Recent models of super-massive black hole (SMBH) and host galaxy joint evolution predict the presence of a key phase where accretion, traced by obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) emission, is coupled with powerful star formation. Then feedback processes likely self-regulate the SMBH growth and quench the star-formation activity. AGN in this important evolutionary phase have been revealed in the last decade via surveys at different wavelengths. On the one hand, moderate-to-deep X-ray surveys have allowed a systematic search for heavily obscured AGN, up to very high redshifts (z≈5). On the other hand, infrared/optical surveys have been invaluable in offering complementary methods to select obscured AGN also in cases where the nuclear X-ray emission below 10 keV is largely hidden to our view. In this review I will present my personal perspective of the field of obscured accretion from AGN surveys.

Current most sensitive surveys at soft X-ray (~ 0.5–10 keV) energies by Chandra and XMM-Newton preferably sample AGN at high-redshift (z > 0.5). At low-redshift (z < 0.5), where AGN are supposed to be in their evolution end-stage, these sources are very sparsely sampled. The low-redshift universe is best fathomed at hard X–ray energies (> 15 keV) by the INTEGRAL and the Swift missions with their coded-mask telescopes IBIS/ISGRI and BAT respectively. These instruments have two major advantages: 1) they have a huge field of view, hence allowing to sample a large number of AGN at low-redshift; 2) they operate at energies above 15 keV, hence allowing detecting photons with enough power to efficiently pierce even through the Compton-thick torus of AGN. Estimates based on observations with PDS on board the BeppoSAX satellite predict that Compton-thick AGN should dominate over unabsorbed AGN in the local universe playing an important role in reproducing the shape and intensity of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB). However coded-mask detectors suffer from heavy systematic effects preventing them from reaching their theoretical limiting sensitivity. We overcome this limit with a new and alternative approach, which has been designed ad hoc to improve the sensitivity of hard X–ray surveys by using IBIS/ISGRI and BAT. Both telescopes are so close in design that their observations can be combined to obtain a more sensitive survey. The observations are combined with resampling, merging, and cross-calibration techniques. We are able to sample limiting fluxes of the order of ~3.3 times 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1 in the 18–55 keV energy range. This is called the SIX survey, that stands for Swift-INTEGRAL X-ray survey. The SIX survey extends over a wide sky area of 6200 deg2 and it is used to obtain a persistent sample of faint AGN. The source number density (log N - log S) is a factor of 3 better than current parent surveys of BAT and IBIS/ISGRI alone. I will present a study of the evolution of AGN in the local universe discussing the X-ray luminosity function. The properties of the AGN circum-nuclear environment will be discussed checking the consistency with the AGN unification scheme. Also I will compare the results from the SIX survey to the results predicted for the NuSTAR survey. Finally preliminary results of the all-sky SIX survey are presented.

The discovery of γ-ray emission from 5 radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies revealed the presence of a possible emerging third class of AGNs with relativistic jets, in addition to blazars and radio galaxies. The existence of relativistic jets also in this subclass of Seyfert galaxies opened an unexplored research space for our knowledge of the radio-loud AGNs. Here, we discuss the radio-to-γ-rays properties of the γ-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, also in comparison with the blazar scenario.

We investigated the contribution of the jet to the observed high energy emission in a sample of young and compact radio quasars. For the first time, we compared the Fermi-LAT and Chandra observations of the sample to γ-ray and X-ray luminosities predicted assuming a jet synchrotron and inverse Compton radiative model. The simulations performed for a reasonable set of model parameters and assumptions provide constraints on the minimum jet power (Ljet,kin/Ldisk>0.01), on the contribution of the jet to the X-ray emission, and on the particles to magnetic field energy density ratios.

A large fraction of the AGN output power is emitted in the X-rays, in a region very close to the supermassive black hole (SMBH). The most distinctive feature of the X-ray spectra of AGN is the iron Kα line, often observed as the superposition of a broad and a narrow component. While the broad component is found in only ~ 35–45% of bright nearby AGN, the narrow component has been found to be ubiquitous. The narrow Fe Kα line is thought to be produced in the circumnuclear material, likely in the molecular torus. Given its origin, this feature is possibly the most important tracer of neutral matter surrounding the SMBH. One of the most interesting characteristics of the narrow Fe Kα line is the decrease of its equivalent width with the continuum luminosity, the so-called X-ray Baldwin effect (Iwasawa & Taniguchi 1993). This trend has been found by many studies of large samples of type-I AGN, and very recently also in type-II AGN (Ricci et al. 2013c, submitted to ApJ). The slope of the X-ray Baldwin effect in type-II AGN is the same of their unobscured counterparts, which implies that the mechanism at work is the same. Several hypothesis have been put forward in the last decade to explain the X-ray Baldwin effect: i) a luminosity-dependent variation in the ionisation state of the iron-emitting material (Nandra et al. 1997); ii) the decrease of the number of continuum photons in the iron line region with the Eddington ratio, as an effect of the well known correlation between the photon index and the Eddington ratio (Ricci et al. 2013b, submitted to MNRAS); iii) the decrease of the covering factor of the torus with the luminosity (e.g., Page et al. 2004, Ricci et al. 2013a A&A 553, 29) as expected by luminosity-dependent unification models (e.g., Ueda et al. 2003). In my talk I will review the main characteristics of the narrow Fe K? line, and present the results of our recent works aimed at explaining the X-ray Baldwin effect using iron-line emitting physical torus models (Ricci et al. 2013a, b), and at understanding the origin of the Fe K? line (Ricci et al. 2013c). I will focus in particular on the importance of the Fe Kα line as a probe of the evolution of the physical characteristics of the molecular torus with the luminosity.

We discuss an analysis of the redshift evolutions and distributions of the gamma-ray luminosity and photon spectral index of flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) type blazars. We utilize data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, with redshfits as determined from optical spectroscopy by Shaw et al. We find that FSRQs have evolved significantly in luminosity but negligibly in photon index, and contribute in toto roughly 20% of the total gamma-ray output of the Universe.

We present the results from the X-ray spectral analysis of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the Chandra Deep Field-South, AEGIS-XD and Chandra-COSMOS surveys, focussing on the identification and characterisation of the most heavily obscured, Compton thick (CT, NH > 104 cm−2) sources. Our sample is comprised of 3088 X-ray selected sources, which has a high rate of redshift completeness (97%). The aim is to produce the largest and cleanest uniform sample of these sources from the data as possible. We identify these sources through X-ray spectral fitting, utilising torus spectral models designed for heavily obscured AGN which self consistently include the spectral signatures of heavy absorption, being Compton scattering, photoelectric absorption and iron Kα fluorescence. We identify a total of 163 CT AGN covering an intrinsic 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity range of 102 −3 × 105 erg s−1 and from z = 0.1-7.

The XMM-Newton spectral-fit database is an ongoing ESA funded project aimed to construct a catalogue of spectral-fitting results for all the sources within the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue for which spectral data products have been pipeline-extracted (≳ 120,000 X-ray source detections). The fundamental goal of this project is to provide the astronomical community with a tool to construct large and representative samples of X-ray sources by allowing source selection according to spectral properties.

In this work, we investigated the correlation between the γ-ray luminosity, logLγ and the core-dominance parameter, log (1+R), for a sample of 124 Fermi blazars with available core and extended radio emissions. Our analysis shows that there is no correlation between the γ-ray luminosity, log Lγ and the core-dominance parameter, log (1+R). However, there is a closely linear correlation between log Lγ − log LExt and log (1+R), log Lγ−log LExt = (0.95 ± 0.08) log (1+R) + (2.72 ± 0.11), for the whole sample. The result suggests that the γ-ray emissions are composed of two components, one is beamed, the other is unbeamed.

Blazars (BL Lacertae objects and flat spectrum radio quasars) are strong γ-ray emitters, the γ-ray emissions are strongly beamed. In this work, we compiled a sample of Fermi blazars with available beaming factors, δR, to investigate the correlation between the γ-ray flux density, logfγ, and redshift, logz for the whole sample and the subclasses of the present sample. The analysis shows that there is no correlation between logfγ and logz for the observed γ-ray flux density, but there are strong correlations between the de-beamed flux densities, logfγdb and logz for the whole sample and the subclasses. Our results confirm that the γ-ray emissions are strongly beamed and imply that it is possible for one to use the radio beaming factor, δR for the beaming effect discussions in the γ-ray bands for Fermi blazars.

Based on optical identifications of ROSAT sources, we have created a large homogeneous catalog of X-ray selected AGN. The Hamburg-RASS Catalog (HRC) and Byurakan-Hamburg-RASS Catalog (BHRC) made up on the basis of optical identification of X-ray sources from ROSAT Bright Source (BSC) and Faint Source (FSC) catalogues, respectively, have been used. These identiifcations were based on low-dispersion spectra of Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS). As a result, a new large sample of X-ray selected AGN has been compiled containing 4253 sources with photon count rate CR > 0.04 ct/s in the area with galactic latitudes |b|>20 and declinations δ>0. All these sources are classified as AGN or candidate AGN. We have carried out multiwavelength studies in several wavelength ranges (X-ray, optical, radio). Catalogues that more or less guarantee the completeness condition (all-sky or large area surveys) were used. A number of erroneous classifications were found (some AGN had been classified as stars or galaxies); 1024 and 59 from HRC and BHRC, respectively. Out of 4253 sources, 3352 are spectroscopically confirmed AGN (given in Veron-Cetty & Veron and Roma Blazar catalogs), and the rest 901 are candidate AGN. For 210 of them spectra are available in SDSS DR9, and the results of their classification are given in another paper. We calculated absolute magnitudes, fluxes, improved coordinates and redshifts. An attempt is made to find a connection between the radiation fluxes in different bands for different types of sources, and identify their typical characteristics, thus confirming candidate AGN and in some cases finding new ones.

We attempt to create an X-ray/radio AGN catalog and make its multiwavelength studies. ROSAT Bright Source Catalogue (BSC) contains 18,806 and ROSAT Faint Source Catalogue (FSC), 105,922 X-ray sources giving the total number of ROSAT X-ray sources 124,727 (one source is listed twice). On the other hand, NVSS radio catalogue contains 1,773,484 sources. Taking into account that X-ray sources contain AGN, bright stars and galaxies, clusters, white dwarfs (WD), cataclysmic variables (CV), etc., the cross-identification with radio catalogue may distinguish the extragalactic sources. We have cross-correlated ROSAT catalogs with NVSS one with a search radius 30 arcsec. 9,193 associations have been found. To distinguish AGN from the normal bright galaxies and clusters, Veron-Cetty & Veron AGN catalog (v.13, 2010; VCV-13) containing 168,940 objects have been used. A cross-correlation of the 9,193 ROSAT/NVSS sources with the VCV-13 with a search radius 30 arcsec resulted in 3,094 associations. Thus we are left with more 6,099 X-ray/radio sources without an optical identification. Brighter objects are normal bright galaxies, while we believe that all faint ones are candidate AGN with some contamination of distant clusters. SDSS spectroscopic survey allows us classify objects by activity types, and a number of our candidate AGN is found to be present in SDSS. We attempt to find connections between the fluxes in different wavelength ranges, which will allow us to confirm AGN and blazars candidates and in some cases find new ones.

The Joint Catalogue of Hamburg ROSAT Sources (HRC/BHRC) is the result of merging of HRC and BHRC catalogs built on the basis of optical identifications of ROSAT BSC and ROSAT FSC. Altogether, 8132 sources are present. Based on this catalogue, we have compiled a sample of ROSAT AGN, including candidate ones. In this paper we classify candidate AGN (those that previously had not been spectroscopically classified) by their activity type. The sample contains 955 objects with count rate of photons CR>0.04 ct/s in the area with galactic latitudes |b|>30 and declinations δ>0, however only 217 objects have SDSS DR10 spectra. The classification led to the following results: 95 AGN, 71 absorption-line galaxies, 42 stars, and 9 unclassified objects.

New sample of X-ray galaxies selected from 2XMMi catalogue in SDSS region is analysed in this work. Spatial distribution and X-ray AGN spectral properties are discussed. A new method for extragalactic filament detection and description is proposed.

The development of new AGNs selection techniques based on the massive multi-wavelength datasets that are becoming more and more frequent in astronomy is a crucial task to gather statistically significant samples and shed light on the physical nature of this diverse class of extragalactic sources. Novel characterizations of specific classes of sources from unexplored region of their spectrum and unusual combinations of the observational parameters can translate into new classification criteria. In this innovative data environment, the whole process ranging from the discovery of new patterns to the application of such patters to the selection of new AGNs, has to be tackled using a Knowledge Discovery (KD) workflow. A KD workflows is a combination of different KD methods that automatically extract the more interesting patters from data, reduce the complexity of the dataset and provide astronomers with the simplest possible amount of information to be interpreted. In this talk, I will describe an original KD workflow which, in one of its first applications, has led to the discovery of a previously unknown peculiar pattern followed by blazars in the mid-Infrared color space (the blazars WISE locus), and the development of a new classification criterion based on this pattern and useful to tackle different problems. The comprehensive KD workflow used to derive these results encompasses unsupervised methods for the exploration of the multi-dimensional observable spaces, and supervised method for the training and optimization of classifiers based on the patterns determined in the observable spaces. In particular, I will describe the new methods for the association of unidentified gamma-ray sources and the extraction of candidate blazars from mid-Infrared photometric catalog based on the WISE blazars locus.

The dichotomy of jet dominated versus accretion disk dominated AGNs or “radio-loud” vs “radio-quiet” quasars can be investigated by a simultaneous determination of the relative shape and evolution of the radio and optical luminosity functions, and the distribution of the radio loudness R defined as the ratio of radio to optical luminosities. This can be done from a multivariate data set containing observed fluxes, redshift, spectra, etc. We emphasize that when dealing with a multivariate data set it is imperative to first determine the true correlations, not those introduced by the observational selection effects, among the variables (e.g. Luminosity-luminosity, redshift-luminosity) before obtaining the individual distributions of the variables (e.g. Luminosity functions and density evolution). We use data from several sources including the SDSS (Data Release 7) and FIRST radio catalogs, with well defined optical and radio flux limits, and employ the non-parametric methods developed by Efron and Petrosian, designed to obtain unbiased correlations, distributions and evolution with redshift from data truncated due to observational biases. We determine the density and the luminosity evolutions in both wavebands, which shows significantly higher radio than optical luminosity evolution. From these we obtain true distribution of the radio loudness parameter which shows no sign of bi-modality and indicates that quasars were more radio loud at earlier epochs.

We describe preliminary results for two ALMA projects – 1) imaging the HCN(4-3) line and H26α lines in Arp 220 and 2) measurements of the dust continuum in a sample of 107 high redshift galaxies to probe the evolution of the ISM masses. The HCN observations in Arp 220 at 1/2″ resolution provide the first high resolution imaging of the dense star forming gas in this prototypical ULIRG. The HCN is seen in two clearly delineated, counter-rotating disks. The H26α line is a definitive probe of the star formation rate in Arp 220, avoiding obscuration by dust and contamination by AGN luminosity contributions. In the second project, the remarkable continuum sensitivity of ALMA in Band 7 is used to measure the long wavelength Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the dust emission from a sample of 120 galaxies in COSMOS at z = 0.3 to 2.2, providing estimates for the dust masses and hence their ISM masses. This technique will enable measurements for hundreds of galaxies at high-z with observations of typically ~10 min per galaxy. This is in contrast to CO line imaging which typically requires a few hours per galaxy even with the sensitivity of ALMA. The dust-based mass estimates also avoid the uncertainties associated with the CO-to-H2 conversion factor.

Various observational techniques have been used to survey galaxies and AGN, from X-rays to radio frequencies, both photometric and spectroscopic. I will review these techniques aimed at the study of galaxy evolution and of the role of AGNs and star formation as the two main energy production mechanisms. I will then present as a new observational approach the far-IR spectroscopic surveys that could be done with planned astronomical facilities of the next future, such as SPICA from the space and CCAT from the ground.

I will discuss multi-wavelength AGN studies, with a focus on mid-IR and radio selected obscured AGN. Obscured AGN, which are robustly identified across the full sky by WISE, are the dominant AGN population. I will discuss several aspects of the mid-IR obscured AGN population, ranging from detailed studies of extreme sources, the so-called WISE ultraluminous ‘hot dust-obscured galaxy’ or ‘hot DOG’ sample, as well as more general studies comparing obscured and unobscured AGN identified in wide-area surveys.

In order to fully understand galaxy formation we need to know when in the cosmic history are supermassive black holes (SMBHs) growing more intensively, in what type of galaxies this growth is happening and what fraction of these sources are invisible at most wavelengths due to obscuration. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) population synthesis models that can explain the spectral shape and intensity of the cosmic X-ray background (CXRB) indicate that most of the SMBH growth occurs in moderate-luminosity (LX~ 1044 erg/s) sources (Seyfert-type AGN), at z~ 0.5−1 and in heavily obscured but Compton-thin, NH~ 1023cm−2, systems. However, this is not the complete history, as a large fraction of black hole growth does not emit significantly in X-rays either due to obscuration, intrinsic low luminosities or large distances. The integrated intensity at high energies indicates that a significant fraction of the total black hole growth, 22%, occurs in heavily-obscured systems that are not individually detected in even the deepest X-ray observations. We further investigate the AGN triggering mechanism as a function of bolometric luminosity, finding evidence for a strong connection between significant black hole growth events and major galaxy mergers from z~ 0 to z~ 3, while less spectacular but longer accretion episodes are most likely due to other (stochastic) processes. AGN activity triggered by major galaxies is responsible for ~60% of the total black hole growth. Finally, we constrain the total accreted mass density in supermassive black holes at z > 6, inferred via the upper limit derived from the integrated X-ray emission from a sample of photometrically selected galaxy candidates. We estimate an accreted mass density <1000 M⊙Mpc−3 at z~ 6, significantly lower than the previous predictions from some existing models of early black hole growth and earlier prior observations.