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Cited by 876

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The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Survey: Quasar Luminosity Function from Data Release 3

Open access
Richards, Gordon T., Strauss, Michael A., Fan, Xiaohui, Hall, Patrick B., Jester, Sebastian, Schneider, Donald P., Vanden Berk, Daniel E., Stoughton, Chris, Anderson, Scott F., Brunner, Robert J., Gray, Jim, Gunn, James E., Ivezić, Željko, Kirkland, Margaret K., Knapp, G. R., Loveday, Jon, Meiksin, Avery, Pope, Adrian, Szalay, Alexander S., Thakar, Anirudda R., Yanny, Brian, York, Donald G., Barentine, J. C., Brewington, Howard J., Brinkmann, J., Fukugita, Masataka, Harvanek, Michael, Kent, Stephen M., Kleinman, S. J., Krzesiński, Jurek, Long, Daniel C., Lupton, Robert H., Nash, Thomas, Neilsen, Jr., Eric H., Nitta, Atsuko, Schlegel, David J., Snedden, Stephanie A.·2006·The Astronomical Journal

Abstract

We determine the number counts and z = 0-5 luminosity function for a well-defined, homogeneous sample of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We conservatively define the most uniform statistical sample possible, consisting of 15,343 quasars within an effective area of 1622 deg 2 that was derived from a parent sample of 46,420 spectroscopically confirmed broad-line quasars in the 5282 deg 2 of imaging data from SDSS Data Release 3. The sample extends from i = 15 to 19.1 at z ≲ 3 and to i = 20.2 for z ≳ 3. The number counts and luminosity function agree well with the results of the Two Degree Field QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) at redshifts and luminosities at which the SDSS and 2QZ quasar samples overlap, but the SDSS data probe to much higher redshifts than does the 2QZ sample. The number density of luminous quasars peaks between redshifts 2 and 3, although uncertainties in the selection function in this range do not allow us to determine the peak redshift more precisely. Our best-fit model has a flatter bright-end slope at high redshift than at low redshift. For z < 2.4 the data are best fit by a redshift-independent slope of β = -3.1 [Φ( L ) ∝ L β ]. Above z = 2.4 the slope flattens with redshift to β ≳ -2.37 at z = 5. This slope change, which is significant at the ≳5 σ level, must be accounted for in models of the evolution of accretion onto supermassive black holes.

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Metadata

Authors
Richards, G. T., Strauss, M. A., Fan, X., Hall, P. B., Jester, S., Schneider, D. P., Vanden Berk, D. E., Stoughton, C., Anderson, S. F., Brunner, R. J., Gray, J., Gunn, J. E., Ivezić, Ž., Kirkland, M. K., Knapp, G. R., Loveday, J., Meiksin, A., Pope, A., Szalay, A. S., Thakar, A. R., Yanny, B., York, D. G., Barentine, J. C., Brewington, H. J., Brinkmann, J., Fukugita, M., Harvanek, M., Kent, S. M., Kleinman, S. J., Krzesiński, J., Long, D. C., Lupton, R. H., Nash, T., Neilsen, Jr., Nitta, A., Schlegel, D. J., & Snedden, S. A.
Venue
The Astronomical Journal
Published
2006-06
Volume
131
Issue
6
Pages
2766-2787
ISSN
  • 0004-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1538-3881
OpenAlex
W2062713883
Cited by
876
References
5
FWCI
32.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
bronze

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Survey: Quasar Luminosity Function from Data Release 3. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1086/503559
The paper
Richards, G. T., Strauss, M. A., Fan, X., Hall, P. B., Jester, S., Schneider, D. P., Vanden Berk, D. E., Stoughton, C., Anderson, S. F., Brunner, R. J., Gray, J., Gunn, J. E., Ivezić, Ž., Kirkland, M. K., Knapp, G. R., Loveday, J., Meiksin, A., Pope, A., Szalay, A. S., . . . Snedden, S. A. (2006). The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Survey: Quasar Luminosity Function from Data Release 3. The Astronomical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1086/503559

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