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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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd04b |
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| author | 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 |
| author_facet | 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 |
| author_sort | Cooper Dix |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:13:44Z |
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| id | doaj.art-3a5e84931fd54c90b89f5fb52e163430 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:13:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a5e84931fd54c90b89f5fb52e1634302023-09-03T10:48:19ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0195029610.3847/1538-4357/acd04bGemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift QuasarsCooper Dix0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0192-1840Brandon Matthews1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8406-4084Ohad Shemmer2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4327-1460Michael S. Brotherton3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1207-0909Adam D. Myers4I. Andruchow5W. N. Brandt6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0167-2453Gabriel A. Ferrero7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9623-6218Richard Green8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1245-5232Paulina Lira9https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1523-9164Richard M. Plotkin10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7092-0326Gordon T. Richards11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1061-1804Donald P. Schneider12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7240-7449Department of Physics, University of North Texas , Denton, TX, 76203, USA ; cooperdix@my.unt.eduDepartment of Physics, University of North Texas , Denton, TX, 76203, USA ; cooperdix@my.unt.eduDepartment of Physics, University of North Texas , Denton, TX, 76203, USA ; cooperdix@my.unt.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY, 82071, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY, 82071, USAFacultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geosicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata , Paseo del Bosque, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina; Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía , CONICET-CICPBA-UNLP, CC5 (1897) Villa Elisa, Prov. de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Physics, 104 Davey Lab, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAFacultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata , Paseo del Bosque, B1900FWA La Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata , CONICET-UNLP, CCT La Plata, Paseo del Bosque, B1900FWA La Plata, ArgentinaSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 N Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartmento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile , Casilla 36D, Santiago, ChileDepartment of Physics, University of Nevada , Reno, NV 89557, USA; Nevada Center for Astrophysics, University of Nevada , Las Vegas, NV 89154, USADepartment of Physics, Drexel University , 32 S. 32nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USAThe 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.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd04bActive galactic nucleiQuasarsSurveysSupermassive black holes |
| spellingShingle | 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 Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars The Astrophysical Journal Active galactic nuclei Quasars Surveys Supermassive black holes |
| title | Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars |
| title_full | Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars |
| title_fullStr | Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars |
| title_short | Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph–Distant Quasar Survey: Prescriptions for Calibrating UV-based Estimates of Supermassive Black Hole Masses in High-redshift Quasars |
| title_sort | gemini near infrared spectrograph distant quasar survey prescriptions for calibrating uv based estimates of supermassive black hole masses in high redshift quasars |
| topic | Active galactic nuclei Quasars Surveys Supermassive black holes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd04b |
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