2009MNRAS.399..715J

We present the discovery of seven X-ray emitting groups of galaxies selected as extended X-ray sources in the 200-ks Chandra coverage of the All-wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS). In addition, we report on active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity associated with these systems. For the six extended sources which lie within the Deep Extragalactic Evolutionary Probe 2 (DEEP2) Galaxy Redshift Survey coverage, we identify optical counterparts and determine velocity dispersions. In particular, we find three massive high-redshift groups at z > 0.7, one of which is at z = 1.13, the first X-ray detections of spectroscopically selected DEEP2 groups. We also present a first look at the L_X-T,L_X-σ and σ-T scaling relations for high-redshift massive groups. We find that the properties of these X-ray selected systems agree well with the scaling relations of similar systems at low redshift, although there are X-ray undetected groups in the DEEP2 catalogue with similar velocity dispersions. The other three X-ray groups with identified redshifts are associated with lower mass groups at z ∼ 0.07 and together form part of a large structure or `supergroup' in the southern portion of the AEGIS field. Similar to other X-ray-luminous groups, all of the low-redshift systems are centred on massive elliptical galaxies, and all of the high-redshift groups have likely central galaxies or galaxy pairs. Interestingly, the central galaxies in the highest redshift system show indications of ongoing star formation. All of the central group galaxies host X-ray point sources, radio sources and/or show optical AGN emission. Particularly interesting examples of central AGN activity include a bent-double radio source plus X-ray point source at the centre of a group at z = 0.74, extended radio and double X-ray point sources associated with the central galaxy in the lowest redshift group at z = 0.066, and a bright green valley galaxy (part of a pair) in the z = 1.13 group which shows optical AGN emission lines.