Detecting the Highest Redshift (z > 8) QSOs in a Wide, Near Infrared Slitless Spectroscopic Survey

Details Detecting the Highest Redshift (z > 8) QSOs in a Wide, Near Infrared Slitless Spectroscopic Survey Detecting the Highest Redshift (z > 8) QSOs in a Wide, Near Infrared Slitless Spectroscopic Survey

2011-09-02

arxiv.org/abs/1109.0574v3

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics

16 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

We investigate the prospects of extending observations of high redshift QSOs to z>8 by means of a very wide-area near-infrared slitless spectroscopic survey, e.g. the planned survey with the European Space Agency's Euclid telescope. For any QSOs at z>8.06 the strong Lyman-alpha line will enter the wavelength range of the Euclid near-infrared spectrometer and imaging photometer (NISP). We perform a detailed simulation of Euclid NISP slitless spectroscopy (with the parameters of the wide survey) in an artificial field containing QSO spectra at all redshifts up to z=12. The simulation spectra are analysed with an automated redshift finder, and a detection rate estimated as a function of H magnitude and redshift. Spectroscopic identification of QSOs would reach deeper limits for the redshift ranges where either H-alpha (0.678.06) is visible. Furthermore, if photometrically-selected z>8 spectra can be re-examined and re-fitted to minimize the effects of spectral contamination, the QSO detection rate in the Lyman-alpha window will be increased by an estimated 60% and will then be better here than at any other redshift, with an effective limit H=21.5. With an extrapolated rate of QSO evolution, we predict the Euclid wide (15000 sq. deg.) spectroscopic survey will identify 20-35 (19-33 with a small correction for lineless objects) very luminous QSOs at z>8.06.

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