Mid-infrared (MIR) observation is an effective method to study obscured active
galactic nuclei (AGNs). The high sensitivity of the James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), allows it to probe
fainter obscured AGNs than previous IR space telescopes such as AKARI,
Spitzer, and WISE. In this work, we use AGN candidates identified from the
Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey with the JWST to
study the history of black hole accretion.
For our study, we calculated the black hole accretion rate (BHAR) for each
AGN candidate selected in Chien et al., 2024, through mid-IR SED fitting and
estimated the BHAD. We then constructed the first MIR luminosity functions
(LFs) for AGNs discovered by JWST. By integrating these LFs, we drove the
cosmic black hole accretion density (BHAD) more accurately.
We obtained the BHAD for the redshift (z) range of 0 to 4.25, and a luminosity
range of 8 to 14 times the luminosity of the Sun, which is two orders of
magnitude fainter than previous studies (see Figure). The results show a peak
between z ~ 2 and 3, followed by a decline at higher redshifts. The trend and
order of BHAD are consistent with recent studies. There is still nearly one order
of uncertainty, more samples are needed to reduce it. This study provides the
first evidence of the great potential of JWST to study fainter populations of
obscured AGNs, allowing us to better understand the cosmic black hole
accretion history.
A.C. acknowledges the Taiwan Astronomical Research Alliance (TARA) and it's summer
student internship program for partial financial support of this research.
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