Evidence for a large fraction of compton-thick quasars at high redshift

Using mid-infrared and radio selection criteria, we pre-select a sample of candidate high-redshift type 2 quasars in the Subaru XMM–Newton Deep Field (SXDF). To filter out starburst contaminants, we use a Bayesian method to fit the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) between 24-μm and the B-band, obtain photometric redshifts, and identify the best candidates for high-z type 2 quasars. This leaves us with 12 zphot≥ 1.7 type 2 quasar candidates in an area ∼0.8 deg2, of which only two have secure X-ray detections. The two detected sources have estimated column densities NH∼ 2 & 3 × 1027 m−2, i.e. heavily obscured but Compton-thin quasars. Given the large bolometric luminosities and redshifts of the undetected objects, the lack of X-ray detections suggests extreme absorbing columns NH≳ 1028 m−2 are typical. We have found evidence for a population of ‘Compton-thick’ high-redshift type 2 quasars, at least comparable to, and probably larger than, the type 1 quasar population, although spectroscopic confirmation of their active galactic nuclei nature is important.