The XQR-30 quasar sample has been observed as part of a large observing program with the X-Shooter spectrograph on the Very Large Telescopes and presents a legacy sample of quasar spectra during the Reionization Epoch. This data sample has enabled a wide range of exciting results: for instance, we were able to measure the density field in the early universe within the proximity zones of these high-redshift quasars, which is usually inaccessible due to saturated absorption from the neutral intergalactic gas. We also found that the black hole growth in these early quasars is often surpressed due to strong outflows of gas, making it even more difficult to explain the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe. Furthermore, we studied the timing and morphology of the Reionization Epoch by measuring the opacity of the intergalactic gas, which revealed a more extended Reionization Epoch than previously thought.
The XQR-30 quasar sample has been observed as part of a large observing program with the X-Shooter spectrograph on the Very Large Telescopes and presents a legacy sample of quasar spectra during the Reionization Epoch. This data sample has enabled a wide range of exciting results: for instance, we were able to measure the density field in the early universe within the proximity zones of these high-redshift quasars, which is usually inaccessible due to saturated absorption from the neutral intergalactic gas. We also found that the black hole growth in these early quasars is often surpressed due to strong outflows of gas, making it even more difficult to explain the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe. Furthermore, we studied the timing and morphology of the Reionization Epoch by measuring the opacity of the intergalactic gas, which revealed a more extended Reionization Epoch than previously thought.