AGN-sCAN: zooming-in on the AGN-galaxy connection since the cosmic noon

Programma: PRIN

Responsabile scientifico per il dipartimento: Myriam Gitti

Struttura principale: DIFA

Data inizio e data fine: dal 28/09/2024 al 28/09/2025

AGN-sCAN: uno sguardo radio senza pregiudizi sulle galassie lontane

Il progetto AGN-sCAN usa osservazioni VLBA ad altissima risoluzione per distinguere emissioni da galassie e AGN in 542 galassie massicce nel campo COSMOS, senza selezione preventiva.

AGN-sCAN: An Unbiased Radio View of Distant Galaxies

The AGN-sCAN project uses ultra-high-resolution VLBA data to separate galaxy and AGN emissions in 542 massive galaxies in the COSMOS field, without prior selection bias.

Abstract

The proposed PRIN "AGN-sCAN" aims to deliver an unbiased radio view of distant AGN and star formation activity. This project builds on proprietary data (120-hr, PI: Delvecchio) taken with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), the sharpest radio eye on Earth. We have targeted a representative sample of 542 massive SFGs in the COSMOS field at 0.5 < z < 4.5. These observations reach an unprecedented combination of high-resolution (0.01", ca. 85pc at z=2) and sensitivity (3.7 uJy/beam at 1.4 GHz), i.e. >3x deeper than state-of-the-art VLBI surveys, and targeting – for the first time – typical SFGs without prior evidence of AGN activity. By scanning through each galaxy at 1.4GHz, pure galaxy and AGN-driven emission will be accurately measured on a source-by-source basis.