from synchrotron emission in the mm, we revise downward the median SFR by a factor of 7 compared to previous estimates based solely on Herschel and Spitzer data. The hosts of these radio-loud AGN appear predominantly below the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, indicating that the star formation in many of the host galaxies has been quenched. Future growth of the host galaxies without substantial black hole mass growth will be needed to bring these objects on the local relation between the supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. Given the mismatch in the timescales of any star formation that took place in the host galaxies and lifetime of the AGN, we hypothesize that a key role is played by star formation in depleting the gas before the action of the powerful radio jets quickly drives out the remaining gas. This positive feedback loop of efficient star formation rapidly consuming the gas coupled to the action of the radio jets in removing the residual gas is how massive galaxies are rapidly quenched.

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arXiv2018

$HST$ Grism Confirmation of $16$ Structures at $1.4 < z < 2.8$ from the Clusters Around Radio-Loud AGN (CARLA) Survey

We report spectroscopic results from our 40-orbit $Hubble~Space~Telescope$ slitless grism spectroscopy program observing the 20 densest CARLA candidate galaxy clusters at $1.4 < z < 2.8$. These candidate rich structures, among the richest and most distant known, were identified on the basis of $[3.6]-[4.5]$ color from a $408~$hr multi-cycle $Spitzer$ program targeting $420$ distant radio-loud AGN. We report the spectroscopic confirmation of $16$ distant structures at $1.4 < z < 2.8$ associated with the targeted powerful high-redshift radio-loud AGN. We also report the serendipitous discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of seven additional structures at $0.87 < z < 2.12$ not associated with the targeted radio-loud AGN. We find that $10^{10} - 10^{11}\,M_{\odot}$ member galaxies of our confirmed CARLA structures form significantly fewer stars than their field counterparts at all redshifts within $1.4\leq z\leq 2$. We also observe higher star-forming activity in the structure cores up to $z = 2$, finding similar trends as cluster surveys at slightly lower redshifts ($1.0 < z < 1.5$). By design, our efficient strategy of obtaining just two grism orbits per field only obtains spectroscopic confirmation of emission-line galaxies. Deeper spectroscopy will be required to study the population of evolved, massive galaxies in these (forming) clusters. Lacking multi-band coverage of the fields, we adopt a very conservative approach of calling all confirmations "structures", although we note that a number of features are consistent with some of them being bona fide galaxy clusters. Together, this survey represents a unique and large homogenous sample of spectroscopically confirmed structures at high redshifts, potentially more than doubling the census of confirmed, massive clusters at $z > 1.4$.

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arXiv2016

Disentangling star formation and AGN activity in powerful infrared luminous radio galaxies at 1<z<4

High-redshift radio galaxies present signs of both star formation and AGN activity, making them ideal candidates to investigate the connection and coevolution of AGN and star formation in the progenitors of present-day massive galaxies. We make use of a sample of 11 powerful radio galaxies spanning 1<z<4 which have complete coverage of their spectral energy distribution (SED) from UV to FIR wavelengths. Using Herschel data, we disentangle the relative contribution of the AGN and star formation by combining the galaxyevolutioncodePEGASE.3 with an AGN torus model. We find that three components are necessary to reproduce the observed SEDs: an evolved and massive stellar component, a submm bright young starburst, and an AGN torus. We find that powerful radio galaxies form at very high-redshift, but experience episodic and important growth at 1<z<4 as the mass of the associated starburst varies from 5 to 50% of the total mass of the system. The properties of star formation differ from source to source, indicating no general trend of the star formation properties in the most infrared luminous high-redshift radio galaxies and no correlation with the AGN bolometric luminosity. Moreover, we find that AGN scattered light have a very limited impact on broad-band SED fitting on our sample. Finally, our analysis also suggests a wide range in origins for the observed star formation,which we partially constrain for some sources.

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arXiv2015

The Mysterious Morphology of MRC0943-242 as Revealed by ALMA and MUSE

We present a pilot study of the z=2.923 radio galaxy MRC0943-242, where we for the first time combine information from ALMA and MUSE data cubes. Even with modest integration times, we disentangle an AGN and a starburst dominated set of components. These data reveal a highly complex morphology, as the AGN, starburst, and molecular gas components show up as widely separated sources in dust continuum, optical continuum and CO line emission observations. CO(1-0) and CO(8-7) line emission suggest that there is a molecular gas reservoir offset from both the dust and the optical continuum that is located ~90kpc from the AGN. The UV line emission has a complex structure in emission and absorption. The line emission is mostly due to i) a large scale ionisation cone energised by the AGN, ii) a Ly-alpha emitting bridge of gas between the radio galaxy and a heavily star-forming set of components. Strangely, the ionisation cone has no Ly-alpha emission. We find this is due to an optically thick layer of neutral gas with unity covering fraction spread out over a region of at least ~100kpc from the AGN. Other, less thick absorption components are associated with Ly-alpha emitting gas within a few tens of kpc from the radio galaxy and are connected by a bridge of emission. We speculate that this linear structure of dust, Ly-alpha and CO emission, and the redshifted absorption seen in the circum-nuclear region may represent an accretion flow feeding gas into this massive AGN host galaxy.

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arXiv2014

Astronomy below the Survey Threshold

Astronomy at or below the 'survey threshold' has expanded significantly since the publication of the original 'Science with the Square Kilometer Array' in 1999 and its update in 2004. The techniques in this regime may be broadly (but far from exclusively) defined as 'confusion' or 'P(D)' analyses (analyses of one-point statistics), and 'stacking', accounting for the flux-density distribution of noise-limited images co-added at the positions of objects detected/isolated in a different waveband. Here we discuss the relevant issues, present some examples of recent analyses, and consider some of the consequences for the design and use of surveys with the SKA and its pathfinders.

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arXiv2014

The star-formation history of the Universe with the SKA

Radio wavelengths offer the unique possibility of tracing the total star-formation rate in galaxies, both obscured and unobscured. As such, they may provide the most robust measurement of the star-formation history of the Universe. In this chapter we highlight the constraints that the SKA can place on the evolution of the star-formation history of the Universe, the survey area required to overcome sample variance, the spatial resolution requirements, along with the multi-wavelength ancillary data that will play a major role in maximising the scientific promise of the SKA. The required combination of depth and resolution means that a survey to trace the star formation in the Universe should be carried out with a facility that has a resolution of at least ~0.5arcsec, with high sensitivity at < 1 GHz. We also suggest a strategy that will enable new parameter space to be explored as the SKA expands over the coming decade.

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arXiv2014

The Interplay between SF and AGN Activity, and its role in Galaxy Evolution

It has become apparent that active galactic nuclei (AGN) may have a significant impact on the growth and evolution of their host galaxies and vice versa but a detailed understanding of the interplay between these processes remains elusive. Deep radio surveys provide a powerful, obscuration-independent tool for measuring both star formation and AGN activity in high-redshift galaxies. Multiwavelength studies of deep radio fields show a composite population of star-forming galaxies and AGN, with the former dominating at the lowest flux densities (S$_{1.4\mathrm{GHz}}<$100~$μ$Jy). The sensitivity and resolution of the SKA will allow us to identify, and separately trace, the total star formation in the bulges of individual high-redshift galaxies, the related nuclear activity and any star formation occurring on larger scales within a disc. We will therefore gain a detailed picture of the apparently simultaneous development of stellar populations and black holes in the redshift range where both star-formation and AGN activity peak (1$\leq$z$\leq$4). In this chapter we discuss the role of the SKA in studying the connection between AGN activity and galaxy evolution, and the most critical technical requirements for such of studies

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arXiv2014

Identifying the first generation of radio powerful AGN in the Universe with the SKA

One of the most challenging and exciting subjects in modern astrophysics is that of galaxy formation at the epoch of reionisation. The SKA, with its revolutionary capabilities in terms of frequency range, resolution and sensitivity, will allow to explore the first Gyr of structure formation in the Universe, in particular, with the detection and study of the earliest manifestations of the AGN phenomenon. The tens of QSOs that are currently known out to the highest redshifts (z~7), many of them exhibiting powerful radio emission, imply that super-massive black holes can be grown on a very short timescale and support the existence of very high redshift (z > 7) radio loud sources - sources that have so far escaped detection. Not only would such detections be paramount to the understanding of the earliest stages of galaxy evolution, they are necessary for the direct study of neutral hydrogen in the Epoch of Reionisation, through observations of the HI 21cm forest against such background sources. In order to understand how SKA and SKA1 observations can be optimised to reveal these earliest AGN, we have examined the effect of a hot CMB on the emission of powerful and young radio galaxies. By looking at the SKA1 capabilities, in particular in terms of wavelength coverage and resolution, we determine how the effects of "CMB-muting" of a radio loud source can be observationally minimised and how to identify the best highest-redshift radio candidates. Considering different predictions for the space density of radio loud AGN at such redshifts, we identify the survey characteristics necessary to optimize the detection and identification of the very first generation of radio loud AGN in the Universe.

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