Related papers: Decoding quasars: gravitationally redshifted spect…
We have obtained quasi-simultaneous ultraviolet-optical spectra for 22 out of 23 quasars in the complete PG-X-ray sample with redshift, z<0.4, and M_B<-23. The spectra cover rest-frame wavelengths from at least Lyman-alpha to H-alpha. Here…
We present a moderate resolution (~1.15 Angstroms/pixel) survey of 79 quasars obtained using the Kast spectrograph on the Shane 3m telescope at Lick observatory. The spectra span the wavelength range of 3175-5880 Angstroms, and have typical…
Models for the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies require strong feedback in order to explain the observed properties of these systems. We investigate whether such feedback has observational consequences for the intergalactic…
The detection of gravitationally redshifted optical emission lines has been reported just for a few active galaxies. In this paper we give a short overview of studies that analyzed or exploited the detection of the gravitational redshift in…
We present measurements and statistical properties of the optical and ultraviolet emission lines present in the spectra of 85 bright quasars which have detailed spectral energy distributions. This heterogeneous sample has redshifts up to…
The origin and evolution of structure in the Universe is one of the major questions occupying astronomers today. An understanding of the Lyalpha absorbers seen in QSO spectra is an important part of this program since such absorbers can be…
We present results of surveys for high redshift galaxies selected by their having produced detectable Mg~II and Lyman limit absorption in the spectra of background QSOs. We discuss the properties of the absorbing galaxies, the connection…
Quasars are galaxies hosting accreting supermassive black holes; due to their brightness, they are unique probes of the early universe. To date, only few quasars have been reported at $z > 6.5$ ($<$800 Myr after the Big Bang). In this work,…
Quasars, as the most luminous persistent sources in the Universe, have broad applications for cosmological studies. In particular, they can be employed to directly measure the expansion history of the Universe, similarly to SNe Ia. The…
The Lyman-$\alpha$ forest refers to the series of absorption features observed in the spectra of distant quasars that are produced by neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium. Observed over a wide range of redshifts with both ground-…
Correlations in and with the flux transmission of the Lyman$-\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$) forest in the spectra of high-redshift quasars are powerful cosmological tools, yet these measurements can be compromised if the intrinsic quasar continuum is…
The angular positions of quasars are deflected by the gravitational lensing effect of foreground matter. The Lyman-alpha forest seen in the spectra of these quasars is therefore also lensed. We propose that the signature of weak…
The variation of the expansion rate of the Universe with time produces an evolution in the cosmological redshift of distant sources (for example quasar Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption lines), that might be directly observed by future ultra…
While it is possible to explain Lyman alpha absorber counts at low redshift using gas which is associated with moderately extended galaxies (Linder 1997), absorbers are often observed to be associated with galaxies at larger impact…
Quasars accreting matter at very high rates (known as extreme Population A [xA] or super-Eddington accreting massive black holes) provide a new class of distance indicators covering cosmic epochs from the present-day Universe up to less…
The APM multicolor survey for bright z > 4 objects, covering 2500 deg^2 of sky to m(R)~19, resulted in the discovery of thirty-one quasars with z > 4. High signal-to-noise optical spectrophotometry at 5A resolution has been obtained for the…
The accretion of a cloud of hydrogen at the surface of a small, heavy star produces a high energy mostly dissipated by electromagnetic radiation. The combination of the absorption and the redshift of this radiation by hydrogen explains all…
We review observations of molecular absorption line systems at high redshift toward red quasars and gravitational lenses.
We briefly review, at a level appropriate for graduate students and non-specialists, the field of quasar absorption lines (QALs). Emphasis is on the intervening absorbers. We present the anatomy of a quasar spectrum due to various classes…
We report a serendipitous discovery of broad absorption lines that were newly formed in the spectrum of the high-redshift, luminous radio-loud quasar TEX 1726 + 344, in a time interval of only 12 years. This is the first quasar showing a…