We present a progress report on a major extension of the Einstein Observatory Medium Sensitivity Survey (MSS). The basic properties of the extragalactic sources identified with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and clusters of galaxies are discussed. Results from previous work are briefly summarized.
In this paper I discuss the status of observational studies aiming at probing the cosmological evolution of the central engine in high-luminosity, high-accretion rate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). X-ray spectroscopic surveys, supported by extensive multi-wavelength coverage, indicate a remarkable invariance of the accretion disk plus corona system, and of their coupling up to redshifts z≈6. Furthermore, hard X-ray (<em>E</em> >10 keV) surveys show that nearby Seyfert Galaxies share the same central engine notwithstanding their optical classication. These results suggest that the high-luminosity, high accretion rate quasar phase of AGN evolution is homogeneous over cosmological times.
X-Ray Surveys as Tools to Investigate the Cosmological Evolution of Quasars, BL Lac Objects and Clusters of Galaxies