Gordon T. Richards

The host galaxies of active galactic nuclei

We examine the properties of the host galaxies of 22,623 narrow-line AGN with 0.02<z<0.3 selected from a complete sample of 122,808 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We focus on the luminosity of the [OIII]

An Observational Determination of the Bolometric Quasar Luminosity Function

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Constraining the Evolution of the Ionizing Background and the Epoch of Reionization with z~6 Quasars II: A Sample of 19 Quasars

5007 emission line as a tracer of the strength of activity in the nucleus. We study how AGN host properties compare to those of normal galaxies and how they depend on L[OIII]. We find that AGN of all luminosities reside almost exclusively in massive galaxies and have distributions of sizes, stellar surface mass densities and concentrations that are similar to those of ordinary early-type galaxies in our sample. The host galaxies of low-luminosity AGN have stellar populations similar to normal early-types. The hosts of high- luminosity AGN have much younger mean stellar ages. The young stars are not preferentially located near the nucleus of the galaxy, but are spread out over scales of at least several kiloparsecs. A significant fraction of high- luminosity AGN have strong H

Evidence for reionization at z ∼ 6: Detection of a gunn-peterson trough in a z = 6.28 quasar

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A CATALOG OF QUASAR PROPERTIES FROM SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE 7

absorption-line equivalent widths, indicating that they experienced a burst of star formation in the recent past. We have also examined the stellar populations of the host galaxies of a sample of broad-line AGN. We conclude that there is no significant difference in stellar content between type 2 Seyfert hosts and QSOs with the same [OIII] luminosity and redshift. This establishes that a young stellar population is a general property of AGN with high [OIII] luminosities.

Spectral Energy Distributions and Multiwavelength Selection of Type 1 Quasars

We combine a large set of quasar luminosity function (QLF) measurements from the rest-frame optical, soft and hard X-ray, and near- and mid-IR bands to determine the bolometric QLF in the redshift interval z = 0-6. Accounting for the observed distributions of quasar column densities and variation of SED shapes, as well as their dependence on luminosity, makes it possible to integrate the observations in a reliable manner and provides a baseline in redshift and luminosity larger than that of any individual survey. We infer the QLF break luminosity and faint-end slope out to z ~ 4.5 and confirm at high significance (10 σ) previous claims of a flattening in both the faint- and bright-end slopes with redshift. With the best-fit estimates of the column density distribution and quasar SED, which both depend on luminosity, a single bolometric QLF self-consistently reproduces the observed QLFs in all bands and at all redshifts for which we compile measurements. Ignoring this luminosity dependence does not yield a self-consistent bolometric QLF and there is no evidence for any additional dependence on redshift. We calculate the expected relic black hole mass function and mass density, cosmic X-ray background, and ionization rate as a function of redshift and find that they are consistent with existing measurements. The peak in the total quasar luminosity density is well constrained at z = 2.15 ± 0.05. We provide a number of fitting functions to the bolometric QLF and its manifestations in various bands, as well as a script to return the QLF at arbitrary frequency and redshift from these fits.

A Survey of z > 5.8 Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. I. Discovery of Three New Quasars and the Spatial Density of Luminous Quasars at z ∼ 6* **

We study the evolution of the ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at the end of the reionization epoch using moderate resolution spectra of a sample of nineteen quasars at 5.74 5.7: the GP optical depth evolution changes from {tau}{sub GP}{sup eff} {approx} (1 + z){sup 4.3} to (1 + z){sup {approx}> 11}, and the average length of dark gaps with {tau} > 3.5 increases from 80 comoving Mpc. The dispersion of IGM properties along different lines of sight also increases rapidly, implying fluctuations by a factor of {approx}> 4 in the UV background at z > 6, when the mean free path of UV photons is comparable to the correlation length of the star forming galaxies that are thought to have caused reionization. The mean length of dark gaps shows the most dramatic increase at z {approx} 6, as well as the largest line-of-sight variations. We suggest using dark gap statistics as a powerful probe of the ionization state of the IGM at yet higher redshift. The sizes of HII regions around luminous quasars decrease rapidly towards higher redshift, suggesting that the neutral fraction of the IGM has increased by a factor of {approx}> 10 from z = 5.7 to 6.4, consistent with the value derived from the GP optical depth. The mass-averaged neutral fraction is 1-4% at z {approx} 6.2 based on the GP optical depth and HII region size measurements. The observations suggest that z {approx} 6 is the end of the overlapping stage of reionization, and are inconsistent with a mostly neutral IGM at z {approx} 6, as indicated by the finite length of dark absorption gaps.

A Survey of z > 5.7 Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. II. Discovery of Three Additional Quasars at z > 6*

We present moderate-resolution Keck spectroscopy of quasars at z = 5.82, 5.99, and 6.28, discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that the Ly? absorption in the spectra of these quasars evolves strongly with redshift. To z ~ 5.7, the Ly? absorption evolves as expected from an extrapolation from lower redshifts. However, in the highest-redshift object, SDSSp J103027.10+052455.0 (z = 6.28), the average transmitted flux is 0.0038 ? 0.0026 times that of the continuum level over 8450 ? 20, on the optical depth to Ly? absorption at z = 6. This is a clear detection of a complete Gunn-Peterson trough, caused by neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium. Even a small neutral hydrogen fraction in the intergalactic medium would result in an undetectable flux in the Ly? forest region. Therefore, the existence of the Gunn-Peterson trough by itself does not indicate that the quasar is observed prior to the reionization epoch. However, the fast evolution of the mean absorption in these high-redshift quasars suggests that the mean ionizing background along the line of sight to this quasar has declined significantly from z ~ 5 to 6, and the universe is approaching the reionization epoch at z ~ 6.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Survey: Quasar Luminosity Function from Data Release 3

We present a compilation of properties of the 105,783 quasars in the SDSS Data Release 7 (DR7) quasar catalog. In this value-added product, we compile continuum and emission line measurements around the Halpha, Hbeta, MgII and CIV regions, as well as other quantities such as radio properties, broad absorption line quasar (BALQSO) flags, and disk emitters. We also compile virial black hole mass estimates based on various calibrations. For the fiducial virial mass estimates we use the Vestergaard & Peterson (VP06) calibrations for Hbeta and CIV, and our own calibration for MgII which matches the VP06 Hbeta masses on average. We describe the construction of this catalog, and discuss its limitations. The catalog and its future updates will be made publicly available online.We present a compilation of properties of the 105,783 quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (DR7) quasar catalog. In this product, we compile continuum and emission line measurements around the Hα, Hβ, Mg II, and C IV regions, as well as other quantities such as radio properties, and flags indicating broad absorption line quasars, disk emitters, etc. We also compile virial black hole mass estimates based on various calibrations. For the fiducial virial mass estimates we use the Vestergaard & Peterson (VP06) calibrations for Hβ and C IV, and our own calibration for Mg II which matches the VP06 Hβ masses on average. We describe the construction of this catalog and discuss its limitations. The catalog and its future updates will be made publicly available online.

Biases in Virial Black Hole Masses: An SDSS Perspective

We present an analysis of the mid-infrared (MIR) and optical properties of type 1 (broad-line) quasars detected by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The MIR color-redshift relation is characterized to z ~ 3, with predictions to z = 7. We demonstrate how combining MIR and optical colors can yield even more efficient selection of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) than MIR or optical colors alone. Composite spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are constructed for 259 quasars with both Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Spitzer photometry, supplemented by near-IR, GALEX, VLA, and ROSAT data, where available. We discuss how the spectral diversity of quasars influences the determination of bolometric luminosities and accretion rates; assuming the mean SED can lead to errors as large as 50% for individual quasars when inferring a bolometric luminosity from an optical luminosity. Finally, we show that careful consideration of the shape of the mean quasar SED and its redshift dependence leads to a lower estimate of the fraction of reddened/obscured AGNs missed by optical surveys as compared to estimates derived from a single mean MIR to optical flux ratio.