We quantitatively assess, by means of comprehensive numerical simulations, the ability of broad-band photometric surveys to recover the broad emission line region (BLR) size in quasars under various observing conditions and for a wide range of object
properties. Focusing on the general characteristics of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), we find that the slope of the size-luminosity relation for the BLR in quasars can be determined with unprecedented accuracy, of order a few percent, over a broad luminosity range and out to $zsim 3$. In particular, major emission lines for which the BLR size can be reliably measured with LSST include H$alpha$, MgII $lambda 2799$, CIII] $lambda 1909$, CIV $lambda 1549$, and Ly$alpha$, amounting to a total of $gtrsim 10^5$ time-delay measurements for all transitions. Combined with an estimate for the emission line velocity dispersion, upcoming photometric surveys will facilitate the estimation of black hole masses in AGN over a broad range of luminosities and redshifts, allow for refined calibrations of BLR size-luminosity-redshift relations in different transitions, as well as lead to more reliable cross-calibration with other black hole mass estimation techniques.
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, th
e 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.
We analyze the broadband photometric light curves of Seyfert 1 galaxies from the Sergeev et al. (2005) sample and find that a) perturbations propagating across the continuum emitting region are a general phenomenon securely detected in most cases, b)
it is possible to obtain reliable time-delays between continuum emission in different wavebands, which are not biased by the contribution of broad emission lines to the signal, and that c) such lags are consistent with the predictions of standard irradiated accretion disk models, given the optical luminosity of the sources. These findings provide new and independent support for standard accretion disks being responsible for the bulk of the (rest) optical emission in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN). We interpret our lag measurements in individual objects within the framework of this model and estimate the typical mass accretion rate to be <~0.1Msol/yr, with little dependence on the black hole mass. Assuming bolometric corrections typical of type-I sources, we find tentative evidence for the radiative efficiency of accretion flows being a rising function of the black hole mass. With upcoming surveys that will regularly monitor the sky, we may be able to better quantify possible departures from standard self-similar models, and identify other modes of accretion in AGN.
A generalized approach to reverberation mapping (RM) is presented, which is applicable to broad- and narrow-band photometric data, as well as to spectroscopic observations. It is based on multivariate correlation analysis techniques and, in its prese
nt implementation, is able to identify reverberating signals across the accretion disk and the broad line region (BLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Statistical tests are defined to assess the significance of time-delay measurements using this approach, and the limitations of the adopted formalism are discussed. It is shown how additional constraints on some of the parameters of the problem may be incorporated into the analysis thereby leading to improved results. When applied to a sample of 14 Seyfert 1 galaxies having good-quality high-cadence photometric data, accretion disk scales and BLR sizes are simultaneously determined, on a case-by-case basis, in most objects. The BLR scales deduced here are in good agreement with the findings of independent spectroscopic RM campaigns. Implications for the photometric RM of AGN interiors in the era of large surveys are discussed.
We measure the broad emission line region (BLR) size of a luminous, L~1E47 erg/s, high-z quasar using broadband photometric reverberation mapping. To this end, we analyze ~7.5 years of photometric data for MACHO 13.6805.324 (z~1.72) in the B and R MA
CHO bands and find a time delay of 180+/-40 days in the rest frame of the object. Given the spectral-variability properties of high-z quasars, we associate this lag with the rest-UV iron emission blends. Our findings are consistent with a simple extrapolation of the BLR size-luminosity relation in local active galactic nuclei to the more luminous, high-z quasar population. Long-term spectroscopic monitoring of MACHO 13.6805.324 may be able to directly measure the line-to-continuum time-delay and test our findings.
A method is proposed for measuring the size of the broad emission line region (BLR) in quasars using broadband photometric data. A feasibility study, based on numerical simulations, points to the advantages and pitfalls associated with this approach.
The method is applied to a subset of the Palomar-Green quasar sample for which independent BLR size measurements are available. An agreement is found between the results of the photometric method and the spectroscopic reverberation mapping technique. Implications for the measurement of BLR sizes and black hole masses for numerous quasars in the era of large surveys are discussed.
We argue that most strong intervening metal absorption line systems, where the rest equivalent width of the MgII 2796A line is >0.5A, are interstellar material in, and outflowing from, star-forming disks. We show that a version of the Kennicutt-Schmi
dt law is readily obtained if the MgII equivalent widths are interpreted as kinematic broadening from absorbing gas in outflowing winds originating from star-forming galaxies. Taking a phenomenological approach and using a set of observational constraints available for star-forming galaxies, we are able to account for the density distribution of strong MgII absorbers over cosmic time. The association of intervening material with star-forming disks naturally explains the metallicity and dust content of strong MgII systems as well as their high HI column densities, and does not require the advection of metals from compact star-forming regions into the galaxy halos to account for the observations. We find that galaxies with a broad range of luminosities can give rise to absorption of a given rest-equivalent width, and discuss possible observational strategies to better quantify true galaxy-absorber associations and further test our model. We show that the redshift evolution in the density of absorbers closely tracks the star formation history of the universe and that strong intervening systems can be used to directly probe the physics of both bright and faint galaxies over a broad redshift range. By identifying strong intervening systems with galaxy disks and quantifying a version of the Kennicutt-Schmidt law that applies to them, a new probe of the interstellar medium is found which provides complementary information to that obtained through emission studies of galaxies. Implications of our results for galaxy feedback and enrichment of the intergalactic medium are discussed. [abridged]
We consider a sample of type-I active galactic nuclei (AGN) that were observed by Chandra/HETG and resulted in high signal-to-noise grating spectra, which we study in detail. All objects show signatures for very high ionization outflows. Using a nove
l scheme to model the physics and spectral signatures of gaseous winds from these objects, we are able to estimate the mass loss rates and kinetic luminosities associated with the highly ionized gas and investigate its physical properties. Our conclusions are as follows: 1) There is a strong indication that the outflowing gas in those objects is multi-phase with similar kinematics for the different phases. 2) The X-ray spectrum is consistent with such flows being thermally driven from ~pc scales, and are therefore unlikely to be associated with the inner accretion disk. 3) The underlying X-ray spectrum consists of a hard X-ray powerlaw which is similar for all objects shining below their Eddington rate and a soft excess whose contribution becomes more prominent for objects shining close to their Eddington limit. 4) The physical properties of the outflow are similar in all cases and a coherent picture emerges concerning its physical properties. 5) The deduced mass loss rates are, roughly, of the order of the mass accretion rate in those objects so that the kinetic luminosity carried by such winds is only a tiny fraction (<<1%) of the bolometric luminosity. We discuss the implications of our results for AGN structure and AGN interaction with the environment.
We propose a new method to search for light (pseudo-)scalar particles in the spectra of compact astrophysical objects such as magnetars, pulsars, and quasars. On accounts of compact astrophysical objects having intense magnetic fields extending over
large volumes, they provide good conditions for efficient photon-particle oscillations via the Primakoff process. In particular, we show that if the coupling constant for light (<1e-2 eV) axions, g>1e-13 [1/GeV] then it is likely that absorption-like features would be detectable in the spectrum of compact astrophysical sources.
