This paper presents the first measurement of the radio luminosity function of 'jet-mode' (radiatively inefficient) radio-AGN out to z=1, in order to investigate the cosmic evolution of radio-AGN feedback. Eight radio source samples are combined to produce a catalogue of 211 radio-loud AGN with 0.5<z<1.0, which are spectroscopically classified into jet-mode and radiative-mode (radiatively efficient) AGN classes. Comparing with large samples of local radio-AGN from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the cosmic evolution of the radio luminosity function of each radio-AGN class is independently derived. Radiative-mode radio-AGN show an order of magnitude increase in space density out to z~1 at all luminosities, consistent with these AGN being fuelled by cold gas. In contrast, the space density of jet-mode radio-AGN decreases with increasing redshift at low radio luminosities (L_1.4GHz_<~10^24^W/Hz) but increases at higher radio luminosities. Simple models are developed to explain the observed evolution. In the best-fitting models, the characteristic space density of jet-mode AGN declines with redshift in accordance with the declining space density of massive quiescent galaxies, which fuel them via cooling of gas in their hot haloes. A time delay of 1.5-2Gyr may be present between the quenching of star formation and the onset of jet-mode radio-AGN activity. The behaviour at higher radio luminosities can be explained either by an increasing characteristic luminosity of jet-mode radio-AGN activity with redshift (roughly as (1+z)^3^) or if the jet-mode radio-AGN population also includes some contribution of cold-gas-fuelled sources seen at a time when their accretion rate was low. Higher redshifts measurements would distinguish between these possibilities.
We present radio and infrared (3.6-24um) counterparts to submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) detected in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South with the Large APEX Bolometer Camera (LABOCA) 870um bolometer camera on the 12m Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. Using the Very Large Array at .4GHz and Spitzer, we have identified secure counterparts to 79 of the 126 SMGs [signal-to-noise ratio (S/N)>3.7, S870>4.4mJy] in the field, 62 via their radio and/or 24um emission, the remainder using a colour-flux cut on Infrared Array Camera 3.6um and 5.8um sources chosen to maximize the number of secure, coincident radio and 24um counterparts.
We use a recently released SDSS catalog of X-ray-emitting AGNs in conjunction with the FIRST radio survey to investigate the black hole (BH) fundamental plane relationship between the 1.4GHz radio luminosity (L_r_), 0.1-2.4keV X-ray luminosity (L_X_), and black hole mass (M), namely, logL_r_={xi}_RX_logL_X_+{xi}_RM_logM+constant. For this purpose, we compile a large sample of 725 broad-line AGNs, which consists of 498 radio-loud sources and 227 radio-quiet sources. We confirm that radio-loud objects have a steeper slope ({xi}_RX_) with respect to radio-quiet objects and that the dependence of the BH fundamental plane on the BH mass ({xi}_RM_) is weak.
We study the nearby lenticular galaxy NGC 3998. This galaxy is known to host a low-power radio AGN with a kpc-size one-sided jet and a large, nearly polar HI disc. It is therefore a good system to study to understand the relation between the availability of cold-gas and the triggering of AGNs in galaxies. Our new WSRT data reveal two faint, S-shaped radio lobes extending out to ~10 kpc from the galaxy centre. Remarkably, we find that the inner HI disc warps back towards the stellar mid-plane in a way that mirrors the warping of the radio lobes. We suggest that the polar HI disc was accreted through a minor merger, and that the torques causing it to warp in the inner regions are also responsible for feeding the AGN. The "S" shape of the radio lobes would then be due to the radio jets adapting to the changing angular momentum of the accreted gas. The extended radio jets are likely poorly collimated, which would explain their quick fading and, therefore, their rarity in galaxies similar to NGC 3998. The fuelling of the central super-massive black hole is likely occurring via "discrete events", suggested by the observed variability of the radio core and the extremely high core dominance, which we attribute to the formation and ejection of a new jet resulting from a recent fuelling event.
New radio continuum observations of galaxies in the Virgo cluster region at 4.85, 8.6, and 10.55GHz are presented. These observations are combined with existing measurements at 1.4 and 0.6GHz. The sample includes 81 galaxies where spectra with more than two frequencies could be derived. Galaxies that show a radio-FIR excess exhibit central activity (HII, LINER,AGN). The four Virgo galaxies with the highest absolute radio excess are found within 2 degrees of the center of the cluster. Galaxies showing flat radio spectra also host active centers. There is no clear trend between the spectral index and the galaxy's distance to the cluster center.
Recent studies have shown that a remarkable share of quasars classified in the literature as gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) sources and high frequency peakers (HFPs) are actually flaring flat-spectrum sources or blazars. Thus, at least among the quasar-type samples, genuine GPS sources and HFPs seem to be rare. We have studied variability and the shape of the radio continuum spectra of a sample of 96 galaxy-type GPS sources and HFPs in order to find out whether there is a similar contamination in the galaxy-type samples.
We study the exponential scale length of total radio emission, the spectral index distribution, and the linear radio polarization in the Scd galaxy M33. Observations were carried out using the 3.6cm dual channel and the 6.2cm four-channel receivers of the 100-m Effelsberg telescope along with the L-band VLA D-array at 20cm. High spatial resolution and sensitivity in both total and linearly polarized radio continuum emission from M33 were achieved. We found considerable extended emission, not only from the main arms IS and IN, but also from the weaker arms. The large-scale magnetic field exhibits well-ordered spiral structure with almost the same orientation as that of the optical spiral arms; however, it does not show a clear structural correlation or anti-correlation with the optical arms. There is a north-south asymmetry in polarization that is frequency-dependent. We found that the ring mean spectral index versus radius increases faster beyond R=4kpc. At each wavelength, the exponential scale length is larger inside than outside R=4kpc. From the larger scale lengths at R<4kpc, we conclude that star-forming regions are mainly spread over the region R<4kpc without a dominant nuclear concentration. Furthermore, at R>4kpc, a spatial correlation between cosmic rays and star-forming regions may exist. From the behavior of the mean spectral indices obtained from different pairs of the radio continuum data at 3.6, 6.2, and 20cm, we confirm that a decrease in the thermal fraction causes an increase in the spectral index.
Using the most recent (April 2003) version of the VLA FIRST survey radio catalog (Cat. <VIII/71>), we have searched for radio emission from >2800 AGN taken from the most recent (2001) version of the Veron-Cetty and Veron AGN catalog (Cat. <VII/224>, superseded by 2003, Cat. <VII/235>). These AGN lie in the ~9033 square degrees of sky already covered by the VLA FIRST survey. Our work has resulted in positive detection of radio emission from 775 AGN of which 214 are new detections at radio wavelengths.
A sample of 178 extragalactic objects is defined by correlating the 60{mu}m IRAS Faint Source Catalog (FSC, Cat. <II/156>) with the 5GHz Parkes-MIT-NRAO (PMN, Cat. <VIII/38>) catalog.
