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S18B0011abst

S18B0011

Quasars at high redshift (z > 6) are an important probe of the distant universe, for understanding the origin and progress of cosmic reionization, the early growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), and the evolution of the host galaxies. By exploiting the exquisite imaging data produced by the Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP survey, we have been carrying out a spectroscopic survey for high-z quasars, partly as a Subaru intensive program, and have already achieved stunning success by discovering ∼70 quasars at z > 5.8, including seven quasars at z > 6.5. However, our knowledge is still largely limited to z < 6.5, due to the lack of a statistically complete and robust sample of quasars at higher redshifts. In order to make a breakthrough in this field, here we propose a new intensive program, which involves 38 nights over 6 semesters. We will discover 50 quasars at 6.5 < z < 7.5 in a systematic way, and establish the first quasar luminosity and SMBH mass functions at z ∼ 7. Subaru/FOCAS will be used for discovery observations, while Gemini/GNIRS will be used to measure SMBH mass and metallicity for the brightest quasars we discover. By comparing the measured statistical properties of the quasars with theoretical models, we aim to answer the most fundamental questions on the early cosmic history.

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