This course on Fifty Years of Quasars aims to explore the discovery, evolution, and characteristics of quasars. The learning outcomes include understanding the history of quasar research, the role of quasars in galaxy evolution, and the significance of quasars in astrophysical studies. The course covers topics such as the discovery of quasars, quasar luminosity function, black hole demographics, AGN feedback, jet formation, and the importance of quasars in understanding the intergalactic medium. The course employs a lecture-based teaching method delivered by experts in the field. The intended audience for this course includes students, researchers, and enthusiasts interested in astronomy, astrophysics, and black hole studies.
Overview
Syllabus
Opening Remarks - M. Cohen, G. Djorgovski, T. Soifer.
The Discovery of Quasars - Maarten Schmidt.
The Road to Quasars - Ken Kellermann.
The Quasar Luminosity Function, Then and Now - R. Green.
Quasar Evolution at High Redshifts - D. Schneider.
Quasars and the Origins of the X-Ray Background - G. Hasinger.
Black Hole Demographics in Active and Inactive Galaxies - L. Ho.
The First AGN Results from NuSTAR - F. Harrison.
The Masses of Quasars - B. Peterson.
The First Black Holes - M. Volonteri.
The Monster Roars: Feedback and the Co-Evolution of Galaxies and Black Holes - P. Hopkins.
The broad emission lines of quasars - M. Eracleous.
Quasar outflows: historical overview and importance to AGN feedback - N. Arav.
Jet Formation - R. Blandford.
Blazars as Probes of Relativistic Jets - M. Urry.
Obscured Quasars - D. Stern.
Quasars as Probes of the IGM - A. Boksenberg.
Thought experiments on gravitational forces and 3-space curvature - D. Lynden-Bell.
Public Lecture - Black Holes and the Fate of the Universe - G. Hasinger.
Public Lecture: From Mars to the Multiverse - M. Rees.
Taught by
caltech
