相关论文: The Light Echo of a High-Redshift Quasar mapped wi…
The UV radiation from high redshift quasars causes a local deficit in the neutral hydrogen absorption (Lyman-alpha forest) in their spectra, known as the proximity effect. Measurements from small samples of tens to hundreds of quasars have…
The UV radiation from a quasar leaves a characteristic pattern in the distribution of ionized hydrogen throughout the surrounding space. This pattern or light echo propagates through the intergalactic medium at the speed of light, and can…
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…
The intense radiation emitted by luminous quasars dramatically alters the ionization state of their surrounding IGM. This so-called proximity effect extends out to tens of Mpc, and manifests as large coherent regions of enhanced…
We present a method for studying the proximity effect and the density structure around redshift z=2-3 quasars. It is based on the probability distribution of Lyman-alpha pixel optical depths and its evolution with redshift. We validate the…
The ionising continuum from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is fundamental for interpreting their broad emission lines and understanding their impact on the surrounding gas. Furthermore, it provides hints on how matter accretes onto…
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…
We investigate the large-scale inhomogeneities of the hydrogen ionizing radiation field in the Universe at redshift z=3. Using a raytracing algorithm, we simulate a model in which quasars are the dominant sources of radiation. We make use…
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…
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…
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…
Since the photons that stream from QSOs alter the ionization state of the gas they traverse, any changes to a QSO's luminosity will produce outward-propagating ionization gradients in the surrounding intergalactic gas. This paper shows that…
It is believed that the gas accretion onto the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is the main process of powering its luminous emission, which occurs in optical, UV and X-ray regimes and less frequently in radio waves. The observational fact…
Observations of high-redshift quasars hosting billion solar mass black holes at $z\gtrsim6$ challenge our understanding of early supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth. In this work, we conduct a near-infrared spectroscopic study of $19$…
We discuss currently available observational constraints on the reionization history of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and the extent to which accreting black holes (BHs) can help explain these observations. We show new evidence, based on…
Quasars (QSOs) emit an enormous amount of light as a result of the accretion of gas onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Thanks to their luminosity, the most distant known QSOs allow us to trace the growth of SMBHs deep into the epoch of…
The properties of high redshift quasar host galaxies are studied, in order to investigate the connection between galaxy evolution, nuclear activity, and the formation of supermassive black holes. We combine new near-infrared observations of…
The Lyman edge at 912 \AA is an important diagnostic region for studying quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). In particular, it reveals a great deal about the physical conditions within the atmospheres of accretion disks, a ubiquitous component of…
Black hole feedback -- the strong interaction between the energy output of supermassive black holes and their surrounding environments -- is routinely invoked to explain the absence of overly luminous galaxies, the black hole vs. bulge…
Quasars are the visible signatures of super-massive black holes in the centres of distant galaxies. It has been suggested that quasars are formed during ``major merger events'' when two massive galaxies collide and merge, leading to the…