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Register a new userThe Quasar-LBG Two-point Angular Cross-correlation Function at z ~ 4 in the COSMOS Field
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In order to investigate the origin of quasars, we estimate the bias factor for low-luminosity quasars at high redshift for the first time. In this study, we use the two-point angular cross-correlation function (CCF) for both low-luminosity quasars at $-24<M_{rm 1450}<-22$ and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs). Our sample consists of both 25 low-luminosity quasars (16 objects are spectroscopically confirmed low-luminosity quasars) in the redshift range $3.1<z<4.5$ and 835 color-selected LBGs with $z^{prime}_{rm LBG}<25.0$ at $zsim4$ in the COSMOS field. We have made our analysis for the following two quasar samples; (1) the spectroscopic sample (the 16 quasars confirmed by spectroscopy), and (2) the total sample (the 25 quasars including 9 quasars with photometric redshifts). The bias factor for low-luminosity quasars at $zsim4$ is derived by utilizing the quasar-LBG CCF and the LBG auto-correlation function. We then obtain the $86%$ upper limits of the bias factors for low-luminosity quasars, that are 5.63 and 10.50 for the total and the spectroscopic samples, respectively. These bias factors correspond to the typical dark matter halo masses, log $(M_{rm DM}/(h^{-1}M_{odot}))=$$12.7$ and $13.5$, respectively. This result is not inconsistent with the predicted bias for quasars which is estimated by the major merger models.
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We investigate how the shape of the galaxy two-point correlation function as measured in the zCOSMOS survey depends on local environment, quantified in terms of the density contrast on scales of 5 Mpc/h. We show that the flat shape previously observed at redshifts between z=0.6 and z=1 can be explained by this volume being simply 10% over-abundant in high-density environments, with respect to a Universal density probability distribution function. When galaxies corresponding to the top 10% tail of the distribution are excluded, the measured w_p(r_p) steepens and becomes indistinguishable from LCDM predictions on all scales. This is the same effect recognised by Abbas & Sheth in the SDSS data at z~0 and explained as a natural consequence of halo-environment correlations in a hierarchical scenario. Galaxies living in high-density regions trace dark matter halos with typically higher masses, which are more correlated. If the density probability distribution function of the sample is particularly rich in high-density regions because of the variance introduced by its finite size, this produces a distorted two-point correlation function. We argue that this is the dominant effect responsible for the observed peculiar clustering in the COSMOS field.
We searched for quasars that are ~ 3 mag fainter than the SDSS quasars in the redshift range 3.7 < z < 4.7 in the COSMOS field to constrain the faint end of the quasar luminosity function. Using optical photometric data, we selected 31 quasar candidates with 22 < i < 24 at z ~ 4. We obtained optical spectra for most of these candidates using FOCAS on the Subaru telescope, and identified 8 low-luminosity quasars at z ~ 4. In order to derive the quasar luminosity function (QLF) based on our spectroscopic follow-up campaign, we estimated the photometric completeness of our quasar survey through detailed Monte Carlo simulations. Our QLF at z ~ 4 has a much shallower faint-end slope beta = -1.67^{+0.11}_{-0.17} than that obtained by other recent surveys in the same redshift. Our result is consistent with the scenario of downsizing evolution of active galactic nuclei inferred by recent optical and X-ray quasar surveys at lower redshifts.
We present the result of our low-luminosity quasar survey in the redshift range of 4.5 < z < 5.5 in the COSMOS field. Using the COSMOS photometric catalog, we selected 15 quasar candidates with 22 < i < 24 at z~5, that are ~ 3 mag fainter than the SDSS quasars in the same redshift range. We obtained optical spectra for 14 of the 15 candidates using FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope and did not identify any low-luminosity type-1 quasars at z~5 while a low-luminosity type-2 quasar at z~5.07 was discovered. In order to constrain the faint end of the quasar luminosity function at z~5, we calculated the 1sigma confidence upper limits of the space density of type-1 quasars. As a result, the 1sigma confidence upper limits on the quasar space density are Phi< 1.33*10^{-7} Mpc^{-3} mag^{-1} for -24.52 < M_{1450} < -23.52 and Phi< 2.88*10^{-7} Mpc^{-3} mag^{-1} for -23.52 < M_{1450} < -22.52. The inferred 1sigma confidence upper limits of the space density are then used to provide constrains on the faint-end slope and the break absolute magnitude of the quasar luminosity function at z~5. We find that the quasar space density decreases gradually as a function of redshift at low luminosity (M_{1450} ~ -23), being similar to the trend found for quasars with high luminosity (M_{1450}<-26). This result is consistent with the so-called downsizing evolution of quasars seen at lower redshifts.
We have conducted a spectroscopic survey to find faint quasars (-26.0 < M_{1450} < -22.0) at redshifts z=3.8-5.2 in order to measure the faint end of the quasar luminosity function at these early times. Using available optical imaging data from portions of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey and the Deep Lens Survey, we have color-selected quasar candidates in a total area of 3.76 deg^2. Thirty candidates have R <= 23 mags. We conducted spectroscopic followup for 28 of our candidates and found 23 QSOs, 21 of which are reported here for the first time, in the 3.74 < z <5.06 redshift range. We estimate our survey completeness through detailed Monte Carlo simulations and derive the first measurement of the density of quasars in this magnitude and redshift interval. We find that the binned luminosity function is somewhat affected by the K-correction used to compute the rest-frame absolute magnitude at 1450A. Considering only our R <= 23 sample, the best-fit single power-law (Phi propto L^beta) gives a faint-end slope beta = -1.6+/-0.2. If we consider our larger, but highly incomplete sample going one magnitude fainter, we measure a steeper faint-end slope -2 < beta < -2.5. In all cases, we consistently find faint-end slopes that are steeper than expected based on measurements at z ~ 3. We combine our sample with bright quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to derive parameters for a double-power-law luminosity function. Our best fit finds a bright-end slope, alpha = -2.4+/-0.2, and faint-end slope, beta = -2.3+/-0.2, without a well-constrained break luminosity. This is effectively a single power-law, with beta = -2.7+/-0.1. We use these results to place limits on the amount of ultraviolet radiation produced by quasars and find that quasars are able to ionize the intergalactic medium at these redshifts.
We investigate the high-redshift quasar luminosity function (QLF) down to an apparent magnitude of I(AB) = 25 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). Careful analysis of the extensive COSMOS photometry and imaging data allows us to identify and remove stellar and low-redshift contaminants, enabling a selection that is nearly complete for type-1 quasars at the redshifts of interest. We find 155 likely quasars at z > 3.1, 39 of which have prior spectroscopic confirmation. We present our sample in detail and use these confirmed and likely quasars to compute the rest-frame UV QLF in the redshift bins 3.1 < z < 3.5 and 3.5 < z < 5. The space density of faint quasars decreases by roughly a factor of four from z sim 3.2 to z sim 4, with faint-end slopes of {beta} sim -1.7 at both redshifts. The decline in space density of faint optical quasars at z > 3 is similar to what has been found for more luminous optical and X-ray quasars. We compare the rest-frame UV luminosity functions found here with the X-ray luminosity function at z > 3, and find that they evolve similarly between z sim 3.2 and z sim 4; however, the different normalizations imply that roughly 75% of X-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) at z sim 3 - 4 are optically obscured. This fraction is higher than found at lower redshift and may imply that the obscured, type-2 fraction continues to increase with redshift at least to z sim 4. Finally, the implications of the results derived here for the contribution of quasars to cosmic reionization are discussed.
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