A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei

Darach Jafar Watson; K.D. Denney; Marianne Vestergaard; Tamara Maree Davis

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/740/2/L49

A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei

Darach Jafar Watson, K.D. Denney, Marianne Vestergaard, Tamara Maree Davis

83 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Accurate distances to celestial objects are key to establishing the age and energy density of the universe and the nature of dark energy. A distance measure using active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has been sought for more than 40 years, as they are extremely luminous and can be observed at very large distances. We report here the discovery of an accurate luminosity distance measure using AGNs. We use the tight relationship between the luminosity of an AGN and the radius of its broad-line region established via reverberation mapping to determine the luminosity distances to a sample of 38 AGNs. All reliable distance measures up to now have been limited to moderate redshift - AGNs will, for the first time, allow distances to be estimated to z ∼ 4, where variations of dark energy and alternate gravity theories can be probed.

Original language	English
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	740
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	L49
ISSN	0004-637X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/740/2/L49
Publication status	Published - 20 Oct 2011

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title = "A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei",

abstract = "Accurate distances to celestial objects are key to establishing the age and energy density of the universe and the nature of dark energy. A distance measure using active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has been sought for more than 40 years, as they are extremely luminous and can be observed at very large distances. We report here the discovery of an accurate luminosity distance measure using AGNs. We use the tight relationship between the luminosity of an AGN and the radius of its broad-line region established via reverberation mapping to determine the luminosity distances to a sample of 38 AGNs. All reliable distance measures up to now have been limited to moderate redshift - AGNs will, for the first time, allow distances to be estimated to z ∼ 4, where variations of dark energy and alternate gravity theories can be probed.",

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T1 - A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei

AU - Watson, Darach Jafar

AU - Denney, K.D.

AU - Vestergaard, Marianne

AU - Davis, Tamara Maree

PY - 2011/10/20

Y1 - 2011/10/20

N2 - Accurate distances to celestial objects are key to establishing the age and energy density of the universe and the nature of dark energy. A distance measure using active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has been sought for more than 40 years, as they are extremely luminous and can be observed at very large distances. We report here the discovery of an accurate luminosity distance measure using AGNs. We use the tight relationship between the luminosity of an AGN and the radius of its broad-line region established via reverberation mapping to determine the luminosity distances to a sample of 38 AGNs. All reliable distance measures up to now have been limited to moderate redshift - AGNs will, for the first time, allow distances to be estimated to z ∼ 4, where variations of dark energy and alternate gravity theories can be probed.

AB - Accurate distances to celestial objects are key to establishing the age and energy density of the universe and the nature of dark energy. A distance measure using active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has been sought for more than 40 years, as they are extremely luminous and can be observed at very large distances. We report here the discovery of an accurate luminosity distance measure using AGNs. We use the tight relationship between the luminosity of an AGN and the radius of its broad-line region established via reverberation mapping to determine the luminosity distances to a sample of 38 AGNs. All reliable distance measures up to now have been limited to moderate redshift - AGNs will, for the first time, allow distances to be estimated to z ∼ 4, where variations of dark energy and alternate gravity theories can be probed.

U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/740/2/L49

DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/740/2/L49

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 740

SP - L49

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

ER -

A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei

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