X-QUEST: A COMPREHENSIVE X-RAY STUDY OF LOCAL ULIRGs AND QSOs

Journal Article · Mon Dec 20 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/725/2/1848· OSTI ID:21476674

Teng, Stacy H; Veilleux, Sylvain ^[1]

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1. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

We present results from the X-ray portion of a multi-wavelength study of local ULIRGs and QSOs called QUEST (Quasar-ULIRG Evolution STudy). The data consist of new and archival X-ray data on 40 ULIRGs and 26 Palomar Green (PG) QSOs taken with Chandra and XMM-Newton. A combination of traditional and hardness ratio spectral fitting methods is used to characterize the X-ray properties of these objects. The absorption-corrected 2-10 keV to bolometric luminosity ratios of the ULIRGs and PG QSOs suggest that the likelihood for dominant nuclear activity increases along the merger sequence from 'cool' ULIRGs, 'warm' ULIRGs, infrared-bright QSOs, and infrared-faint QSOs. The starburst dominates the total power in ULIRGs prior to the merger, and this is followed by rapid black hole growth during and after coalescence. These results are in general agreement with those obtained in the mid-infrared with Spitzer and recent numerical simulations.

• OSTI ID: 21476674
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 725; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
BOLOMETERS
COALESCENCE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
EVOLUTION
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
LUMINOSITY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASARS
SIMULATION
X-RAY GALAXIES