Pith. sign in

REVIEW 7 cited by

An Observational Determination of the Bolometric Quasar Luminosity Function

Not yet reviewed by Pith; the record is open.

Re-run · record.json Download PDF Read on arXiv ↗

This paper has not been read by Pith yet. Machine review is queued; the pith claim, tier, and objections will appear here once it completes.

SPECIMEN: schema-true, not a live event

T0 review · schema-true

One-sentence machine reading of the paper's core claim.

pith:XXXXXXXX · record.json · timestamp

arxiv astro-ph/0605678 v2 pith:D6GJLDUJ submitted 2006-05-26 astro-ph

Philip F. Hopkins (1) , Gordon T. Richards (2) , Lars Hernquist (1) ((1) Harvard/CfA , (2) Johns Hopkins) This is my paper · ORCID
classification astro-ph
keywords luminosityredshiftbolometricquasarfunctionbandsdensitydependence
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal
0 comments
read the original abstract

We combine a large set of quasar luminosity function (QLF) measurements from the rest-frame optical, soft and hard X-ray, and near- and mid-infrared bands to determine the bolometric QLF in the redshift interval z=0-6. Accounting for the observed distributions of quasar column densities and variation of spectral energy distribution (SED) shapes, and their dependence on luminosity, makes it possible to integrate the observations in a reliable manner and provides a baseline in redshift and luminosity larger than that of any individual survey. We infer the QLF break luminosity and faint-end slope out to z~4.5 and confirm at high significance (>10sigma) previous claims of a flattening in both the faint- and bright-end slopes with redshift. With the best-fit estimates of the column density distribution and quasar SED, which both depend on luminosity, a single bolometric QLF self-consistently reproduces the observed QLFs in all bands and at all redshifts for which we compile measurements. Ignoring this luminosity dependence does not yield a self-consistent bolometric QLF and there is no evidence for any additional dependence on redshift. We calculate the expected relic black hole mass function and mass density, cosmic X-ray background, and ionization rate as a function of redshift and find they are consistent with existing measurements. The peak in the total quasar luminosity density is well-constrained at z=2.15+/-0.05. We provide a number of fitting functions to the bolometric QLF and its manifestations in various bands, and a script to return the QLF at arbitrary frequency and redshift from these fits, as the most simple inferences from the QLF measured in a single band can be misleading.

Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.

Forward citations

Cited by 7 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. A Disappearing Act: Constraints From "Missing" Flares of Repeating Partial TDE Candidates

    astro-ph.HE 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 6.0 of 10

    Non-detections of expected third flares in TDE 2022dbl and TDE 2020vdq support rpTDE interpretation over independent events, with modeling favoring bound main-sequence star orbits and deep initial encounters.

  2. Evolution of SMBHs in light of PTA measurements: implications for growth by mergers and accretion

    astro-ph.CO 2025-01 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    A simplified two-stage model shows that the pulsar timing array gravitational wave background implies a direct, possibly uncomfortable, link between black hole merger rates and quasar Eddington ratios.

  3. Prospect for Detection of Strongly Lensed Multi-messenger Signals of Binary Neutron Star Mergers

    astro-ph.HE 2026-07 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    Future CE+ET detectors may detect lensed BNS kilonovae at ~0.5/yr via pointed follow-up of known galaxy lenses, while lensed sGRBs and afterglows remain rare or undetectable with current-generation facilities.

  4. Shape-Preserving Evolution of the Global Ultraviolet Quasar Luminosity Function to $z\simeq7.5$

    astro-ph.CO 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 4.0 of 10

    Shape-preserving LADE models with fixed local LF shape provide the statistically preferred description of UV QLF evolution to z~7.5 over flexible alternatives based on AIC/BIC.

  5. COOL-LAMPS IX: A Rare Duo of Quasars Each Lensed by a Single Massive Galaxy Cluster

    astro-ph.GA 2026-05 accept novelty 4.0 of 10

    A single galaxy cluster lenses two quasars (one Type I at z=1.524, one dust-obscured Type II at z=1.939) into four images each, yielding a projected mass of ~3.3e14 solar masses within 500 kpc and time delays of hundr...

  6. Can quasars, triggered by mergers, account for NANOGrav's stochastic gravitational wave background?

    astro-ph.CO 2024-12 conditional novelty 4.0 of 10

    Using the observed quasar luminosity function, the authors show that quasar-associated black hole mergers can reproduce the NANOGrav gravitational wave background if quasar lifetimes are near 3e7 years and most quasar...

  7. Estimation of black hole spins in low-mass AGNs and comparison with other types of AGNs

    astro-ph.HE 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 3.0 of 10

    Spins of low-mass AGN black holes decrease with mass, supporting mergers or chaotic accretion as growth mechanisms and suggesting an evolutionary sequence where spins first decrease then slowly increase.

Pith tools