Related papers: The Transverse Proximity Effect in Spectral Hardne…
We report the discovery of a quasar at z=3.050+/-0.003, closely coincident in redshift with the isolated low-opacity feature seen near z~3.056 in the otherwise black portion of the HeII Gunn-Peterson absorption trough seen toward the…
We present a detailed study of the longitudinal proximity effect using a sample of 85 quasars spanning an emission redshift range of $3.5 \leq z_{em} \leq 4.5$ and Lyman continuum luminosity ($L_{912}$) ranging from 1.06$\times 10^{31}$ to…
The intergalactic medium (IGM) around quasars is shaped by their dense environments and by their excess ionizing radiation, forming a "quasar proximity zone" whose size and anisotropy depend on the quasar's halo mass, luminosity, age, and…
The proximity profile in the spectra of z~3 quasars, where fluxes extend blueward of the He II Lya wavelength 304 (1+z) A, is one of the most important spectral features in the study of the intergalactic medium. Based on the HST spectra of…
The duration of quasar accretion episodes is a key quantity for distinguishing between models for the formation and growth of supermassive black holes, the evolution of quasars, and their potential feedback effects on their host galaxies.…
We study large-scale UV background inhomogeneity in three-dimensions associated with the observed quasar populations at high redshift. We do this by measuring metal absorption through quasar absorption spectrum stacking as a function…
We analyse the proximity zone of the intergalactic matter around high-redshift quasars in a cosmological environment. In a box of 64 h-1 Mpc base length we employ dark matter only simulations. For estimating the hydrogen temperature and…
Enhanced ionizing radiation in close proximity to redshift $z\gtrsim 6$ quasars creates short windows of intergalactic Ly$\alpha$ transmission blueward of the quasar Ly$\alpha$ emission lines. The majority of these Ly$\alpha$ near-zones are…
The proximity effect (PE) of QSOs is believed to be useful in constraining the QSO lifetime. Observations on the PE so far, however, give apparently contradictory results -- some are consistent with a long QSO lifetime (>~ a few 10^7 yr),…
A computational procedure is presented to estimate the spectral shape of the ionizing background between 1 and 10 Ryd by analyzing optically thin absorption systems in the spectra of high redshift quasars. The procedure is based on the…
The detection of a HeII absorption trough in the spectra of three high-redshift quasars provides new constraints on the spectral shape of the UV extragalactic background. The relative strengths of the observed flux decrements at the…
We present observational evidence that intense ionizing radiation from a luminous quasar suppresses nebular emission in nearby galaxies on intergalactic scales at $z=6.3$. Using JWST/NIRCam grism spectroscopy from the SAPPHIRES and EIGER…
Absorption due to HeII Ly-alpha has been detected at low resolution in the spectra of four quasars between redshifts z = 2.74-3.29. We assess these observations, giving particular attention to the radiative transfer of the ionizing…
The ionizing spectral energy distribution of quasars exhibits a steepening of the distribution shortward of ~ 1200 A. The change of the power-law index from approximately -1 (near-UV) to -2 (far-UV) has so far been interpreted as being…
We have carried out deep and wide field imaging observations with narrow bands targeting 11 quasar fields to systematically study the possible photoevaporation effect of quasar radiation on surrounding low mass galaxies at $z\sim2-3$. We…
Proximity zones of high-redshift quasars are unique probes of their central supermassive black holes as well as the intergalactic medium in the last stages of reionization. We present 22 new measurements of proximity zones of quasars with…
Spatial inhomogeneities in the spectral shape of the ultra-violet background (UVB) at the tail-end of HeII reionisation are thought to be the primary cause of the large fluctuations observed in the HeII to HI Ly-a forest optical depth…
With close pairs of quasars at different redshifts, a background quasar sightline can be used to study a foreground quasar's environment in absorption. We search 149 moderate resolution background quasar spectra, from Gemini, Keck, the MMT,…
In the standard picture, episodes of luminous quasar activity are directly related to supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth. The ionising radiation emitted over a quasar's lifetime alters the ionisation state of the surrounding…
We present the first results from our survey of intervening and proximate Lyman limit systems (LLSs) at $z$$\sim$2.0-2.5 using the Wide Field Camera 3 on-board the Hubble Space Telescope. The quasars in our sample are projected pairs with…