The eJWST active galactic nucleus observation catalogue

TL;DR

The paper presents a comprehensive catalogue of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) compiled through the European eJWST archive. It combines targeted AGN identifications via keyword and programme filtering with serendipitous detections by cross-matching JWST fields of view against major AGN catalogues, and harmonizes redshifts and object types from multiple sources. The resulting dataset includes 3,242 unique AGNs (968 targeted, 2,274 non-targeted) observed in $360{,}260$ science-ready observations and $47{,}650$ planned observations, with redshift information for $86.78 ext{ extpercent}$ of entries and detailed metadata, data links, and provenance. This resource enables systematic AGN studies with JWST data and is designed for regular updates, broader catalogue integration, and future inclusion of emerging populations like little red dots. Data accessibility is ensured via the eJWST interface, GitHub, and CDS, supporting wide reuse by the community for AGN evolution research and survey planning.

Abstract

Context. The European Archive of the James Webb Space Telescope (eJWST) provides access to all data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST's capabilities span from studying early universe galaxy formation to probing exoplanet atmospheres. Specifically, for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), JWST offers unparalleled opportunities, enabling investigation into AGN phenomena with unprecedented detail through high-resolution imaging, spectroscopy, and photometric data. Aims. This study aims to compile and release a catalogue of all AGN observations conducted with JWST. Using eJWST, we systematically filter and organize these observations to facilitate access and retrieval of all of JWST's data products related to AGNs. Our goal is to provide the community with a valuable resource for their research. Methods. We compiled the AGN observations in eJWST using specific keywords set by the principal investigators in their proposals, manually reviewing the approved programs of JWST, as well as cross-matching all available observations with available AGN catalogues such as the Million Quasar catalogue, the SDSS MaNGA AGN catalogue, the CDFS catalogue, and others. Results. The resulting catalogue contains a total of 3,242 individual AGNs included in JWST observations. This is one of the first extensive collections of AGN observations from the JWST. It includes detailed information about the targets (name, coordinates, redshift), specifics of the JWST observations (instrument, aperture, filter, etc.), and provides links for data downloads.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: Snippet of target_keywords with the category and description label highlighted.
• Figure 2: Histogram of redshifts in the eJWST AGN catalogue. See text for details.
• Figure 3: Optical DSS2 image from ESASky of NGC 3079 showing its coordinates (purple cross) according to Swiftbat (left panel) and Milliquas (right panel), and the FoV of observation jw05627017002_xx102_00002_miri (red rectangle). NGC 3079 appears in our catalogue with the Milliquas coordinates.
• Figure 4: Example of an AGN with coordinates inside the FoV of an observation but in a masked area of the data. This MIRI image of the Penguin Galaxy (NGC 2936) corresponds to observation ID jw06564-o001_t001_miri_f770w. The coloured rectangle shows the FoV as obtained from the position_bound_spoly keyword. The blue star shows an example of coordinates that fall within the FoV but lack data due to masking (in this case caused by the MIRI coronagraphs).
• Figure 5: AGNs in the catalogue. This plot includes targeted and non-targeted AGNs in a Mollweide projection. Orange and blue dots mark the coordinates of targeted and non-targeted AGNs (respectively) included in the catalogue. The dotted line follows the Galactic plane in the sky.