Academic literature on the topic 'Nuclei-quasars'

Studies of the most luminous quasars at high redshift directly probe the evolution of the most massive black holes in the early universe and their connection to massive galaxy formation. However, extremely luminous quasars at high redshift are very rare objects. Only wide-area surveys have a chance to constrain their population. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has so far provided the most widely adopted measurements of the quasar luminosity function at z > 3. However, a careful re-examination of the SDSS quasar sample revealed that the SDSS quasar selection is in fact missing a significant fraction of z greater than or similar to 3 quasars at the brightest end. We identified the purely optical-color selection of SDSS, where quasars at these redshifts are strongly contaminated by late-type dwarfs, and the spectroscopic incompleteness of the SDSS footprint as the main reasons. Therefore, we designed the Extremely Luminous Quasar Survey (ELQS), based on a novel near-infrared JKW2 color cut using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE) AllWISE and 2MASS all-sky photometry, to yield high completeness for very bright (m(i) < 18.0) quasars in the redshift range of 3.0 <= z <= 5.0. It effectively uses random forest machinelearning algorithms on SDSS and WISE photometry for quasar-star classification and photometric redshift estimation. The ELQS will spectroscopically follow-up similar to 230 new quasar candidates in an area of similar to 12,000 deg(2) in the SDSS footprint to obtain a well-defined and complete quasar sample for an accurate measurement of the brightend quasar luminosity function (QLF) at 3.0 <= z <= 5.0. In this paper, we present the quasar selection algorithm and the quasar candidate catalog.

We present reverberation mapping results from the first year of combined spectroscopic and photometric observations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project. We successfully recover reverberation time delays between the g+i band emission and the broad H beta emission line for a total of 44 quasars, and for the broad Ha emission line in 18 quasars. Time delays are computed using the JAVELIN and CREAM software and the traditional interpolated cross-correlation function (ICCF): using well-defined criteria, we report measurements of 32 H beta and 13 Ha lags with JAVELIN, 42 H beta and 17 Ha lags with CREAM, and 16 H beta and eight Ha lags with the ICCF. Lag values are generally consistent among the three methods, though we typically measure smaller uncertainties with JAVELIN and CREAM than with the ICCF, given the more physically motivated light curve interpolation and more robust statistical modeling of the former two methods. The median redshift of our H beta-detected sample of quasars is 0.53, significantly higher than that of the previous reverberation mapping sample. We find that in most objects, the time delay of the Ha emission is consistent with or slightly longer than that of H beta. We measure black hole masses using our measured time delays and line widths for these quasars. These black hole mass measurements are mostly consistent with expectations based on the local M-BH-sigma* relationship, and are also consistent with single-epoch black hole mass measurements. This work increases the current sample size of reverberation-mapped active galaxies by about two-thirds and represents the first large sample of reverberation mapping observations beyond the local universe (z < 0.3).

Supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host-galaxies are thought to evolve in tandem, with the energy output from the rapidly-accreting BH regulating star formation and the growth of the BH itself. The goal of better understanding this process has led to much work focussing on the properties of quasars at high redshifts, $z\gtrsim 2$, when cosmic star formation and BH accretion both peaked. At these redshifts, however, ground-based statistical studies of the quasar population generally have no access to the rest-frame optical spectral region, which is needed to measure H$\beta$-based BH masses and narrow line region outflow properties. The cornerstone of this thesis has been a new near-infrared spectroscopic catalogue providing rest-frame optical data on 434 luminous quasars at redshifts $1.5 \lesssim z \lesssim 4$. At high redshift, $z \gtrsim 2$, quasar BH masses are derived using the velocity-width of the CIV broad emission-line, based on the assumption that the observed velocity-widths arise from virial-induced motions. However, CIV exhibits significant asymmetric structure which suggests that the associated gas is not tracing virial motions. By combining near-infrared spectroscopic data (covering the hydrogen Balmer lines) with optical spectroscopy from SDSS (covering CIV), we have quantified the bias in CIV BH masses as a function of the CIV blueshift. CIV BH masses are shown to be over-estimated by almost an order of magnitude at the most extreme blueshifts. Using the monotonically increasing relationship between the CIV blueshift and the mass ratio BH(CIV)/BH(H$\alpha$) we derive an empirical correction to all CIV BH-masses. The correction depends only on the CIV line properties and therefore enables the derivation of un-biased virial BH mass estimates for the majority of high-luminosity, high-redshift, spectroscopically confirmed quasars. Quasars driving powerful outflows over galactic scales is a central tenet of galaxy evolution models involving 'quasar feedback' and significant resources have been devoted to searching for observational evidence of this phenomenon. We have used [OIII] emission to probe ionised gas extended over kilo-parsec scales in luminous $z\gtrsim2$ quasars. Broad [OIII] velocity-widths and asymmetric structure indicate that strong outflows are prevalent in this population. We estimate the kinetic power of the outflows to be up to a few percent of the quasar bolometric luminosity, which is similar to the efficiencies required in recent quasar-feedback models. [OIII] emission is very weak in quasars with large CIV blueshifts, suggesting that quasar-driven winds are capable of sweeping away gas extended over kilo-parsec scales in the host galaxies. Using data from a number of recent wide-field photometric surveys, we have built a parametric SED model that is able to reproduce the median optical to infrared colours of tens of thousands of AGN at redshifts $1 < z < 3$. In individual objects, we find significant variation in the near-infrared SED, which is dominated by emission from hot dust. We find that the hot dust abundance is strongly correlated with the strength of outflows in the quasar broad line region, suggesting that the hot dust may be in a wind emerging from the outer edges of the accretion disc.

All massive nearby galaxies, including our own, host supermassive black holes. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are seen when such black holes accrete, and when they produce powerful jets of synchrotron-emitting plasma, they are termed radio-loud AGN. The close correlation between black hole mass and galaxy bulge mass in elliptical galaxies indicates that AGN feedback may be the key to the regulation of galaxy formation. It is thus necessary to fully understand the structure of AGN, the way that they are fuelled, and their duty cycle, in order to study the feedback processes and get a clear picture of galaxy formation. In this thesis, independent methods are developed to constrain the accretion disk and radio jet angles to the line of sight. H IX emission from a sub-sample of high-redshift quasars is measured from near-infrared spectroscopy and modelled as sums of different components, including the characteristic double-peaked profile which results from a thin, rotating accretion disk. Comparing the models using Bayesian evidence, almost all quasars were found to have infrared spectra consistent with the presence of a disk. The jet inclination angles of the same set of quasars were constrained by fitting a model, including the effect of Doppler boosting and the receding torus model for dust obscuration, to the radio \ spectral energy distribution. The fitted disk and jet angles correlate strongly, and are consistent with a model in which the radio jets are launched orthogonally to the plane of the accretion disk, as expected if the jet is powered by energy drawn from the spin of the black hole. Both disk and jet angles correlate with the observed linear source size, which is a projection effect; when deprojected using the fitted angles, the distribution of source sizes agrees with a scenario in which the sources expand into the surrounding medium at a constant rate up to ~ 1 Mpc and then shut off, probably as the nuclei become quiescent. The accretion disk angle was found to correlate weakly with the low-frequency radio luminosity, which provides direct, albeit tenuous, evidence for the receding torus model.

Les Noyaux Actifs de Galaxies (AGN) se situent au centre de galaxies extrêmement lointainesdont la luminosité provient de l’interaction d’un trou noir central supermassif et d’undisque d’accrétion. Il en résulte l’éjection à des vitesses relativistes de jets de matière collimatés.L’interférométrie à très longue base (VLBI) permet, grâce aux très grandes résolutionsatteintes, d’observer finement la structure de ces jets et de déterminer très précisément laposition astrométrique des objets. En raison de leur distance, les AGN ne présentent pas demouvements propres, ce qui les rend idéaux pour la construction de systèmes de référenceultra-précis et très stables.Des instabilités en position de quelques centaines de microsecondes d’arc, généralementimputées aux variations de la structure des jets, sont toutefois souvent observées sur des échellesde temps de quelques mois à quelques années. Le travail présenté ici étudie le lien entre les deuxphénomènes de façon statistique. Sur la base d’observations VLBI régulières conduites entre1994 et 2003, nous comparons l’évolution de la position astrométrique et de la structure des jetspour un échantillon de 68 AGN sur une période de 10 ans. Les résultats de l’étude indiquent quela corrélation entre les deux phénomènes existe mais n’est pas aussi forte qu’attendue. Le travailest complété par une simulation des effets causés sur la trajectoire des jets par la précessiondu disque d’accrétion ainsi que par la présence d’un système binaire de trous noirs. Appliquéeau cas de la source 1308+326, l’étude montre que l’amplitude de ces effets est compatible avecles oscillations de la trajectoire observées en VLBI<br>Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are located in the center of extremely distant and bright galaxies. Their luminosity comes from the interaction between a super-massive central blackhole and an accretion disk, producing a relativistic collimated jet of matter. Thanks to the extremely high resolution achieved by Very Long Base line Interferometry (VLBI), the jet structure may be studied in detail, while the astrometric position of the AGN is determined with ahigh accuracy. Because of their location at cosmological distances, no proper motions are detected for those objects, making them ideal fiducial points for building highly-precise celestial reference frames.Instabilities up to a few hundreds of micro arc seconds are yet often observed in astrometricpositions on time scales from months to years. This is generally thought to be caused by theevolution of source structure. The study presented here investigates the correlation between the two phenomena on a statistical basis. Based on regular VLBI observations conducted between1994 and 2003, astrometric position variations and source structure evolution are compared fora sample of 68 AGN over a period of 10 years. The results indicate that a correlation between the two phenomena does exist but it is not as strong as expected. Additionally, a simulation of the effects caused by the precession of the accretion disc and the potential presence of abinary black hole in the center of the AGN is presented. Applied to the source 1308+326, the simulation shows that the magnitude of the effects is consistent with the oscillations of the jet trajectory observed on VLBI scale

There is strong observational evidence indicating a time lag of order of some 100 Myr between the onset of starburst and AGN activity in galaxies. Dynamical time lags have been invoked to explain this. We extend this approach by introducing a viscous time lag the gas additionally needs to flow through the AGN's accretion disc before it reaches the central black hole. Our calculations reproduce the observed time lags and are in accordance with the observed correlation between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion.

Supermassive black holes, black holes with masses <106 Msun, are found at the centers of all massive galaxies. These massive black holes grew from smaller seed black holes through accretion events. Accreting black holes are very bright in the radio through very hard X-ray spectral regimes. Due to the location of these accreting black holes at the centers of galaxies, they are referred to as active galactic nuclei (AGN). It is understood that AGN are an important phase of galaxy evolution; however, the role of AGN in massive galaxy formation is very poorly constrained. Here, the unique tool of multi-wavelength population synthesis modeling is used to study the average properties of AGN and their host galaxies with a focus on host galaxy star formation and the role of black hole growth in galaxy evolution. Knowledge of the AGN population from deep X-ray surveys is combined with theoretical AGN spectral energy distributions to predict various observables of the AGN population in wavelength regions from the far infrared to very hard X-rays. Comparison of the model predictions to observations constrains the model input parameters and allows for the determination of average properties of the AGN population. Particular attention is paid to a special class of AGN known as Compton thick AGN. These AGN are deeply embedded in gas and dust such that the column density obscuring the line of sight to the central engine of the AGN exceeds 1/σT ~ 10²⁴ cm⁻², where σT is the Thomson cross-section of the electron---a column density comparable to that of the human chest. Theoretical and simulational evidence suggest that these Compton thick AGN may be recently triggered, rapidly accreting AGN, making them of special interest to researchers. I found that Compton thick AGN are likely to contribute ~20% of the peak of the cosmic X-ray background (XRB) at ~30 keV and demonstrated that a significant portion of Compton thick AGN may be accreting very rapidly. Moreover, Compton thick AGN do not appear to follow the orientation based unified model of AGN. According to the unified model, AGN exhibit a range of obscuration levels due to a dusty 'torus' which, depending on the orientation of the torus to the observer's line of sight, may obscure the central engine of the AGN. Upon further investigation into the stellar populations of AGN host galaxies, it appears that the unified model holds in general at z < 1, but not at z > 1. I found that this is likely due to the dominant triggering mechanism of AGN switching from major mergers at z > 1.5 to secular processes by z ~ 1.