A Hubble Snapshot Survey of AGN Host Galaxies from the Swift-BAT Sample

The Swift-BAT sample of hard X-ray selected AGN provides an ideal basis for carrying out statistical studies of AGN host galaxy properties and tests of unified models. To examine the structure and properties of low-redshift Swift-BAT AGN host galaxies, we are carrying out an I-band Hubble Space Telescope (HST) snapshot survey. This program (SNAP-15444) was selected through a special 2017 mid-cycle proposal call for gap-filler programs designed to provide large pools of low-priority snapshot targets. Our sample of 543 targets consists of Swift-BAT AGN at z<0.1 that had no prior HST I-band imaging. Observations for each target consist of two dithered full-frame ACS/WFC 337 s exposures with the F814W filter, plus an additional 5 s subarray exposure for Type 1 AGN in order to obtain an unsaturated image of the nuclear point source. As of October 2020, 139 targets have been observed, spanning the full range of AGN host galaxy morphological types and including many galaxies for which there was no previous morphological classification. We will present preliminary results from this survey including the distribution of host galaxy types, the incidence of merger features and multiple nuclei, and the correlation between black hole mass and bulge luminosity for broad-lined AGN.