Evidence that the AGN dominates the radio emission in z ~ 1 radio-quiet quasars

Understand

In order to understand the role of radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) in galaxy evolution, we must determine the relative levels of accretion and star-formation activity within these objects.

• Previous work at low radio flux-densities has shown that accretion makes a significant contribution to the total radio emission, in contrast with other quasar studies that suggest star formation dominates.
• To investigate, we use 70 RQQs from the Spitzer-Herschel Active Galaxy Survey.
• These quasars are all at $z$ ~ 1, thereby minimising evolutionary effects, and have been selected to span a factor of ~100 in optical luminosity, so that the luminosity dependence of their properties can be studied.