Abstract:  A minority of the quasar population are red at optical wavelengths due to the presence of dust along the line of sight. A key aim of the majority of red quasar studies is to understand their relationship to the overall quasar population: are they normal quasars orientated away from the line of sight or do they represent a transitional phase in the evolution of quasars? I will report on our systematic and controlled comparison between the multi-wavelength properties of red and normal quasars. We find a factor ~3 enhancement in weak compact radio sources among red quasars when compared to blue quasars, a result that is not driven by selection or luminosity effects. These differences appear to be associated with a change in the X-ray properties and the generation of energetic outflows. I will explain how these results strongly rule out the standard orientation model and suggest that red quasars are a phase in the evolution of quasars. I will briefly discuss how future multi-wavelength surveys can be used to investigate whether more obscured quasars exhibit similar behavior.

Host:  George Pavlov

Astro Colloquium and 'coffee & cookies' Department gathering (3:30-4:00pm)

https://psu.zoom.us/j/94153970341