Highly Accreting Quasars: Sample Definition and Possible Cosmological Implications [GA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1405.2727


We propose a method to identify quasars radiating closest to the Eddington limit, defining primary and secondary selection criteria in the optical, UV and X-ray spectral range based on the 4D eigenvector 1 formalism. We then show that it is possible to derive a redshift-independent estimate of luminosity for extreme Eddington ratio sources. Using preliminary samples of these sources in three redshift intervals (as well as two mock samples), we test a range of cosmological models. Results are consistent with concordance cosmology but the data are insufficient for deriving strong constraints. Mock samples indicate that application of the method proposed in this paper using dedicated observations would allow to set stringent limits on Omega_M and significant constraints on Omega_Lambda.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Marziani and J. Sulentic
Tue, 13 May 14
54/58

Comments: Accepted for publication in MNRAS