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Uncovering the Relationship between Stars and Black Holes in Nearby Luminous Infrared Galaxies: Probing Lines Below the Noise with Stacked \textit{Spitzer}/IRS Spectra

ORAL

Abstract

The co-evolution of stars and supermassive black holes over cosmic time has shaped the history of the Universe, and understanding their relative balance is key to understanding galaxy evolution. Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) in the local Universe are an ideal population to study this relationship thanks to their high star formation rates and a range of emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN, quantified as the AGN fraction). We use \textit{Spitzer}/IRS spectra of LIRGs in the GOALS sample to study mid-infrared spectral lines tracing star formation and black hole accretion. Since many important lines are faint and undetected in the majority of the sample, we constrain the balance of star formation and black hole accretion across GOALS by stacking \textit{Spitzer}/IRS spectra, revealing the relationship between 12.8 micron [NeII], 14.3 micron [NeV], 15.6 micron [NeIII], and 25.9 micron [OIV] luminosity as a function of AGN fraction. This allows us to measure the balance of star formation and black hole accretion across GOALS. We use these results to constrain the contribution of star formation to tracers of black hole accretion in order to improve the accuracy of black hole accretion rate calculations.

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Authors

  • Meredith Stone

    University of Massachusetts Amherst

  • Abdul Qadeer Rehan

    University of Tennessee, University of York, Old Dominion University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Old Dominion University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Physics - University of Sao Paulo, Naval Research Laboratory, St. Cloud State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Space Sciences Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Sandia National Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Federal University of Bahia; University of Brasília, Federal University of Bahia, Department of Applied Physics, Yale University & Department of Physics, Yale University, Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & Current affiliation: Seagate Research Group, Seagate Technology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, Swarthmore College, Western Washington University, Departments of Chemistry and Physics and The Baruch 60 Center for Biochemical Solar Energy Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Florida, Wayne State University, Vanderbilt University, University of Maryland, College Park, NASA GSFC, CfA, California Institute of Technology, Skidmore College, Durham University, University of Alberta, University of Michigan, Curtin University, Michigan State University, University of Nevada, University of Chicago, Duke University, Cornell, Pennsylvania State University, New York University Abu Dhabi, NASA Ames Research Center, Kenyon Coll, Kenyon College, University of Texas at Austin, Flatiron Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Ohio State University, University of Pennsylvania, HERA, HERA, Rochester Institute of Technology, Howard Community College, Carleton College, California State University at Long Beach, Bishop Ireton High School, Fayetteville State University, Univ of Oklahoma, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Carnegie Observatories, San Diego State University, Associate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NTT Basic Research Laboratories and NTT Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Physics, JILA, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO, Department of Physics, 390 UCB University of Colorado, University of Washington, James Franck Institute, Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago Department of Physics, Princeton University, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Indiana Univ - Bloomington, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Harvard University, Nagoya University, Toyota Technological Institute, University of Tokyo, Zhejiang University, Clark University, Natl Univ of Singapore, University of Richmond

  • Abdul Qadeer Rehan

    University of Tennessee, University of York, Old Dominion University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Old Dominion University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Physics - University of Sao Paulo, Naval Research Laboratory, St. Cloud State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Space Sciences Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Sandia National Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Federal University of Bahia; University of Brasília, Federal University of Bahia, Department of Applied Physics, Yale University & Department of Physics, Yale University, Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & Current affiliation: Seagate Research Group, Seagate Technology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, Swarthmore College, Western Washington University, Departments of Chemistry and Physics and The Baruch 60 Center for Biochemical Solar Energy Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Florida, Wayne State University, Vanderbilt University, University of Maryland, College Park, NASA GSFC, CfA, California Institute of Technology, Skidmore College, Durham University, University of Alberta, University of Michigan, Curtin University, Michigan State University, University of Nevada, University of Chicago, Duke University, Cornell, Pennsylvania State University, New York University Abu Dhabi, NASA Ames Research Center, Kenyon Coll, Kenyon College, University of Texas at Austin, Flatiron Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Ohio State University, University of Pennsylvania, HERA, HERA, Rochester Institute of Technology, Howard Community College, Carleton College, California State University at Long Beach, Bishop Ireton High School, Fayetteville State University, Univ of Oklahoma, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Carnegie Observatories, San Diego State University, Associate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NTT Basic Research Laboratories and NTT Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Physics, JILA, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO, Department of Physics, 390 UCB University of Colorado, University of Washington, James Franck Institute, Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago Department of Physics, Princeton University, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Indiana Univ - Bloomington, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Harvard University, Nagoya University, Toyota Technological Institute, University of Tokyo, Zhejiang University, Clark University, Natl Univ of Singapore, University of Richmond