Full metadata
Title
Markov chain Monte Carlo modeling of high-redshift quasar host galaxies in Hubble Space Telescope imaging
Description
Quasars, the visible phenomena associated with the active accretion phase of super- massive black holes found in the centers of galaxies, represent one of the most energetic processes in the Universe. As matter falls into the central black hole, it is accelerated and collisionally heated, and the radiation emitted can outshine the combined light of all the stars in the host galaxy. Studies of quasar host galaxies at ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths are fundamentally limited by the precision with which the light from the central quasar accretion can be disentangled from the light of stars in the surrounding host galaxy. In this Dissertation, I discuss direct imaging of quasar host galaxies at redshifts z ≃ 2 and z ≃ 6 using new data obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. I describe a new method for removing the point source flux using Markov Chain Monte Carlo parameter estimation and simultaneous modeling of the point source and host galaxy. I then discuss applications of this method to understanding the physical properties of high-redshift quasar host galaxies including their structures, luminosities, sizes, and colors, and inferred stellar population properties such as age, mass, and dust content.
Date Created
2014
Contributors
- Mechtley, Matt R (Author)
- Windhorst, Rogier A (Thesis advisor)
- Butler, Nathaniel (Committee member)
- Jansen, Rolf A (Committee member)
- Rhoads, James (Committee member)
- Scowen, Paul (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
xii, 110 p. : ill. (mostly col.)
Language
eng
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.21038
Statement of Responsibility
by Matt R. Mechtley
Description Source
Retrieved on March 26, 2014
Level of coding
full
Note
thesis
Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2014
bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-90)
Field of study: Astrophysics
System Created
- 2014-01-31 11:38:31
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:36:20
- 3 years 2 months ago
Additional Formats