Related papers: High-redshift quasar selection from the CFHQSIR su…
The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) has the necessary combination of filters (Y, J, H and K), depth (Y <~ 20.2) and area coverage (~4000 deg^2) to detect several redshift z >~ 6.4 quasars. The Third Data…
We present a photometric method for identifying stars, galaxies and quasars in multi-color surveys and estimating multi-color redshifts for the extragalactic objects. We use a library of >65000 color templates for comparison with observed…
We present the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation with the ESO NTT and Gemini South telescopes of eight new 6.0 < z < 6.5 quasars with z$_{AB}$ < 21.0. These quasars were photometrically selected without any star-galaxy morphological…
We have made spectroscopic identifications of 39 additional quasar candidates from the Deep Multicolor Survey (DMS) of Hall et al. (1996, ApJ, 462, 614, astro-ph/9512052). We have identified 9 new quasars with 0.3 < z < 2.8 and 16.8 < B <…
We report exploratory Chandra observations of 14 high-redshift (z=4.06-5.27), optically selected quasars. Ten of these quasars are detected, increasing the number of z>4 X-ray detected quasars by 71%. Our detections include four of the five…
We report the discovery of eight new quasars in one extragalactic field (five degree centered at RA=$08^h58^m08.2^s$, Dec=$01^o32'29.7''$) with the LAMOST commissioning observations on December 18, 2009. These quasars, with $i$ magnitudes…
We present UBRI photometry and spectra for 60 quasars found within one square degree centered on the J0053+1234 region, which has been the subject of the Caltech Faint Galaxy Redshift Survey. Candidate quasars were selected by their…
We present preliminary results of a new quasar survey being undertaken with multi-colour optical imaging from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The current data consists of 3.83 sq. deg. of imaging in the i' and z' filters to a 10 sigma…
We present the discovery and preliminary characterization of a gravitationally lensed quasar with a source redshift $z_{s}=2.74$ and image separation of $2.9"$ lensed by a foreground $z_{l}=0.40$ elliptical galaxy. Since the images of…
We aim at probing the emission mechanism of the accreting super massive black holes in the high redshift Universe. We study the X-ray spectrum of ULAS1120+0641, the highest redshift quasar detected so far at z=7.085, which has been deeply…
We present follow-up spectroscopy to the Calar Alto Deep Imaging Survey (CADIS), reporting on the quasars in the CADIS 16h-field, and including preliminary data from two other fields. In this 10' x 10' field we found six quasars at redshift…
High-redshift quasars typically have their redshift determined from rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) emission lines. However, these lines, and more specifically the prominent C IV $\lambda 1549$ emission line, are typically blueshifted yielding…
We present JHK near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of 25 candidate Type II quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, using Triplespec on the Apache Point Observatory 3.5m telescope, FIRE at the Magellan/Baade 6.5m telescope, and…
We present a measurement of the two-point autocorrelation function of photometrically-selected, high-$z$ quasars over $\sim$ 100 deg$^2$ on the Sloan Digitial Sky Survey Stripe 82 field. Selection is performed using three machine-learning…
We describe the algorithm for selecting quasar candidates for optical spectroscopy in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Quasar candidates are selected via their non-stellar colors in "ugriz" broad-band photometry, and by matching unresolved…
Distant quasars are unique tracers to study the formation of the earliest supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and the history of cosmic reionization. Despite extensive efforts, only two quasars have been found at $z\ge7.5$, due to a…
In a multi-wavelength survey of $13$ quasars at $5.8\lesssim z\lesssim6.5$, that were pre-selected to be potentially young, we find five objects with extremely small proximity zone sizes that may imply UV-luminous quasar lifetimes of…
The most luminous quasars at $z > 6$ are suspected to be both highly clustered and reside in the most massive dark matter halos in the early Universe, making them prime targets to search for galaxy overdensities and/or protoclusters. We…
We demonstrate that the design of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) filter system and the quality of the SDSS imaging data are sufficient for determining accurate and precise photometric redshifts (``photo-z''s) of quasars. Using a sample…
We study the observational signatures of a potential population of low-luminosity quasars at high redshifts in a LambdaCDM cosmology. We derive the evolution of the quasar luminosity function at fainter luminosities and higher redshifts…