TY - JOUR
T1 - A catalog of broad absorption line quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Third Data Release
AU - Trump, Jonathan R.
AU - Hall, Patrick B.
AU - Reichard, Timothy A.
AU - Richards, Gordon T.
AU - Schneider, Donald P.
AU - Vanden Berk, Daniel E.
AU - Knapp, Gillian R.
AU - Anderson, Scott F.
AU - Fan, Xiaohui
AU - Brinkman, J.
AU - Kleinman, S. J.
AU - Nitta, Atsuko
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - We present a total of 4784 unique broad absorption line quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Third Data Release. An automated algorithm was used to match a continuum to each quasar and to identify regions of flux at least 10% below the continuum over a velocity range of at least 1000 km s -1 in the C IV and Mg n absorption regions. The model continuum was selected as the best-fit match from a set of template quasar spectra binned in luminosity, emission line width, and redshift, with the power-law spectral index and amount of dust reddening as additional free parameters. We characterize our sample through the traditional "balnicity" index and a revised absorption index, as well as through parameters such as the width, outflow velocity, fractional depth, and number of troughs. From a sample of 16,883 quasars at 1.7 ≤ z ≤ 4.38, we identify 4386 (26.0%) quasars with broad C IV absorption, of which 1756 (10.4%) satisfy traditional selection criteria. From a sample of 34,973 quasars at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 2.15, we identify 457 (1.31%) quasars with broad Mg n absorption, 191 (0.55%) of which satisfy traditional selection criteria. We also provide a supplementary list of 39 visually identified z > 4.38 quasars with broad C IV absorption. We find that broad absorption line quasars may have broader emission lines on average than other quasars.
AB - We present a total of 4784 unique broad absorption line quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Third Data Release. An automated algorithm was used to match a continuum to each quasar and to identify regions of flux at least 10% below the continuum over a velocity range of at least 1000 km s -1 in the C IV and Mg n absorption regions. The model continuum was selected as the best-fit match from a set of template quasar spectra binned in luminosity, emission line width, and redshift, with the power-law spectral index and amount of dust reddening as additional free parameters. We characterize our sample through the traditional "balnicity" index and a revised absorption index, as well as through parameters such as the width, outflow velocity, fractional depth, and number of troughs. From a sample of 16,883 quasars at 1.7 ≤ z ≤ 4.38, we identify 4386 (26.0%) quasars with broad C IV absorption, of which 1756 (10.4%) satisfy traditional selection criteria. From a sample of 34,973 quasars at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 2.15, we identify 457 (1.31%) quasars with broad Mg n absorption, 191 (0.55%) of which satisfy traditional selection criteria. We also provide a supplementary list of 39 visually identified z > 4.38 quasars with broad C IV absorption. We find that broad absorption line quasars may have broader emission lines on average than other quasars.
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U2 - 10.1086/503834
DO - 10.1086/503834
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33748578928
SN - 0067-0049
VL - 165
SP - 1
EP - 18
JO - Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
JF - Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
IS - 1
ER -