Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars

The most reliable single-epoch supermassive black hole mass ( M _BH ) estimates in quasars are obtained by using the velocity widths of low-ionization emission lines, typically the H β λ 4861 line. Unfortunately, this line is redshifted out of the optical band at z ≈ 1, leaving M _BH estimates to re...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cooper Dix, Brandon Matthews, Ohad Shemmer, Michael S. Brotherton, Adam D. Myers, I. Andruchow, W. N. Brandt, Gabriel A. Ferrero, Richard Green, Paulina Lira, Richard M. Plotkin, Gordon T. Richards, Donald P. Schneider
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2023-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd04b
Description
Summary:The most reliable single-epoch supermassive black hole mass ( M _BH ) estimates in quasars are obtained by using the velocity widths of low-ionization emission lines, typically the H β λ 4861 line. Unfortunately, this line is redshifted out of the optical band at z ≈ 1, leaving M _BH estimates to rely on proxy rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) emission lines, such as C iv λ 1549 or Mg ii λ 2800, which contain intrinsic challenges when measuring, resulting in uncertain M _BH estimates. In this work, we aim at correcting M _BH estimates derived from the C iv and Mg ii emission lines based on estimates derived from the H β emission line. We find that employing the equivalent width of C iv in deriving M _BH estimates based on Mg ii and C iv provides values that are closest to those obtained from H β . We also provide prescriptions to estimate M _BH values when only C iv , only Mg ii , and both C iv and Mg ii are measurable. We find that utilizing both emission lines, where available, reduces the scatter of UV-based M _BH estimates by ∼15% when compared to previous studies. Lastly, we discuss the potential of our prescriptions to provide more accurate and precise estimates of M _BH given a much larger sample of quasars at 3.20 ≲ z ≲ 3.50, where both Mg ii and H β can be measured in the same near-infrared spectrum.
ISSN:1538-4357