Quasar Luminosity Functions from Joint Evolution of Black Holes and Host Galaxies

Abstract

We show that our previously proposed anti-hierarchical baryon collapse\nscenario for the joint evolution of black holes and host galaxies predicts\nquasar luminosity functions at redshifts 1.5<z<6 and local properties in nice\nagreement with observations. In our model the quasar activity marks and\noriginates the transition between an earlier phase of violent and heavily\ndust-enshrouded starburst activity promoting rapid black hole growth, and a\nlater phase of almost passive evolution; the former is traced by the\nsubmillimeter-selected sources, while the latter accounts for the high number\ndensity of massive galaxies at substantial redshifts z>1.5, the population of\nExtremely Red Objects, and the properties of local ellipticals.\n