Assigned ID: 705 ----- Submission 1 (Sat Jan 22 00:58:50 GMT 2005) ----- We propose to study the morphologies and environments of 482 X-ray selected AGN host galaxies and a comparison sample of thousands of normal galaxies in the GEMS field, also known as the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS), a 30' x 30' field centered on the much smaller GOODS field. The AGN are selected from a recent deep Chandra survey of the ECDFS. The combination of HST, Chandra, Spitzer, and multi-band ground-based data in this field is unique apart from GOODS, and because the ECDFS is larger and shallower, it samples luminous quasars rather than the lower luminosity AGN found in GOODS. The HST data are critical for determining the AGN host morphologies, host galaxy evolution, and obscuration, up to z~1. We will compare the results for luminous quasars in the GEMS area to those obtained for low-luminosity AGN in the GOODS area, using identical measurement techniques. This study, combined with our ongoing work in the GOODS area, will determine whether AGN hosts are identical to normal galaxies or are significantly influenced by the nuclear activity.

AGN/QUASARS 12 85568 false 0.0 false false false false false SUPPORTED