A Tentative Size-Luminosity Relation for the Iron Emission-Line Region in Quasars


Abstract in English

New reverberation mapping measurements of the size of the optical iron emission-line region in quasars are provided, and a tentative size-luminosity relation for this component is reported. Combined with lag measurements in low-luminosity sources, the results imply an emission-region size that is comparable to and at most twice that of the H$beta$ line, and is characterized by a similar luminosity dependence. This suggests that the physics underlying the formation of the optical iron blends in quasars may be similar to that of other broad emission lines.

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