The environmental dependence of X-ray AGN activity at $z\sim 0.4$

Abstract

We present an analysis of the X-ray Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) population in a sample of seven massive galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.35<z<0.45$. We utilize high-quality Chandra X-ray imaging to robustly identify AGN and precisely determine cluster masses and centroids. Follow-up VIMOS optical spectroscopy allows us to determine which AGN are cluster members. Studying the subset of AGN with 0.5-8 keV luminosities $>6.8\times 10^{42}\mathrm{erg}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, within $r\le 2r_{500}$ (approximately the virial radius), we find that the cluster AGN space density scales with cluster mass as $\sim M^{-2.0_{-0.9}^{+0.8}}$. This result rules out zero mass dependence of the cluster X-ray AGN space density at the 2.5$\sigma$ level. We compare our cluster X-ray AGN sample to a control field with identical selection and find that the cluster AGN fraction is significantly suppressed relative to the field when considering the brightest galaxies with $V<21.5$. For fainter galaxies, this difference is not present. Comparing the X-ray hardness ratios of cluster member AGN to those in the control field, we find no evidence for enhanced X-ray obscuration of cluster member AGN. Lastly, we see tentative evidence that disturbed cluster environments may contribute to enhanced AGN activity.

arXiv comment13 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

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