Chemical abundances along the quasar main sequence

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Floris, A., Marziani, P., Panda, S., Sniegowska, M., D'Onofrio, M., Deconto-Machado, A., Del Olmo, A., Czerny, B.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Floris, A.
Marziani, P.
Panda, S.
Sniegowska, M.
D'Onofrio, M.
Deconto-Machado, A.
Del Olmo, A.
Czerny, B.
author_facet Floris, A.
Marziani, P.
Panda, S.
Sniegowska, M.
D'Onofrio, M.
Deconto-Machado, A.
Del Olmo, A.
Czerny, B.
contents The 4D eigenvector 1 (E1) sequence has emerged as a powerful tool for organizing the observational and physical characteristics of type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the metallicity of the broad line region gas, incorporating both new data and previously published findings, to assess the presence of any trend along the sequence. We perform a multi-component analysis on the strongest UV and optical emission lines, compute $\sim 10$ diagnostic ratios, and compare them with the prediction of CLOUDY photoionization simulations, identifying a photoionization solution closest to the data. Our investigation reveals a consistent pattern along the optical plane of the E1. We observe a systematic progression in metallicity, ranging from sub-solar values to metallicity levels several times higher than solar values. These findings underscore the role of metallicity as a fundamental correlate of the 4DE1/main sequence. Extreme values of metallicity, at least several tens solar, are confirmed in low-$z$ AGNs radiating at a high Eddington ratio, although the origin of the extreme enrichment remains open to debate.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_04456
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chemical abundances along the quasar main sequence
Floris, A.
Marziani, P.
Panda, S.
Sniegowska, M.
D'Onofrio, M.
Deconto-Machado, A.
Del Olmo, A.
Czerny, B.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
The 4D eigenvector 1 (E1) sequence has emerged as a powerful tool for organizing the observational and physical characteristics of type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the metallicity of the broad line region gas, incorporating both new data and previously published findings, to assess the presence of any trend along the sequence. We perform a multi-component analysis on the strongest UV and optical emission lines, compute $\sim 10$ diagnostic ratios, and compare them with the prediction of CLOUDY photoionization simulations, identifying a photoionization solution closest to the data. Our investigation reveals a consistent pattern along the optical plane of the E1. We observe a systematic progression in metallicity, ranging from sub-solar values to metallicity levels several times higher than solar values. These findings underscore the role of metallicity as a fundamental correlate of the 4DE1/main sequence. Extreme values of metallicity, at least several tens solar, are confirmed in low-$z$ AGNs radiating at a high Eddington ratio, although the origin of the extreme enrichment remains open to debate.
title Chemical abundances along the quasar main sequence
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04456