The environments of z<0.3 QSOs

Abstract

Based on a cross-correlation analysis of X-ray selected QSOs with faint (B<20.5) galaxies, we find a 5sigma galaxy excess around low-redshift (z<0.3) QSOs with an amplitude identical to that of the galaxy angular correlation function. The similarity between QSO-galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy clustering suggests that QSOs are unbiased with respect to galaxies and make useful tracers of large-scale structure in the Universe.

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