TY - JOUR
T1 - Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph−Distant Quasar Survey
T2 - Rest-frame Ultraviolet−Optical Spectral Properties of Broad Absorption Line Quasars
AU - Ahmed, Harum
AU - Shemmer, Ohad
AU - Matthews, Brandon
AU - Dix, Cooper
AU - Ha, Trung
AU - Richards, Gordon T.
AU - Brotherton, Michael S.
AU - Myers, Adam D.
AU - Brandt, W. N.
AU - Gallagher, Sarah C.
AU - Green, Richard
AU - Lira, Paulina
AU - McLane, Jacob N.
AU - Plotkin, Richard M.
AU - Schneider, Donald P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
PY - 2024/6/1
Y1 - 2024/6/1
N2 - We present the rest-frame ultraviolet−optical spectral properties of 65 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph−Distant Quasar Survey (GNIRS-DQS). These properties are compared with those of 195 non-BAL quasars from GNIRS-DQS in order to identify the drivers for the appearance of BALs in quasar spectra. In particular, we compare equivalent widths and velocity widths, as well as velocity offsets from systemic redshifts, of principal emission lines. In spite of the differences between their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra, we find that luminous BAL quasars are generally indistinguishable from their non-BAL counterparts in the rest-frame optical band at redshifts 1.55 ≲ z ≲ 3.50. We do not find any correlation between BAL trough properties and the Hβ-based supermassive black hole masses and normalized accretion rates in our sample. Considering the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample, which includes the GNIRS-DQS sample, we find that a monochromatic luminosity at rest-frame 2500 Å of ≳1045 erg s−1 is a necessary condition for launching BAL outflows in quasars. We compare our findings with other BAL quasar samples and discuss the roles that accretion rate and orientation play in the appearance of BAL troughs in quasar spectra.
AB - We present the rest-frame ultraviolet−optical spectral properties of 65 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph−Distant Quasar Survey (GNIRS-DQS). These properties are compared with those of 195 non-BAL quasars from GNIRS-DQS in order to identify the drivers for the appearance of BALs in quasar spectra. In particular, we compare equivalent widths and velocity widths, as well as velocity offsets from systemic redshifts, of principal emission lines. In spite of the differences between their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra, we find that luminous BAL quasars are generally indistinguishable from their non-BAL counterparts in the rest-frame optical band at redshifts 1.55 ≲ z ≲ 3.50. We do not find any correlation between BAL trough properties and the Hβ-based supermassive black hole masses and normalized accretion rates in our sample. Considering the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample, which includes the GNIRS-DQS sample, we find that a monochromatic luminosity at rest-frame 2500 Å of ≳1045 erg s−1 is a necessary condition for launching BAL outflows in quasars. We compare our findings with other BAL quasar samples and discuss the roles that accretion rate and orientation play in the appearance of BAL troughs in quasar spectra.
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U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad3e69
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad3e69
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85196029621
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 968
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 2
M1 - 77
ER -