Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ma, Yan-Song, Guan, Yu-Meng, Jiang, Jian-Xia, Li, Shao-Jun, Ning, Xiang-Wei, Tang, Yi, Bian, Wei-Hao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.23123
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913061877579776
author Ma, Yan-Song
Guan, Yu-Meng
Jiang, Jian-Xia
Li, Shao-Jun
Ning, Xiang-Wei
Tang, Yi
Bian, Wei-Hao
author_facet Ma, Yan-Song
Guan, Yu-Meng
Jiang, Jian-Xia
Li, Shao-Jun
Ning, Xiang-Wei
Tang, Yi
Bian, Wei-Hao
contents We construct mean spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a substantial sample of 56,969 Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR16 quasars with $z < 0.75$, utilizing multiwavelength data from the mid-infrared (MIR) to ultraviolet (UV). These SEDs are built on eigenvector 1 parameters -- the relative optical $\rm Fe~ II$ strength ($R_{\rm Fe~II}$) and the H$β$ line width ($\rm Hβ$) -- that capture the principal spectral variance of quasar spectra. From three $R_{\rm Fe~II}$-dependent mean SEDs we find that quasars with a larger $R_{\rm Fe~II}$ exhibit redder UV and optical and redder MIR and near-infrared (NIR) continua, indicating more dust emission. We also split our sample directly into Eddington ratio $L_{\rm Bol} /L_{\rm Edd}$ (or dimensionless accretion rate $\dot{\mathscr{M}}$) bins to construct different mean SEDs and find that the continua become increasingly red with increasing $L_{\rm Bol} /L_{\rm Edd}$ (or $\dot{\mathscr{M}}$) in the MIR, NIR, and UV bands. This demonstrates that the shapes of Type 1 AGN SEDs depend on the accretion rate. However, the optical continuum shows the opposite trend (becoming harder and bluer), indicating the complexity of the optical emission region. From $\rm FWHM_{Hβ}$-dependent mean SEDs we find that quasars with a larger $\rm FWHM_{Hβ}$ show redder optical and NIR continua and bluer UV and MIR continua. The bluer MIR continuum suggests that a larger angle between of the line of sight and the torus plane results in weaker torus emission in the MIR.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_23123
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Dependence of the Mean Spectral Energy Distributions on the Accretion Rate for Quasars with $z < 0.75$ from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Ma, Yan-Song
Guan, Yu-Meng
Jiang, Jian-Xia
Li, Shao-Jun
Ning, Xiang-Wei
Tang, Yi
Bian, Wei-Hao
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We construct mean spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a substantial sample of 56,969 Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR16 quasars with $z < 0.75$, utilizing multiwavelength data from the mid-infrared (MIR) to ultraviolet (UV). These SEDs are built on eigenvector 1 parameters -- the relative optical $\rm Fe~ II$ strength ($R_{\rm Fe~II}$) and the H$β$ line width ($\rm Hβ$) -- that capture the principal spectral variance of quasar spectra. From three $R_{\rm Fe~II}$-dependent mean SEDs we find that quasars with a larger $R_{\rm Fe~II}$ exhibit redder UV and optical and redder MIR and near-infrared (NIR) continua, indicating more dust emission. We also split our sample directly into Eddington ratio $L_{\rm Bol} /L_{\rm Edd}$ (or dimensionless accretion rate $\dot{\mathscr{M}}$) bins to construct different mean SEDs and find that the continua become increasingly red with increasing $L_{\rm Bol} /L_{\rm Edd}$ (or $\dot{\mathscr{M}}$) in the MIR, NIR, and UV bands. This demonstrates that the shapes of Type 1 AGN SEDs depend on the accretion rate. However, the optical continuum shows the opposite trend (becoming harder and bluer), indicating the complexity of the optical emission region. From $\rm FWHM_{Hβ}$-dependent mean SEDs we find that quasars with a larger $\rm FWHM_{Hβ}$ show redder optical and NIR continua and bluer UV and MIR continua. The bluer MIR continuum suggests that a larger angle between of the line of sight and the torus plane results in weaker torus emission in the MIR.
title The Dependence of the Mean Spectral Energy Distributions on the Accretion Rate for Quasars with $z < 0.75$ from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.23123