Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph -- Distant Quasar Survey: Rest-Frame Ultraviolet-Optical Spectral Properties of Broad Absorption Line Quasars

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Main Authors: Ahmed, Harum, Shemmer, Ohad, Matthews, Brandon, Dix, Cooper, Ha, Trung, Richards, Gordon T., Brotherton, Michael S., Myers, Adam D., Brandt, W. N., Gallagher, Sarah C., Green, Richard, Lira, Paulina, McLane, Jacob N., Plotkin, Richard M., Schneider, Donald P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Ahmed, Harum
Shemmer, Ohad
Matthews, Brandon
Dix, Cooper
Ha, Trung
Richards, Gordon T.
Brotherton, Michael S.
Myers, Adam D.
Brandt, W. N.
Gallagher, Sarah C.
Green, Richard
Lira, Paulina
McLane, Jacob N.
Plotkin, Richard M.
Schneider, Donald P.
author_facet Ahmed, Harum
Shemmer, Ohad
Matthews, Brandon
Dix, Cooper
Ha, Trung
Richards, Gordon T.
Brotherton, Michael S.
Myers, Adam D.
Brandt, W. N.
Gallagher, Sarah C.
Green, Richard
Lira, Paulina
McLane, Jacob N.
Plotkin, Richard M.
Schneider, Donald P.
contents We present the rest-frame ultraviolet-optical spectral properties of 65 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph-Distant Quasar Survey (GNIRS-DQS). These properties are compared with those of 195 non-BAL quasars from GNIRS-DQS in order to identify the drivers for the appearance of BALs in quasar spectra. In particular, we compare equivalent widths and velocity widths, as well as velocity offsets from systemic redshifts, of principal emission lines. In spite of the differences between their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra, we find that luminous BAL quasars are generally indistinguishable from their non-BAL counterparts in the rest-frame optical band at redshifts $1.55 \lesssim z \lesssim 3.50$. We do not find any correlation between BAL trough properties and the H$β$-based supermassive black hole masses and normalized accretion rates in our sample. Considering the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample, which includes the GNIRS-DQS sample, we find that a monochromatic luminosity at rest-frame 2500 A of $\gtrsim 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$ is a necessary condition for launching BAL outflows in quasars. We compare our findings with other BAL quasar samples and discuss the roles that accretion rate and orientation play in the appearance of BAL troughs in quasar spectra.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_12343
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph -- Distant Quasar Survey: Rest-Frame Ultraviolet-Optical Spectral Properties of Broad Absorption Line Quasars
Ahmed, Harum
Shemmer, Ohad
Matthews, Brandon
Dix, Cooper
Ha, Trung
Richards, Gordon T.
Brotherton, Michael S.
Myers, Adam D.
Brandt, W. N.
Gallagher, Sarah C.
Green, Richard
Lira, Paulina
McLane, Jacob N.
Plotkin, Richard M.
Schneider, Donald P.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We present the rest-frame ultraviolet-optical spectral properties of 65 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph-Distant Quasar Survey (GNIRS-DQS). These properties are compared with those of 195 non-BAL quasars from GNIRS-DQS in order to identify the drivers for the appearance of BALs in quasar spectra. In particular, we compare equivalent widths and velocity widths, as well as velocity offsets from systemic redshifts, of principal emission lines. In spite of the differences between their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra, we find that luminous BAL quasars are generally indistinguishable from their non-BAL counterparts in the rest-frame optical band at redshifts $1.55 \lesssim z \lesssim 3.50$. We do not find any correlation between BAL trough properties and the H$β$-based supermassive black hole masses and normalized accretion rates in our sample. Considering the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample, which includes the GNIRS-DQS sample, we find that a monochromatic luminosity at rest-frame 2500 A of $\gtrsim 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$ is a necessary condition for launching BAL outflows in quasars. We compare our findings with other BAL quasar samples and discuss the roles that accretion rate and orientation play in the appearance of BAL troughs in quasar spectra.
title Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph -- Distant Quasar Survey: Rest-Frame Ultraviolet-Optical Spectral Properties of Broad Absorption Line Quasars
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12343