Mass Functions of the Active Black Holes in Distant Quasars from the Large Bright Quasar Survey, the Bright Quasar Survey, and the Color-selected Sample of the SDSS Fall Equatorial Stripe
We present mass functions of distant actively accreting supermassive black holes residing in luminous quasars discovered in the Large Bright Quasar Survey (LBQS), the Bright Quasar Survey (BQS), and the Fall Equatorial Stripe of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The quasars cover a wide range of redshifts from the local universe to z = 5 and were subject to different selection criteria and flux density limits. This makes these samples complementary and can help us gain additional insight on the true underlying black hole mass distribution free from selection effects and mass estimation errors through future studies. By comparing these quasar samples, we see evidence that the active black hole population at redshift four is somewhat different than that at lower redshifts, including that in the nearby universe. In particular, there is a sharp increase in the space density of the detected active black holes (M BH 108 M ☉) between redshifts ~4 and ~2.5. Also, the mass function of the SDSS quasars at 3.6 ≤ z ≤ 5 has a somewhat flatter high-mass-end slope of β = –1.75 ± 0.56, compared to the mass functions based on quasars below z of 3 (BQS and LBQS quasars), which display typical slopes of β ≈ –3.3; the latter are consistent with the mass functions at similar redshifts based on the SDSS Data Release 3 quasar catalog presented by Vestergaard et al. We see clear evidence of cosmic downsizing in the comoving space density distribution of active black holes in the LBQS sample alone. In forthcoming papers, further analysis, comparison, and discussion of these mass functions will be made with other existing black hole mass functions, notably that based on the SDSS DR3 quasar catalog. We present the relationships used to estimate the black hole mass based on the Mg II emission line; the relations are calibrated to the Hβ and C IV relations by means of several thousand high-quality SDSS spectra. Mass estimates of the individual black holes of these samples are also presented.

title: The BTC40 Survey for Quasars at 4.8 < z < 6*
abstract: The BTC40 Survey for high-redshift quasars is a multicolor search using images obtained with the Big Throughput Camera (BTC) on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) 4 m telescope in V, I, and z filters to search for quasars at redshifts of 4.8 < z < 6. The survey covers 40 deg2 in B, V, and I, and 36 deg2 in z. Limiting magnitudes (3 σ) reach to V = 24.6, I = 22.9, and z = 22.9. We used the V-I versus I-z two-color diagram to select high-redshift quasar candidates from the objects classified as point sources in the imaging data. Follow-up spectroscopy with the Anglo-Australian Telescope and CTIO 4 m telescopes of candidates having I ≤ 21.5 has yielded two quasars with redshifts of z = 4.6 and z = 4.8, as well as four emission-line galaxies with z ≈ 0.6. Fainter candidates have been identified down to I = 22 for future spectroscopy on 8 m class telescopes.

title: A SEARCH FOR NITROGEN-ENRICHED QUASARS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY EARLY DATA RELEASE
abstract: A search for nitrogen-rich quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release (SDSS EDR) catalog has yielded 16 candidates, including five with very prominent emission, but no cases with nitrogen emission as strong as in Q0353-383. The quasar Q0353-383 has long been known to have extremely strong nitrogen intercombination lines at 1486 and 1750 A, implying an anomalously high nitrogen abundance of ~15 times solar. It is still the only one of its kind known. A preliminary search through the EDR using the observed property of the weak C IV emission seen in Q0353-383 resulted in a sample of 23 objects with unusual emission- or absorption-line properties, including one very luminous (z ≈ 2.5) star-forming galaxy. We present descriptions, preliminary emission-line measurements, and spectra for all the objects discussed here.

title: A Deep Multicolor Survey.III.Additional Spectroscopy and Implications for the Number Counts of Faint Quasars
abstract: We have made spectroscopic identifications of 39 additional quasar candidates from the Deep Multicolor Survey (DMS) of Hall et al. (1996, ApJ, 462, 614, astro-ph/9512052). We have identified 9 new quasars with 0.3 3 were found among the observed candidates selected due to their red (B-R) and (V-R) colors. As a result, there are now 55 confirmed quasars in the survey: 42 with 0.3 3 over predictions based on models by Warren, Hewett, & Osmer is less than previously suggested. We also demonstrate the success of our quasar color modeling which is important in assessing the completeness of our survey.

title: A Deep Multicolor Survey. I. Imaging Observations and Catalog of Stellar Objects
abstract: We have used the KPNO 4-meter Mayall telescope to image 0.83 square degrees of sky in six fields at high galactic latitude in six filters spanning 3000-10000\AA\ to magnitude limits ranging from 22.1 to 23.8. We have assembled a catalog of 21,375 stellar objects detected in the fields for use primarily in conducting a multicolor search for quasars. This paper describes the data reduction techniques used on the CCD data, the methods used to construct the stellar object catalog, and the simulations performed to understand its completeness and contamination.

title: The brightest stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

title: COSMOGRAIL: the COSmological MOnitoring of GRAvItational Lenses - VIII. Deconvolution of high resolution near-IR images and simple mass models for 7 gravitationally lensed quasars
abstract: We attempt to place very accurate positional constraints on seven gravitationally lensed quasars currently being monitored by the COSMOGRAIL collaboration, and shape parameters for the light distribution of the lensing galaxy. We attempt to determine simple mass models that reproduce the observed configuration and predict time delays. We finally test, for the quads, whether there is evidence of astrometric perturbations produced by substructures in the lensing galaxy, which may preclude a good fit with the simple models.  We apply the iterative MCS deconvolution method to near-IR HST archival data of seven gravitationally lensed quasars. This deconvolution method allows us to differentiate the contributions of the point sources from those of extended structures such as Einstein rings. This method leads to an accuracy of 1–2 mas in the relative positions of the sources and lens. The limiting factor of the method is the uncertainty in the instrumental geometric distortions. We then compute mass models of the lensing galaxy using state-of-the-art modeling techniques.  We determine the relative positions of the lensed images and lens shape parameters of seven lensed quasars: HE 0047-1756, RX J1131-1231, SDSS J1138+0314, SDSS J1155+6346, SDSS J1226-0006, WFI J2026-4536, and HS 2209+1914. The lensed image positions are derived with 1–2 mas accuracy. Isothermal and de Vaucouleurs mass models are calculated for the whole sample. The effect of the lens environment on the lens mass models is taken into account with a shear term. Doubly imaged quasars are equally well fitted by each of these models. A large amount of shear is necessary to reproduce SDSS J1155+6346 and SDSS J1226-006. In the latter case, we identify a nearby galaxy as the dominant source of shear. The quadruply imaged quasar SDSS J1138+0314 is reproduced well by simple lens models, which is not the case for the two other quads, RX J1131-1231 and WFI J2026-4536. This might be the signature of astrometric perturbations caused by massive substructures in the galaxy, which are unaccounted for by the models. Other possible explanations are also presented.

title: Detection of SUSY Signals in Stau Neutralino Co‐annihilation Region at the LHC
abstract: We study the prospects of detecting the signal in the stau neutralino (τ1−χ10) co‐annihilation region at the LHC using tau (τ) leptons. The co‐annihilation signal is characterized by the τ1 and χ10 mass difference (ΔM) to be 5–15 GeV to be consistent with the WMAP measurement of the cold dark matter relic density as well as all other experimental bounds within the minimal supergravity model. Focusing on τ’s from χ20 → ττ → ττχ10 decays in g and q production, we consider inclusive E/T+jet+3 τ production, with two τ’s above a high ET threshold and a third τ above a lower threshold. Two observables, the number of opposite‐signed τ pairs minus the number of like‐signed τ pairs and the peak position of the di‐tau invariant mass distribution, allow for the simultaneous determination of ΔM and Mg. For ΔM = 9 GeV and Mg = 850 GeV with 30 fb−1 of data, we can measure ΔM to 15% and Mg to 6%.

title: PHASE MIXING IN MOND
abstract: Dissipationless collapses in Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) have been studied by using our MOND particle-mesh N-body code, finding that the projected density profiles of the final virialized systems are well described by Sersic profiles with index m<4 (down to m~2 for a deep-MOND collapse). The simulations provided also strong evidence that phase mixing is much less effective in MOND than in Newtonian gravity. Here we describe "ad hoc" numerical simulations with the force angular components frozen to zero, thus producing radial collapses. Our previous findings are confirmed, indicating that possible differences in radial orbit instability under Newtonian and MOND gravity are not relevant in the present context.