Abstract
We present a study of over 3000 X-ray A tive Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in the Stripe 82X field, analyzing their intrinsic properties and deriving model-independent obscured and unobscured AGN evolution up to redshift 4. Our findings reveal a discrepancy when tracing the black hole accretion density by comparing our results with current and up-to-date evolutionary models. Specifically, we find evidence for a heavily obscured, Compton-thick AGN population that remains undetected even when combining X-ray and infrared data at all redshifts. These results challenge our understanding of AGN evolution and suggest that Compton-thick sources play a larger role in the accretion history of AGN than previously thought.
Building on these insights, we extend this work in two parallel endeavors: First, we introduce Stripe 82-XL (S82-XL), an extension of the Stripe 82X survey. Leveraging data from both XMM and Chandra source catalogs, S82-XL expands the survey area to a vast 57 square degrees, doubling the depth of its predecessor. Simultaneously, we are constructing the AGN-DataBase (AGN-DB), an archive for all the discovered AGN. AGN-DB offers a comprehensive catalog of AGN properties and classifications, leveraging the wealth of data from all the available archives and surveys. With this double approach, we can capture fainter, more obscured, and higher redshift AGN, further improving our understanding of AGN evolution.