The following document lists the file abstract/JBECHTOL_BECH_QSO.abs
from catalogue VI/111.
A plain copy of the file
(without headers/trailers) may be downloaded.
We propose to look for the 9.7 micron silicate feature in quasars. While the existence of dust in quasars has long been suspected, detection of the silicate feature would be the first direct evidence for dust. In addition, comparison with models would allow investigation of the geometry, amount, and composition of the dust. The resulting information can ultimately be used to study the generation and balance of energy in these active nuclei. Observation of the silicate feature have already proven useful in investigations of the dust content and geometry in lower luminosity AGN such as Seyferts. However, in general it is impossible to observe this feature in higher-luminosity objects, i.e. quasars, with ground-based instruments: for redshifts z>0.2, the band begins to be shifted beyond the 13 micron atmospheric cutoff. Even in the few lower redshift quasars this feature has been inaccessible because of faint flux levels. With ISOCAM's CVF, these objects will be easily observable.