THE PROPERTIES OF QUASAR HOSTS AT THE PEAK OF THE QUASAR ACTIVITY
THE PROPERTIES OF QUASAR HOSTS AT THE PEAK OF THE QUASAR ACTIVITY
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类星体活动高峰时类星体宿主的特性
DOI：
10.1088/0004-637x/703/2/1663
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发表时间：
2009
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
R. Scarpa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
J. Kotilainen;R. Falomo;R. Decarli;A. Treves;M. Uslenghi;R. Scarpa
利用ESO VLT/ISAAC对16个低光度射电宁静类星体（RQQs）样本在类星体活动高峰期（2 < z < 3）进行了近红外成像，旨在研究它们的宿主星系。对于11个类星体，我们能够探测到宿主星系并推导出它们的性质，而对于另外5个类星体，我们估计了宿主星系的光度上限。在高红移的RQQs的宿主星系的光度范围内的大质量不活跃的椭圆星系。这项工作补充了我们以前对类星体宿主的系统研究，旨在追踪宿主星系的宇宙学光度演化，直到z ≥ 2，并扩展了我们对z > 2的一些发光类星体的初步研究。宇宙时代的光度趋势类似于对大质量不活跃星系的观察，表明类似的星星形成历史。特别是，类星体宿主星系和大质量不活跃星系似乎大多已经在类星体活动的高峰年龄组装。这一结果对于检验星系及其活动核的联合形成和演化模型具有重要意义。
We present near-infrared imaging obtained with ESO VLT/ISAAC of a sample of 16 low luminosity radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) at the epoch around the peak of the quasar activity (2 < z < 3), aimed at investigating their host galaxies. For 11 quasars, we are able to detect the host galaxies and derive their properties, while for the other 5 quasars, upper limits to the host luminosity are estimated. The luminosities of the host galaxies of RQQs at high redshift are in the range of those of massive inactive elliptical galaxies. This work complements our previous systematic study of quasar hosts aimed to trace the cosmological luminosity evolution of the host galaxies up to z ∼ 2 and extends our pilot study of a few luminous quasars at z > 2. The luminosity trend with a cosmic epoch resembles that observed for massive inactive galaxies, suggesting a similar star formation history. In particular, both quasar host galaxies and massive inactive galaxies appear mostly assembled already at the peak age of the quasar activity. This result is of key importance for testing the models of joint formation and evolution of galaxies and their active nuclei.