Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Properties Of Post-Starburst Quasars Based On Optical Spectroscopy, Sabrina L. Cales, Michael S. Brotherton, Zhaohui Shang, Jessie C. Runnoe, Michael A. Dipompeo, Vardha Nicola Bennert, Gabriela Canalizo, Kyle D. Hiner, R. Stoll, Rajib Ganguly, Aleksandar Diamond-Stanic

Physics

We present optical spectroscopy of a sample of 38 post-starburst quasars (PSQs) at z ~ 0.3, 29 of which have morphological classifications based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging. These broad-lined active galactic nuclei (AGNs) possess the spectral signatures of massive intermediate-aged stellar populations, making them potentially useful for studying connections between nuclear activity and host galaxy evolution. We model the spectra in order to determine the ages and masses of the host stellar populations, and the black hole masses and Eddington fractions of the AGNs. Our model components include an instantaneous starburst, a power law, and emission lines. We find …