Physics Commons^™

The Pg X-Ray Qso Sample: Links Between The Ultraviolet-X-Ray Continuum And Emission Lines, Beverley J. Wills, A. Laor, M. S. Brotherton, D. Wills, B. J. Wilkes, Gary J. Ferland, Zhaohui Shang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Two sets of relationships relate QSO UV to soft X-ray continua with the broad-line region. These are (i) the Baldwin relationships, which are inverse relationships between the broad-line equivalent width and the continuum luminosity, and (ii) Boroson & Green's optical "Principal Component 1'' relationships, linking steeper soft X-ray spectra with narrower Hβ emission, stronger Hβ blue wings, stronger optical Fe II emission, and weaker [O III] λ5007 lines. In order to understand these relationships, we extended the spectra into the UV for 22 QSOs with high-quality soft X-ray spectra. These are from the complete sample of QSOs from the Bright …

Quasars As Cosmological Probes: The Ionizing Continuum, Gas Metallicity, And The WΛ-L Relation, Kirk Korista, Jack Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Using a realistic model for line emission from the broad emission line regions of quasars, we are able to reproduce the previously observed correlations of emission-line ratios with the shape of the spectral energy distribution (SED). In agreement with previous studies, we find that the primary driving force behind the Baldwin effect (W_λ ~ L^β, β < 0) is a global change in the SED with quasar luminosity, in that more luminous quasars must have characteristically softer ionizing continua. This is completely consistent with observations that show (1) a correlation between L_uv, α_ox, and α_uvx (2) correlations of SED shape-sensitive line ratios with α_ox, α_uvx, and L_uv; and (3) correlations between line equivalent widths and α_ox, α_{uvx …}

The Ultraviolet-Optical Albedo Of Broad Emission Line Clouds, Kirk Korista, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We explore the effective UV-optical albedos of a variety of types of broad emission line clouds, as well as their possible effects on the observed spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). An important albedo source in moderately ionized ionization-bounded clouds is that which is due to neutral hydrogen: Rayleigh scattering of continuum photons off the extreme damping wings of Lyα. The photons resulting from this scattering mechanism may contribute significantly to the Lyα emission line, especially in the very broad wings. In addition, line photons emitted near 1200 Å (e.g., N V λ1240) that stream toward the neutral portion of …

High Metal Enrichments In Luminous Quasars, Gary J. Ferland, Jack A. Baldwin, Kirk T. Korista, Fred Hamann, R. F. Carswell, Mark Phillips, Belinda J. Wilkes, Robert E. Williams

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss observations of the broad emission line in luminous intermediate redshift quasars, with emphasis on Q0207 -398. This object has relatively sharp lines, allowing us to deconvolve the profiles into distinct components. In this paper we examine the high ionization region, which we show must be matter-bounded, partially transparent to ionizing radiation. We measure a large N V λ1240/He II λ1640 ratio in Q0207-398, but detailed calculations predict this ratio to be ~1 for standard cloud properties. We show that no choice of incident continuum, ionizing photon flux, density, or even the appeal to nonradiative energy sources, can reproduce …

Broad Ne Viii Λ744 Emission From The Quasar Pg 1148+549, Fred Hamann, Joseph C. Shields, Gary J. Ferland, Kirk T. Korista

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss the probable detection of broad Ne VIII λ774 emission from the z_ɛ = 0.978 quasar PG 1148+549, and we use spectral synthesis calculations to study the physical conditions in the line-forming gas. The theoretical predictions and the measured line wavelength both support Ne VIII λ774 as the most likely identification.

Our calculations show that Ne VIII λ774 forms in hotter and more highly ionized gas than previously recognized in the broad emission line region. If the gas is photoionized by a standard active galactic nucleus continuum, the observed Ne VIII equivalent width, the Ne VIII/O VI flux …

The Geometry And Kinematics Of The Broad-Line Region In Ngc 5548 From Hst And Iue Observations, Ignaz Wanders, Mike R. Goad, Kirk T. Korista, Bradley M. Peterson, Keith Horne, Gary J. Ferland, Anuradha P. Koratkar, Richard W. Pogge, Joseph C. Sheilds

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The spatial and radial velocity distribution of broad-line-emitting gas in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 is examined through the process of reverberation mapping, which is done by detailed comparison of continuum and emission-line variations. Recent spectroscopic monitoring of NGC 5548 with HST and IUE allows us to resolve the "transfer function" (TF) that relates the continuum and emission-line variability. We also examine the radial velocity-resolved TFs, and confirm that predominantly radial motions of the line-emitting clouds can be excluded. We find that a broad-line region comprised of clouds that are orbiting a central source of mass ~10⁸ M …

The Hubble Space Telescope Sample Of Radio-Loud Quasars: The LyΑ/HΒ Ratio, Hagai Netzer, M. S. Brotherton, Beverley J. Wills, Mingsheng Han, D. Wills, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, I. W. A. Browne

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have used the first Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph spectra of our sample of radio- loud quasars, and quasi-simultaneous ground-based spectrophotometry, to investigate the intensity ratio Lyα/Hβ, whose small observed values are one of the outstanding problems of active galactic nuclei research. The present sample of 20 quasars with complete flux and profile data shows the first significant correlations of this ratio with other observed properties. The strongest correlations are with various continuum slope indicators: we find smaller Lyα/Hβ ratios in quasars whose continua rise more steeply into the red. The …

The Hubble Space Telescope Sample Of Radio-Loud Quasars: Ultraviolet Spectra Of The First 31 Quasars, Beverley J. Wills, Keith L. Thompson, Mingsheng Han, H. Netzer, D. Wills, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, I W. A. Browne, M. S. Brotherton

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the first results from a continuing program to investigate the multifrequency spectrophotometric and other properties of a sample of about 50 radio-loud quasars in the redshift range ˜0.3-1.3. Here we present spectrophotometric data of high signal-to-noise ratio (≳20 in the continuum) of the first 31 radio-loud quasars, over the wavelength range from below Lyα to an observed wavelength of 3250 or 4800 Å, obtained using the Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. We have also made quasi-simultaneous observations to extend these spectra beyond the Balmer lines -- either Hβ or Hα -- …