Journal article
THE z=5 QUASAR LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FROM SDSS STRIPE 82
The Astrophysical journal, v 768(2), pp 1-25
10 May 2013
Abstract
We present ameasurement of the Type I quasar luminosity function at z = 5 using a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed quasars selected from optical imaging data. We measure the bright end (M-1450 < -26) with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data covering similar to 6000 deg(2), then extend to lower luminosities (M-1450 < -24) with newly discovered, faint z similar to 5 quasars selected from 235 deg(2) of deep, coadded imaging in the SDSS Stripe 82 region (the celestial equator in the Southern Galactic Cap). The faint sample includes 14 quasars with spectra obtained as ancillary science targets in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, and 59 quasars observed at the MMT and Magellan telescopes. We construct a well-defined sample of 4.7 < z < 5.1 quasars that is highly complete, with 73 spectroscopic identifications out of 92 candidates. Our color selection method is also highly efficient: of the 73 spectra obtained, 71 are high-redshift quasars. These observations reach below the break in the luminosity function (M*(1450) approximate to -27). The bright-end slope is steep (beta less than or similar to -4), with a constraint of beta < -3.1 at 95% confidence. The break luminosity appears to evolve strongly at high redshift, providing an explanation for the flattening of the bright-end slope reported previously. We find a factor of similar to 2 greater decrease in the number density of luminous quasars (M-1450 < -26) from z = 5 to z = 6 than from z = 4 to z = 5, suggesting a more rapid decline in quasar activity at high redshift than found in previous surveys. Our model for the quasar luminosity function predicts that quasars generate similar to 30% of the ionizing photons required to keep hydrogen in the universe ionized at z = 5.
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Details
- Title
- THE z=5 QUASAR LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FROM SDSS STRIPE 82
- Creators
- Ian D. McGreer - University of ArizonaLinhua Jiang - Arizona State UniversityXiaohui Fan - University of ArizonaGordon T. Richards - Drexel UniversityMichael A. Strauss - Princeton UniversityNicholas P. Ross - Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryMartin White - Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryYue Shen - Harvard University ,Donald P. Schneider - Pennsylvania State UniversityAdam D. Myers - University of WyomingW. Niel Brandt - Pennsylvania State UniversityColin DeGraf - Carnegie Mellon UniversityEilat Glikman - Yale UniversityJian Ge - University of Florida HealthAlina Streblyanska - University of La Laguna
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, v 768(2), pp 1-25
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 25
- Grant note
- University of Tokyo New York University University of Cambridge University of Utah University of Florida AST 08-06861; AST 11-07682 / NSF; National Science Foundation (NSF) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Ohio State University Vanderbilt University U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Carnegie Mellon University University of Washington Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias Princeton University University of Arizona Yale University New Mexico State University Pennsylvania State University Brookhaven National Laboratory; United States Department of Energy (DOE) University of Portsmouth STSci; Space Telescope Science Institute Harvard University HST-HF-51291.01 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) David and Lucile Packard Fellowship; The David & Lucile Packard Foundation University of Virginia National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics Johns Hopkins University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000318228400008
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84877083088
- Other Identifier
- 991019168535404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Astronomy & Astrophysics