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The cosmic evolution of quasar host galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2004

J. K. Kotilainen
Affiliation:
Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, 21500 Piikkiö, Finland
R. Falomo
Affiliation:
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
A. Treves
Affiliation:
Università dell'Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy
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Abstract

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We present near-infrared imaging of the host galaxies of 17 quasars at 1 < z < 2, obtained with ISAAC at the ESO VLT UT1 under excellent seeing (∼0.4 arcsec). The radio-loud (RLQ) and radio-quiet (RQQ) quasars in the sample have similar distribution of redshift and optical luminosity. Both RLQ and RQQ hosts follow the cosmic evolution of massive inactive ellipticals undergoing passive evolution. This indicates that nuclear activity can occur in all luminous ellipticals without producing a significant change in their global properties and evolution. However, there is a systematic difference by a factor ∼2 in the host luminosity between RLQs and RQQs, which remains the same from z = 2 to z = 0. Quasar hosts are already well formed at z ∼2, in disagreement with hierarchical models of AGN and galaxy formation and evolution models. No correlation is found between the nuclear and the host luminosities. If the host luminosity is proportional to the black hole mass, as in nearby massive spheroids, both types of quasars emit at very different levels with respect to their Eddington luminosity.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Type
ORAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Copyright
© 2004 International Astronomical Union