The coincidence and angular clustering of Chandra and SCUBA sources

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  • 24 August 2001
Abstract
We explore the relationship between the hard X-ray and sub-mm populations using deep Chandra observations of a large, contiguous SCUBA survey. In agreement with other recent findings, we confirm that the direct overlap is small. Of the 17 sub-mm sources detected above a significance of 3.5 sigma at 850 microns, only one is coincident with a Chandra source (2/36 if the SCUBA detection threshold is relaxed to 3 sigma). We conclude that the majority of SCUBA sources are not powered by AGN, unless the central engine is obscured by Compton-thick material with a low (1 even if they are purely starburst galaxies. Despite the low detection rate, we find evidence for strong angular clustering between the X-ray and sub-mm populations. The implication is that AGN and SCUBA sources trace the same large-scale structure but do not generally coincide. If bright sub-mm sources represent massive elliptical galaxies in formation, we suggest that (for a given galaxy) the major episode of star-formation must be essentially distinct from the onset of observable quasar activity.

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