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E. L. Gates (UCO/Lick Observatory), M. Lacy (Spitzer Science Center), S. E. Ridgway (NOAO), W. H. de Vries (LLNL)
The study of quasar host galaxies is essential if we are to understand the origin of the relationship between the black hole and bulge masses of local galaxies, but current samples of quasar host galaxies are small. The use of adaptive optics on ground-based telescopes allows us to build up large samples of quasar hosts. We have obtained H-band images of several quasar host galaxies using the sodium laser guide star adaptive optics system at Lick Observatory. The targets were selected from 0.3 < z <1.5 quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data releases having suitable guide stars. Modeling of the host galaxy plus quasar image reveal host galaxies whose magnitudes and scale sizes are consistent with those obtained from HST/NICMOS observations of quasars at similar redshifts. We present the initial results of a larger survey of quasar host galaxy properties as well as estimates of central black hole masses from these data.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.