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Hauptverfasser: Gerolymatou, D., Paltani, S., Ricci, C., Ananna, T. T.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17547
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author Gerolymatou, D.
Paltani, S.
Ricci, C.
Ananna, T. T.
author_facet Gerolymatou, D.
Paltani, S.
Ricci, C.
Ananna, T. T.
contents X-ray surveys of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide direct constraints on the properties of individual AGNs, such as their emission, obscuration, and accretion rate. Previous AGN population synthesis models have not addressed such properties self-consistently. Here, we use a simulation-based inference (SBI) approach to constrain the geometrical and physical properties of the AGN population. We perform numerical simulations with our ray-tracing code, RefleX, which allows the self-consistent modelling of the X-ray emission of AGNs with flexible circumnuclear and source geometries. We create our synthetic population by sampling the intrinsic active black hole mass function (BHMF) and Eddington ratio distribution function (ERDF) of local AGNs, and we construct a geometry based on the radiation-regulated model, along with Eddington-ratio-dependent emission spectra. Using the RefleX-simulated emission of the AGN population, we aim to simultaneously reproduce the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), differential AGN number counts, and several observed absorption properties of local AGNs, such as the fraction of $N_\mathrm{H}$ in bins of log($N_\mathrm{H}$), the Compton-thick fraction as a function of limiting flux, and the number of obscured and unobscured AGNs as a function of Eddington ratio. With this approach, we test the consistency of the radiation-regulated model with a very comprehensive set of X-ray observables, while constraining the size and density of the dusty torus and the evolution of the local AGN population. We derive an intrinsic Compton-thick fraction of $40\pm3$%, and find that a simple evolutionary prescription controlling the active fraction of supermassive black holes is sufficient for our synthetic population to reproduce the CXB.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_17547
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Population synthesis of active galactic nuclei based on the radiation-regulated unification model
Gerolymatou, D.
Paltani, S.
Ricci, C.
Ananna, T. T.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
X-ray surveys of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide direct constraints on the properties of individual AGNs, such as their emission, obscuration, and accretion rate. Previous AGN population synthesis models have not addressed such properties self-consistently. Here, we use a simulation-based inference (SBI) approach to constrain the geometrical and physical properties of the AGN population. We perform numerical simulations with our ray-tracing code, RefleX, which allows the self-consistent modelling of the X-ray emission of AGNs with flexible circumnuclear and source geometries. We create our synthetic population by sampling the intrinsic active black hole mass function (BHMF) and Eddington ratio distribution function (ERDF) of local AGNs, and we construct a geometry based on the radiation-regulated model, along with Eddington-ratio-dependent emission spectra. Using the RefleX-simulated emission of the AGN population, we aim to simultaneously reproduce the cosmic X-ray background (CXB), differential AGN number counts, and several observed absorption properties of local AGNs, such as the fraction of $N_\mathrm{H}$ in bins of log($N_\mathrm{H}$), the Compton-thick fraction as a function of limiting flux, and the number of obscured and unobscured AGNs as a function of Eddington ratio. With this approach, we test the consistency of the radiation-regulated model with a very comprehensive set of X-ray observables, while constraining the size and density of the dusty torus and the evolution of the local AGN population. We derive an intrinsic Compton-thick fraction of $40\pm3$%, and find that a simple evolutionary prescription controlling the active fraction of supermassive black holes is sufficient for our synthetic population to reproduce the CXB.
title Population synthesis of active galactic nuclei based on the radiation-regulated unification model
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17547