THE DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION
OF THE MOST DISTANT QUASARS
Eduardo Banados Torres
Max-Planck-Institutjur Astronomie
Referees: Prof. Dr. Hans-Walter Rix
Prof. Dr. Jochen Heidt
http://d-nb.info/1074214447
Contents
Abstract
vii
Publications
ix
List of Figures
xvii
List of Tables
xxi
1 Introduction
1.1
1.2
1
Cosmology
2
1.1.1
Cosmological redshift
2
1.1.2
The Friedmann-Lemattre equations
2
1.1.3
Redshift and age of the universe
3
1.1.4
Distances
4
1.1.4.1
Co-moving distance
4
1.1.4.2
Luminosity distance
6
1.1.4.3
Angular diameter distance
6
A brief history of the universe
7
xiii
xiv
Contents
1.3
The most distant galaxies
9
1.4
The discovery of quasars
12
1.5
Quasars at z > 5.5
14
1.6
Radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars
15
1.7
The environments of high-redshift quasars
17
2 The Pan-STARRSl distant quasar survey
21
2.1
Context
21
2.2
Candidate selection
23
2.2.1
The Pan-STARRSl catalog
25
2.2.1.1
/-dropout search (5.7 < z < 6.2)
25
2.2.1.2
/-dropout search (6.2 < z < 6.5)
26
2.2.1.3
z-dropout search (z > 6.5)
26
2.2.2
Forced photometry on stacked images
27
2.2.3
Single epoch forced photometry
27
2.3
Public infrared surveys
28
2.4
Follow-up observations
29
2.4.1
Photometry
29
2.4.2
Spectroscopy
38
2.5
54 new quasars at z > 5.6
41
2.5.1
Notes on selected objects
43
2.5.1.1
PSO J036.5078+03.0498 (z = 6.5412)
43
2.5.1.2
PSO J340.2041-18.6621 (z = 6.0)
43
2.5.1.3
PSO J007.0273+04.9571 (z = 5.99)
43
2.5.1.4
PSO J002.1073-06.4345 (z = 5.93)
43
Contents
xv
2.5.1.5
PSO J210.8296+09.0475 (z = 5.84)
44
2.5.1.6
PSO J000.3401+26.8358 (z = 5.71)
44
2.5.1.7
PSO J045.1840-22.5408 (z = 5.70)
44
2.5.1.8
PSO J055.4244-00.8035 (z = 5.68)
44
2.5.1.9
PSO J135.3860+16.2518(z = 5.63)
45
2.6
The PS1 distant quasar sample
45
2.7
Summary
47
3 Constraining the radio-loud fraction of quasars at z > 5.5
53
3.1
Context
53
3.2
Survey data
55
3.2.1
FIRST
55
3.2.2
Pan-STARRSl
55
3.3
3.4
Candidate selection
55
3.3.1
The FIRST/Pan-STARRSl catalog
55
3.3.2
z-dropout catalog search (z > 6.4)
56
3.3.3
i-dropout catalog search (5.5 < z < 6.4)
57
3.3.4
Visual inspection
57
3.3.4.1
z-dropouts
58
3.3.4.2
/-dropouts
58
Follow-up
58
3.4.1
Imaging
58
3.4.2
Spectroscopy
62
3.4.2.1
PSO J055.4244-00.8035 (z = 5.68 ± 0.05)
62
3.4.2.2
PSO J135.3860+16.2518(z = 5.63 ±0.05)
63
xvi
Contents
3.5
3.6
3.7
Radio-loudness
63
3.5.1
The radio emission
64
3.5.2
The optical emission
65
Results
66
3.6.1
J0203+0012: a radio-loud quasar?
66
3.6.2
Pushing the FIRST detection threshold
67
3.6.3
Constraining the radio-loud fraction of quasars at z ~ 6
67
3.6.4
What changes with an alternative radio-loudness definition?
68
Summary
69
4 No overdensity around a quasar at z = 5.7
73
4.1
Context
73
4.2
Data, reduction and photometry
74
4.3
Candidates selection
76
4.3.1
Lyman Alpha Emitters
76
4.3.2
Lyman Break Galaxies
77
4.4
Results
4.4.1
4.5
79
Blank field comparison
79
4.4.1.1
Lyman Alpha Emitters
79
4.4.1.2
Lyman Break Galaxies .
81
4.4.2
Photometric properties of the Lyman Alpha Emitters
82
4.4.3
Black hole mass of the quasar
83
Discussion and conclusions
5 Bright [C u] 158 /im emission in a quasar host galaxy at z = 6.54
84
93
xvii
LIST OF FIGURES
5.1
Context
93
5.2
Observations and results
94
5.3
Discussion
95
5.3.1
[C II]-IR luminosity relation
95
5.3.2
Water vapor detection
98
5.4
Summary
98
6 Summary and outlook
101
6.1
Review of this thesis
101
6.2
The PS1 distant quasar sample: future directions
103
6.3
Future surveys
107
A List of quasars at z > 5.5
111
B Pan-STARRSl low-quality flags
119
C Submillimeter observations of PSOJ340.2041-18.6621
121
Acknowledgements
123
Abbreviations and Acronyms
125
Bibliography
128