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arXiv · 2211.03853

High-redshift quasars along the Main Sequence

A. Deconto-Machado·A. del Olmo·P. Marziani·J. Perea·G. M. Stirpe
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Abstract

We aim to evaluate the behaviour of our 22 high-redshift (2.2 < z < 3.7) and high-luminosity (47.39 < Lbol < 48.36) quasars in the context of the 4-Dimensional Eigenvector 1. Our approach involves studying quasar physics through spectroscopic exploration of UV and optical emission line diagnostics. We are using new observations from ISAAC/VLT and mainly from the SDSS to cover the optical and the UV rest-frames, respectively. Emission lines are characterised both through a quantitative parametrisation of the line profiles, and by decomposing the emission line profiles using multicomponent fitting routines. We provide spectrophotometric properties and line profile measurements for Hb+[O iii], as well as for Si iv+O iv], C iv+He ii and the 1900 blend. Six out of the 22 objects present a significant blueshifted component on the Hb profile, and in 14/22 cases an Hb outflowing component associated to [O iii] is detected. The majority of [O iii] emission line profiles show blueshifted velocities larger than 250 km s^-1. [O iii] and C iv blueshifts show very high amplitudes and a high degree of correlation. Line width and shift are correlated for both [O iii] and C iv, suggesting that emission from outflowing gas is providing a substantial broadening to both lines. Otherwise, the links between C iv centroid velocity at half intensity (c(1/2)), Eddington ratio (L/LEdd), and bolometric luminosity are found to be in agreement with previous studies of high-luminosity quasars. Our analysis suggests that the behaviour of quasars of very high luminosity all along the main sequence is strongly affected by powerful outflows involving a broad range of spatial scales. The main sequence correlations remain valid at high redshift and high luminosity even if a systematic increase in line width is observed. Scaling laws based on UV Al iii and Hb emission lines are equally reliable estimators of MBH.

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A. Deconto-Machado, A. del Olmo, P. Marziani, J. Perea, G. M. Stirpe. 2022-11-07. High-redshift quasars along the Main Sequence. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%2F202243801

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