Quasar luminosity function: a point processes approach
Keywords:
Point process, active galactic nucleus, non-homogeneus Poisson processAbstract
The quasar luminosity function measures the number of quasars per cubic megaparsec and absolute magnitude. It is one of the most important tools for studying the active galactic nucleus population and how they have evolved in time. Our investigation estimates this function through a probabilistic approach. We model the observed density of quasars using a bidimensional non-homogeneous Poisson Process in the space of absolute magnitude times redshift. A series of adjustable parametrized models are tested and we use maximum likelihood and the Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) to select the best model, from wich the corresponding quasar luminosity function is obtained. Finally a residual analysis is made to study the goodness of fit.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher of the publication or of UCLA. The total or partial reproduction of the texts published here is authorized, as long as the complete source and the electronic address of this journal are cited.
The authors fully retain the rights to their works, giving the journal the right to be the first publication where the article is presented. The authors have the right to use their articles for any purpose as long as it is done for non-profit. Authors are recommended to disseminate their articles in the final version, after publication in this journal, in the electronic media of the institutions to which they are affiliated or personal digital media.
