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| Paper: |
Host Galaxy Morphology and the AGN Unified Model |
| Volume: |
477, Galaxy Mergers in an Evolving Universe |
| Page: |
227 |
| Authors: |
Trump, J. R. |
| Abstract: |
We use a sample of active galaxies from the Cosmic Evolution Survey
to show that host galaxy morphology is tied to the accretion rate
and X-ray obscuration of its active galactic nucleus (AGN).
Unobscured and rapidly accreting broad-line AGNs are more likely to
be in spheroid-dominated hosts than weak or obscured AGNs, and
obscured AGNs are more likely to have disturbed host galaxies. Much
of the disagreement in previous work on the AGN-merger connection is
likely due to each study probing AGNs with different obscuration and
accretion properties. Instead, only obscured AGNs seem to
merger-driven, while weak AGNs are fed by stochastic processes in
disks and rapidly-accreting broad-line AGNs require massive bulges.
Our observed “unified model” for AGN hosts fits with theoretical
models for merger-driven AGN evolution, but is also consistent with
steady-state AGN activity. |
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