Tracing Obscured AGN Contribution and Number Fraction Across 0 < z < 6 with JWST

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are key drivers of galaxy evolution, yet many remain undetected in ultraviolet and optical surveys due to heavy dust obscuration. In these systems, absorbed emission is re-radiated at infrared (IR) wavelengths, making IR observations essential for identifying the full AGN population. Tracking the AGN IR contribution and number fraction provides insight into both the dominance and prevalence of AGN activity across cosmic time. Using the JWST Systematic Mid-infrared Instrument Legacy Extragalactic Survey (SMILES) and the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), we leverage continuous optical-to-mid-IR coverage (0.4-25 $μ$m) in the GOODS-S field to identify obscured AGN via multi-wavelength SED fitting with CIGALE. Our sample includes 278 AGN across 0 < z < 6, representing a seven-fold increase in sample size relative to previous studies utilizing the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey due to the larger 15-pointing SMILES MIRI footprint. We find that both AGN IR contribution and number fraction increase with redshift, with AGN fractions rising from $\lesssim$ 5% at z < 2 to ~ 30% at higher redshifts, while the median AGN contribution increases by up to ~ 0.15. In contrast, as a function of total IR luminosity over $\log(L/L_{\odot}) \approx$ 8 - 12, the AGN contribution and AGN number fraction remain fundamentally static. These trends suggest that the prevalence of obscured AGN activity is dependent on redshift while showing little to no dependence on total infrared luminosity. Our results highlight JWST's ability to uncover previously hidden AGN populations and provide new constraints on AGN-galaxy co-evolution.

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