Fraction Of Quasars Research Articles

Red Type-1 Quasars after Cosmic Noon and Impact on L UV-related Quasar Statistics

Over the past decades, nearly a million quasars have been explored to shed light on the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. The ultraviolet-to-optical spectra of type-1 quasars particularly offer insights into their black hole activities. Recent findings, however, raise questions about the prevalence of red type-1 quasars of which colors might be due to dust obscuration and their potential influence on luminosity-related properties of quasars. We examine the fraction of red type-1 quasars within the redshift range of 0.68 ≤ z < 2.20, applying a spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting using optical-to-mid-infrared (MIR) photometric data of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14 quasars. Approximately 10% of the type-1 quasars exhibit red colors suggestive of dust obscuration. There is an association between the brightness of the MIR luminosity and a higher fraction of red type-1 quasars, albeit with negligible redshift evolution. By employing E(B − V) values from the SED fitting, we obtained dereddened luminosity of the red type-1 quasars and reassess the quasar luminosity function (QLF) and black hole mass (M BH) estimates. Result shows a modest increase in the number density of bright quasars, linking to more flatten bright-end slope of QLFs, while M BH adjustments are minimal. Current SDSS selections with optical colors could miss a significant population of heavily dust-obscured quasars. As future MIR surveys like Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer expand, they may reveal enough obscured quasars to prompt a more profound revision of fundamental quasar properties.

The radio properties of z&gt;3.5 quasars: Are most high-redshift radio-loud active galactic nuclei obscured?

We explore the radio properties of powerful (rest-frame luminosity $ at 500 MHz) high-redshift ($z 3.5$) quasars. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of radio-loud sources at the epoch when they reach the highest space density. We selected 29 radio-loud quasars at low radio frequencies (76 MHz). Their radio spectra, covering the range from 76 MHz to 5 GHz, are generally well reproduced by a single power law. We created samples that were matched in radio luminosity at lower redshift (from $z to $z to investigate any spectral evolution. We find that the fraction of flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) strongly increases with redshift (from $ 8&lt;!PCT!&gt;$ at z=1.2 to $ 45&lt;!PCT!&gt;$ at z$&gt;$3.5). This effect is also observed in quasars with lower luminosities (down to $ The increase in the fraction of FSRQs with redshift corresponds to a decrease in the steep- spectrum radio quasars. This result can be explained when we assume that the beaming factor and the slope of the luminosity function do not change with redshift and if high-redshift radio-loud sources can be recognized as quasars only when they are seen at a small viewing angle ($ but most of them, about 90&lt;!PCT!&gt; are obscured in the UV and optical bands. We also found a trend for the size of radio sources to decrease with increasing redshift. Because projection effects are insufficient to cause this trend, we suggest that the large amount of gas causing the nuclear obscuration also hampers the growth of the more distant sources.

A Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope survey of radio-loud broad absorption line quasars

ABSTRACT A substantial fraction of quasars display broad absorption lines (BALs) in their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra. While the origin of BALs is thought to be related to the accretion disc wind, it remains unclear whether the observed ratio of BAL to non-BAL quasars is a result of orientation. We conducted observations of 48 BAL quasars and the same number of non-BAL quasars at 322 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. Combined with previous flux measurements ranging from MHz to GHz frequencies, we compared continuum radio spectra between the two quasar groups. These data offer insights into low-frequency radio properties that have been difficult to investigate with previous observations only at GHz frequencies. Our results show that 73 ± 13 per cent of the BAL quasars exhibit steep or peaked spectra, a higher proportion than the 44 ± 14 per cent observed in the non-BAL quasars. In contrast, there are no discernible differences between the two quasar groups in the radio luminosity, peak frequency, and spectral index distributions of sources with steep or peaked spectra and sources with flat or inverted spectra. Generally, as the jet axis and line of sight become closer to parallel, quasars exhibit flat or inverted spectra rather than steep or peaked spectra. Therefore, these results suggest that BAL quasars are more frequently observed farther from the jet axis than non-BAL quasars. However, given that a certain proportion of BAL quasars exhibit flat or inverted spectra, more than the simple orientation scenario is required to elucidate the radio properties of BAL quasars.

Ultraluminous quasars at high redshift show evolution in their radio-loudness fraction in both redshift and ultraviolet luminosity

ABSTRACT We take a sample of 94 ultraluminous, optical quasars from the search of over 14 486 deg2 by Onken et al. in the range 4.4 &amp;lt; redshift &amp;lt; 5.2 and match them against the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) observed on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). From this most complete sample of the bright end of the redshift ∼5 quasar luminosity function, there are 10 radio continuum detections, of which eight are considered radio-loud quasars. The radio-loud fraction for this sample is 8.5 ± 2.9 per cent. Jiang et al. found that there is a decrease in the radio-loud fraction of quasars with increasing redshift and an increase with increasing absolute magnitude at rest frame 2500 Å. We show that the radio-loud fraction of our quasar sample is consistent with that predicted by Jiang et al.,extending their result to higher redshifts.

Estimators of Bolometric Luminosity and Black Hole Mass with Mid-infrared Continuum Luminosities for Dust-obscured Quasars: Prevalence of Dust-obscured SDSS Quasars

We present bolometric luminosity (L bol) and black hole (BH) mass (M BH) estimators based on mid-infrared (MIR) continuum luminosity (hereafter, L MIR) that are measured from infrared (IR) photometric data. The L MIR-based estimators are relatively immune from dust extinction effects, hence they can be used for dust-obscured quasars. To derive the L bol and M BH estimators, we use unobscured quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar catalog, which have wide ranges of L bol (1044.62–1046.16 erg s−1) and M BH (107.14–109.69 M ⊙). We find empirical relations between (i) continuum luminosity at 5100 Å (hereafter, L5100) and L MIR; (ii) L bol and L MIR. Using these relations, we derive the L MIR-based L bol and M BH estimators. We find that our estimators allow the determination of L bol and M BH at an accuracy of ∼0.2 dex against the fiducial estimates based on the optical properties of the unobscured quasars. We apply the L MIR-based estimators to SDSS quasars at z ≲ 0.5 including obscured ones. The ratios of L bol from the L MIR-based estimators to those from the optical luminosity-based estimators become larger with the amount of the dust extinction, and a non-negligible fraction (∼15%) of the SDSS quasars exhibits ratios greater than 1.5. This result suggests that dust extinction can significantly affect physical parameter derivations even for SDSS quasars, and that dust extinction needs to be carefully taken into account when deriving quasar properties.

The most luminous blue quasars at 3.0 &lt; z &lt; 3.3

We present the analysis of the rest frame ultraviolet and optical spectra of 30 bright blue quasars at z ∼ 3, selected to examine the suitability of active galactic nuclei as cosmological probes. In our previous works, based on pointed XMM-Newton observations, we found an unexpectedly high fraction (≈25%) of X-ray weak quasars in the sample. The latter sources also display a flatter UV continuum and a broader and fainter C IV profile in the archival UV data with respect to their X-ray normal counterparts. Here we present new observations with the Large Binocular Telescope in both the zJ (covering the rest frame ≃2300–3100 Å) and the KS (≃4750–5350 Å) bands. We estimated black hole masses (MBH) and Eddington ratios (λEdd) from the available rest frame optical and UV emission lines (Hβ, Mg II), finding that our z ∼ 3 quasars are on average highly accreting (⟨λEdd⟩≃1.2 and ⟨MBH⟩≃109.7 M⊙), with no difference in λEdd or MBH between X-ray weak and X-ray normal quasars. From the zJ spectra, we derived the properties (e.g. flux, equivalent width) of the main emission lines (Mg II, Fe II), finding that X-ray weak quasars display higher Fe II/Mg II ratios with respect to typical quasars. Fe II/Mg II ratios of X-ray normal quasars are instead consistent with other estimates up to z ≃ 6.5, corroborating the idea of already chemically mature broad line regions at early cosmic time. From the KS spectra, we find that all the X-ray weak quasars present generally weaker [O III] emission (EW &lt; 10 Å) than the normal ones. The sample as a whole, however, abides by the known X-ray-[O III] luminosity correlation, hence the different [O III] properties are likely due to an intrinsically weaker [O III] emission in X-ray weak objects, associated to the shape of the spectral energy distribution. We interpret these results in the framework of accretion-disc winds.

Statistics of Galactic-scale Quasar Pairs at Cosmic Noon

The statistics of galactic-scale quasar pairs can elucidate our understanding of the dynamical evolution of supermassive black hole (SMBH) pairs, the duty cycles of quasar activity in mergers, or even the nature of dark matter, but they have been challenging to measure at cosmic noon, the prime epoch of massive galaxy and SMBH formation. Here we measure a double quasar fraction of ∼6.2 ± 0.5 × 10−4 integrated over ∼0.″3–3″ separations (projected physical separations of ∼3–30 kpc at z ∼ 2) in luminous (L bol > 1045.8 erg s−1) unobscured quasars at 1.5 < z < 3.5 using Gaia EDR3-resolved pairs around SDSS DR16 quasars. The measurement was based on a sample of 60 Gaia-resolved double quasars (out of 487 Gaia pairs dominated by quasar+star superpositions) at these separations, corrected for pair completeness in Gaia, which we quantify as functions of pair separation, magnitude of the primary, and magnitude contrast. The double quasar fraction increases toward smaller separations by a factor of ∼5 over these scales. The division between physical quasar pairs and lensed quasars in our sample is currently unknown, requiring dedicated follow-up observations (in particular, deep, subarcsecond-resolution IR imaging for the closest pairs). Intriguingly, at this point, the observed pair statistics are in rough agreement with theoretical predictions both for the lensed quasar population in mock catalogs and for dual quasars in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. Upcoming wide-field imaging/spectroscopic space missions such as Euclid, CSST, and Roman, combined with targeted follow-up observations, will conclusively measure the abundances and host galaxy properties of galactic-scale quasar pairs, offset AGNs, and subarcsecond lensed quasars across cosmic time.

The Obscured Fraction of Quasars at Cosmic Noon

Statistical studies of X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) indicate that the fraction of obscured AGN increases with increasing redshift, and the results suggest that a significant part of the accretion growth occurs behind obscuring material in the early universe. We investigate the obscured fraction of highly accreting X-ray AGN at around the peak epoch of supermassive black hole growth utilizing the wide and deep X-ray and optical/IR imaging data sets. A unique sample of luminous X-ray selected AGNs above z > 2 was constructed by matching the XMM-SERVS X-ray point-source catalog with a point-spread function convolved photometric catalog covering the u*–4.5 μm bands. Photometric redshift, hydrogen column density, and 2–10 keV AGN luminosity of the X-ray selected AGN candidates were estimated. Using the sample of 306 2–10 keV detected AGN at above redshift 2, we estimate the fraction of AGN with , assuming parametric X-ray luminosity and absorption functions. The results suggest that of luminous quasars () above redshift 2 are obscured. The fraction indicates an increased contribution of obscured accretion at high redshift than that in the local universe. We discuss the implications of the increasing obscured fraction with increasing redshift based on the AGN obscuration scenarios, which describe obscuration properties in the local universe. Both the obscured and unobscured z > 2 AGN show a broad range of SEDs and morphology, which may reflect the broad variety of host galaxy properties and physical processes associated with the obscuration.

Lensing in the darkness: a Bayesian analysis of 22 Chandra sources at z ≳ 6 shows no evidence of lensing

ABSTRACT More than 200 quasars have been detected so far at z &amp;gt; 6, with only one showing clear signs of strong gravitational lensing. Some studies call for a missing population of lensed high-z quasars, but their existence is still in doubt. A large fraction of high-z quasars being lensed would have a significant effect on the shape of the intrinsic quasar luminosity function (QLF). Here, we perform the first systematic search for lensed X-ray-detected quasars at z ≳ 6 employing a Bayesian analysis, with the code baymax, to look for morphological evidence of multiple images that may escape a visual inspection. We analysed a sample of 22 quasars at z &amp;gt; 5.8 imaged by the Chandra X-ray observatory and found none with statistically significant multiple images. In the sub-sample of the eight sources with photon counts &amp;gt;20, we exclude multiple images with separations r &amp;gt; 1 arcsec and count ratios f &amp;gt; 0.4, or with separations as small as 0.7 arcsec and f &amp;gt; 0.7 at $95{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence level. Comparing this non-detection with predictions from theoretical models suggesting a high- and a low-lensed fraction, we placed upper limits on the bright-end slope, β, of the QLF. Using only the sub-sample with eight sources, we obtain, in the high-lensing model, a limit β &amp;lt; 3.38. Assuming no multiple source is present in the full sample of 22 sources, we obtain β &amp;lt; 2.89 and β &amp;lt; 3.53 in the high- and low-lensing models, respectively. These constraints strongly disfavour steep QLF shapes previously proposed in the literature.

Suppression of black-hole growth by strong outflows at redshifts 5.8-6.6.

Bright quasars, powered by accretion onto billion-solar-mass black holes, already existed at the epoch of reionization, when the Universe was 0.5-1 billion years old1. How these black holes formed in such a short time is the subject of debate, particularly as they lie above the correlation between black-hole mass and galaxy dynamical mass2,3 in the local Universe. What slowed down black-hole growth, leading towards the symbiotic growth observed in the local Universe, and when this process started, has hitherto not been known, although black-hole feedback is a likely driver4. Here we report optical and near-infrared observations of a sample of quasars at redshifts 5.8 ≲ z ≲ 6.6. About half of the quasar spectra reveal broad, blueshifted absorption line troughs, tracing black-hole-driven winds with extreme outflow velocities, up to 17% of the speed of light. The fraction of quasars with such outflow winds at z ≳ 5.8 is ≈2.4 times higher than at z ≈ 2-4. We infer that outflows at z ≳ 5.8 inject large amounts of energy into the interstellar medium and suppress nuclear gas accretion, slowing down black-hole growth. The outflow phase may then mark the beginning of substantial black-hole feedback. The red optical colours of outflow quasars at z ≳ 5.8 indeed suggest that these systems are dusty and may be caught during an initial quenching phase of obscured accretion5.

Revisiting the Lensed Fraction of High-redshift Quasars

Abstract The observed lensed fraction of high-redshift quasars (∼0.2%) is significantly lower than previous theoretical predictions (≳4%). We revisit the lensed fraction of high-redshift quasars predicted by theoretical models, where we adopt recent measurements of galaxy velocity dispersion functions (VDFs) and explore a wide range of quasar luminosity function (QLF) parameters. We use both analytical methods and mock catalogs, which give consistent results. For ordinary QLF parameters and the depth of current high-redshift quasar surveys (m z ≲ 22), our model suggests a multiply imaged fraction of F multi ∼ 0.4%–0.8%. The predicted lensed fraction is ∼1%–6% for the brightest z s ∼ 6 quasars (m z ≲ 19), depending on the QLF. The systematic uncertainties of the predicted lensed fraction in previous models can be as large as 2–4 times and are dominated by the VDF. Applying VDFs from recent measurements decreases the predicted lensed fraction and relieves the tension between observations and theoretical models. Given the depth of current imaging surveys, there are ∼15 lensed quasars at z s &gt; 5.5 detectable over the sky. Upcoming sky surveys like the Legacy Survey of Space and Time survey and the Euclid survey will find several tens of lensed quasars at this redshift range.

Fraction of broad absorption line quasars in different radio morphologies

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated the orientation model of Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasars using a sample of sources that are common in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release (DR)-16 quasar catalogue and Very Large Array (VLA)-Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters (FIRST) survey. Using the radio cut-out images from the FIRST survey, we first designed a deep-learning model using convolutional neural networks (CNN) to classify the quasar radio morphologies into the core-only, young jet, single lobe, or triples. These radio morphologies are further sub-classified into core-dominated and lobe-dominated sources. The CNN models can classify the sources with a high precision of &amp;gt;98 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for all the morphological sub-classes. The average BAL fraction in the resolved core, core-dominated, and lobe-dominated quasars are consistent with the BAL fraction inferred from radio and infrared surveys. We also present the distribution of BAL quasars as a function of quasar orientation by using the radio core-dominance as an orientation indicator. A similar analysis is performed for HiBALs, LoBALs, and FeLoBALs. All the radio morphological sub-classes and BAL sub-classes show an increase in BAL fraction at high orientation angles of the jets with respect to the line of sight. Our analysis suggests that BAL quasars are more likely to be found in viewing angles close to the equatorial plane of the quasar. However, a pure orientation model is inadequate, and a combination of orientation and evolution is probably the best way to explain the complete BAL phenomena.

Probing Early Supermassive Black Hole Growth and Quasar Evolution with Near-infrared Spectroscopy of 37 Reionization-era Quasars at 6.3 &lt; z ≤ 7.64

Abstract We report the results of near-infrared spectroscopic observations of 37 quasars in the redshift range 6.3 &lt; z ≤ 7.64, including 32 quasars at z &gt; 6.5, forming the largest quasar near-infrared spectral sample at this redshift. The spectra, taken with Keck, Gemini, VLT, and Magellan, allow investigations of central black hole mass and quasar rest-frame ultraviolet spectral properties. The black hole masses derived from the Mg ii emission lines are in the range (0.3–3.6) × 109 M ⊙, which requires massive seed black holes with masses ≳103–104 M ⊙, assuming Eddington accretion since z = 30. The Eddington ratio distribution peaks at λ Edd ∼ 0.8 and has a mean of 1.08, suggesting high accretion rates for these quasars. The C iv–Mg ii emission-line velocity differences in our sample show an increase of C iv blueshift toward higher redshift, but the evolutionary trend observed from this sample is weaker than the previous results from smaller samples at similar redshift. The Fe ii/Mg ii flux ratios derived for these quasars up to z = 7.6, compared with previous measurements at different redshifts, do not show any evidence of strong redshift evolution, suggesting metal-enriched environments in these quasars. Using this quasar sample, we create a quasar composite spectrum for z &gt; 6.5 quasars and find no significant redshift evolution of quasar broad emission lines and continuum slope, except for a blueshift of the C iv line. Our sample yields a strong broad absorption line quasar fraction of ∼24%, higher than the fractions in lower-redshift quasar samples, although this could be affected by small sample statistics and selection effects.

The Dependence of the Fraction of Radio Luminous Quasars on Redshift and its Theoretical Implications

Abstract While radio emission in quasars can be contributed to by a variety of processes (involving star-forming regions, accretion disk coronas and winds, and jets), the powering of the radio loudest quasars must involve very strong jets, presumably launched by the Blandford–Znajek mechanism incorporating the magnetically arrested disk (MAD) scenario. We focus on the latter and investigate the dependence of their fraction on redshift. We also examine the dependence of the radio-loud fraction (RLF) on BH mass (M BH) and Eddington ratio (λ Edd), while excluding the redshift bias by narrowing its range. In both of these investigations, we remove the bias associated with: (1) the diversity of source selection by constructing two well-defined, homogeneous samples of quasars (first within 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9, second within 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 0.7); and (2) a strong drop in the RLF of quasars at smaller BH masses by choosing those with BH masses larger than 108.5 M ⊙. We confirm some of the previous results showing the increase in the fraction of radio-loud quasars with cosmic time and that this trend can be even steeper if we account for the bias introduced by the dependence of the RLF on BH mass, whereas the bias introduced by the dependence of the RLF on Eddington ratio is shown to be negligible. Assuming that quasar activities are triggered by galaxy mergers, we argue that such an increase can result from the slower drop with cosmic time of mixed mergers than of wet mergers.

How Are Red and Blue Quasars Different? The Radio Properties

A non-negligible fraction of quasars are red at optical wavelengths, indicating (in the majority of cases) that the accretion disc is obscured by a column of dust which extinguishes the shorter-wavelength blue emission. In this paper, we summarize recent work by our group, where we find fundamental differences in the radio properties of SDSS optically-selected red quasars. We also present new analyses, using a consistent color-selected quasar parent sample matched to four radio surveys (FIRST, VLA Stripe 82, VLA COSMOS 3 GHz, and LoTSS DR1) across a frequency range 144 MHz–3 GHz and four orders of magnitude in radio flux. We show that red quasars have enhanced small-scale radio emission (∼kpc) that peaks around the radio-quiet threshold (defined as the ratio of 1.4 GHz luminosity to 6 μm luminosity) across the four radio samples. Exploring the potential mechanisms behind this enhancement, we rule out star-formation and propose either small-scale synchrotron jets, frustrated jets, or dusty winds interacting with the interstellar medium; the latter two scenarios would provide a more direct connection between opacity (dust; gas) and the production of the radio emission. In our future study, using new multi-band uGMRT data, we aim to robustly distinguish between these scenarios.

Extreme Variability and Episodic Lifetime of Quasars

Abstract We constrain the average episodic quasar lifetime (as in steady-state accretion) using two statistics of quasars that are recently turned off (i.e., dimmed by a large factor): (1) the fraction of turned-off quasars in a statistical sample photometrically observed over an extended period (e.g., Δt = 20 yr) and (2) the fraction of massive galaxies that show “orphan” broad Mg ii emission, argued to be short-lived echoes of recently turned-off quasars. The two statistics constrain the average episodic quasar lifetime to be hundreds to thousands of years. Much longer (or shorter) episodic lifetimes are strongly disfavored by these observations. This average episodic lifetime is broadly consistent with the infall timescale (viscous time) in the standard accretion-disk model for quasars, suggesting that quasar episodes are governed by accretion-disk physics rather than by the gas supply on much larger scales. Compared with the cumulative quasar lifetime of ∼106−108 yr constrained from quasar clustering and massive black hole demographics, our results suggest that there are ∼103−105 episodes of quasar accretion during the assembly history of the supermassive black hole. Such short episodes should be clustered over intervals of ∼104 yr to account for the sizes of ionized narrow-line regions in quasars. Our statistical argument also dictates that there will always be a small fraction of extreme variability quasars caught in “state transitions” over multiyear observing windows, despite the much longer episodic lifetime. These transitions could occur in a rather abrupt fashion during non-steady accretion.

A Catalog of High-velocity C iv Mini-broad Absorption Lines in the VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES Archives

Abstract We present a catalog of high-velocity C iv λ1548,1551 mini-broad absorption lines (mini-BALs) in the archives of the Very Large Telescope-UV Visual Echelle Spectrograph and Keck-High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. We identify C iv mini-BALs based on smooth rounded BAL-like profiles with velocity blueshifts &lt;−4000 km s−1 and widths in the range 70 ≲ FWHM(1548) ≲ 2000 km s−1. We find 105 mini-BALs in 44 quasars from a total sample of 638 quasars. The fraction of quasars with at least one mini-BAL meeting our criteria is roughly ∼9% after correcting for incomplete velocity coverage. All of the systems are highly ionized based on the strong presence of N v and O vi and/or the absence of Si ii and C ii when within the wavelength coverage. Two of the mini-BAL systems in our catalog, plus three others at smaller velocity shifts, have P v λ1118,1128 absorption indicating highly saturated C iv absorption and total hydrogen column densities ≳1022 cm−2. Most of the mini-BALs are confirmed to have optical depths ≳1 with partial covering of the quasar continuum source. The covering fractions are as small as 0.06 in C iv and 0.03 in Si iv, corresponding to outflow absorbing structures &lt;0.002 pc across. When multiple lines are measured, the lines of less abundant ions tend to have narrower profiles and smaller covering fractions indicative of inhomogeneous absorbers where higher column densities occur in smaller clumps. This picture might extend to BAL outflows if the broader and generally deeper BALs form in either the largest clumps or collections of many mini-BAL-like clumps that blend together in observed quasar spectra.

Dual Supermassive Black Holes at Close Separation Revealed by the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program

Abstract The unique combination of superb spatial resolution, wide-area coverage, and deep depth of the optical imaging from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program is utilized to search for dual quasar candidates. Using an automated image analysis routine on 34,476 known Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars, we identify those with two (or more) distinct optical point sources in HSC images covering 796 deg2. We find 421 candidates out to a redshift of 4.5 of which one hundred or so are more likely after filtering out contaminating stars. Angular separations of 0.″6–4.″0 correspond to projected separations of 3–30 kpc, a range relatively unexplored for population studies of luminous dual quasars. Using Keck I/Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and Gemini-N/Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer, we spectroscopically confirm three dual quasar systems at z &lt; 1, two of which are previously unknown out of eight observed, based on the presence of characteristic broad emission lines in each component, while highlighting that the continuum of one object in one of the pairs is reddened. In all cases, the [O iii]λ5007 emission lines have mild velocity offsets, thus the joint [O iii] line profile is not double-peaked. We find a dual quasar fraction of 0.26 ± 0.18% and no evidence for evolution. A comparison with the Horizon-AGN simulation seems to support the case of no evolution in the dual quasar fraction when broadly matching the quasar selection. These results may indicate a scenario in which the frequency of the simultaneous triggering of luminous quasars is not as sensitive as expected to the cosmic evolution of the merger rate or gas content of galaxies.

Reionization inference from the CMB optical depth and E-mode polarization power spectra

ABSTRACT The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) depends on the complex astrophysics governing the birth and evolution of the first galaxies and structures in the intergalactic medium. EoR models rely on cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations, and in particular the large-scale E-mode polarization power spectra (EE PS), to help constrain their highly uncertain parameters. However, rather than directly forward-modelling the EE PS, most EoR models are constrained using a summary statistic – the Thompson scattering optical depth, τe. Compressing CMB observations to τe requires adopting a basis set for the EoR history. The common choice is the unphysical, redshift-symmetric hyperbolic tangent (tanh) function, which differs in shape from physical EoR models based on hierarchical structure formation. Combining public EoR and CMB codes, 21cmfast and class, here we quantify how inference using the τe summary statistic impacts the resulting constraints on galaxy properties and EoR histories. Using the last Planck 2018 data release, we show that the marginalized constraints on the EoR history are more sensitive to the choice of the basis set (tanh versus physical model) than to the CMB likelihood statistic (τe versus PS). For example, EoR histories implied by the growth of structure show a small tail of partial reionization extending to higher redshifts. However, biases in inference using τe are negligible for the Planck 2018 data. Using EoR constraints from high-redshift observations including the quasar dark fraction, galaxy UV luminosity functions, and CMB EE PS, our physical model recovers $\tau _\mathrm{ e} = 0.0569_{-0.0066}^{+0.0081}$.

Spectral principal component analysis of the Hβ region of low-redshift SDSS quasars

Studying the relationships among quasar spectral features is essential to unveil the origins of the emission lines and the quasars’ physical processes. Principal component analysis (PCA) is a powerful tool to investigate correlations between variables. Here, we present the results of PCA on the spectra of low-redshift SDSS quasars. The rest-frame wavelength range studied is 4000 – 5500 Å, involving some typical features of quasar spectra, such as Hβ, [O iii] and Fe ii emission lines. The first principal component is the anti-correlation between [O iii] and Fe ii, the well-known eigenvector one (EV1). The next six principal components also show clear (anti-)correlations between line strengths and/or velocity widths of various features, which agree well with measured spectral properties. By comparing the weights of these principal components with other quasar properties, we can identify their underlying drivers. We find that the second principal component represents spectral slope, and can quantify quasar host fraction, intrinsic slope and reddening well. The third component exhibits the velocity width variation of Hβ, and may be a proxy for orientation. In addition, we calculate the fractional-contribution spectra to investigate which components dominate the variance at individual wavelength ranges. Our results also indicate that the optical Fe ii emission may have distinct origins.