Optical variability properties of mini-BAL and NAL quasars

Horiuchi, Takashi; Misawa, Toru; Morokuma, Tomoki; Koyamada, Suzuka; Takahashi, Kazuma; Wada, Hisashi

doi:10.1093/pasj/psw044

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…When compared to the detected BALs and NALs, the detected mini-BALs that have line widths between BALs and NALs are much rarer. Hence, the mini-BALs lack in-depth research and are poorly understood (e.g., Misawa et al 2007;Gibson et al 2009;Wu et al 2010;Giustini et al 2011;Rodríguez Hidalgo et al 2013;Horiuchi et al 2016;Muzahid et al 2016;Moravec et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collective Properties of Quasar Narrow Associated Absorption Lines

Chen

Pan²

2017

ApJ

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This paper statistically investigates the properties of C IV and Mg II narrow absorption lines (NALs) to look for velocity cuts that can well constrain quasar-associated NALs. The coverage fraction ( f c ) is defined as the ratio between the number of quasars exhibiting at least one detected absorber and the total number of quasars that can be used to detect absorptions with given criteria. We find that, for both C IV and Mg II absorbers, both the number density of absorbers in given velocity intervals (dn/dβ) and the f c show very significant excess at the low-velocity offset from the quasars, relative to the random occurrence that is expected for cosmologically intervening absorbers. These relative excess extensions for Mg II absorptions are not only evidently related to absorption strength but also to quasar luminosity, while they are mainly constrained within 2000 km s . Turning to C IV absorptions, the relative excess extensions of both dn/dβ and f c are mainly limited within v abs < 4000 km s, and depend neither on absorption strength nor on quasar luminosity. And also, the absorbers with v abs < 4000 km sshow obviously different redshift number density evolution from those with v abs > 4000 km s −1. We suggest velocity cuts of 4000 km s to define quasar C IV and Mg II associated NALs, respectively.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collective Properties of Quasar Narrow Associated Absorption Lines

Chen

Pan²

2017

ApJ

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“…Mini-BALs are the least studied of these outflow features. They appear across same range of velocity shifts as BALs, nominally from near 0 to ∼30,000 km s −1 form, with prominent absorption in higher ions such as C iv, N v λ1239,1243, O vi λ1032,1038 (Rodríguez Hidalgo 2008; Leighly et al 2009;Hamann et al 2011;Hall et al 2011;Rodríguez Hidalgo et al 2012;Horiuchi et al 2016;Rogerson et al 2016;Moravec et al 2017;Hamann et al 2019a). However, important questions remain about the physical properties of mini-BAL outflows and their relationships to the outflows measured via BALs and NALs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…They are J160455+381214 shown in Figure 9, J160843+071508 in Figure 8, and J175603+574848 and J212329-005052 in Figure 6. The variability in J160455+381214 was studied previously by Misawa et al (2005); Bachev et al (2005); Misawa et al (2007b); Carini et al (2007); Misawa et al (2014); Horiuchi et al (2016) using data from other telescopes, mainly Subaru. The variability in J160843+071508 was studied by MacLeod et al (2012); Chen et al (2015) using spectra from the SDSS, and the variability in J212329-005052 was studied in detail by Hamann et al (2011) using the same data as our current study.…”

Section: Variable Mini-balsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Catalog of High-Velocity CIV Mini-BALs in the VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES Archives

Chen,

Hamann,

et al. 2021

Preprint

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We present a catalog of high-velocity C iv λ1548,1551 mini-Broad Absorption Lines (mini-BALs) in the archives of the VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES spectrographs. We identify high-velocity C iv mini-BALs based on smooth rounded BAL-like profiles with velocity blueshifts < −4000 km s −1 and widths in the range 70 FWHM(1548) 2000 km s −1 (for λ1548 alone). We find 105 mini-BALs in 44 quasars from a total sample of 638 quasars. The fraction of quasars with at least one mini-BAL meeting our criteria is roughly ∼9% after correcting for incomplete velocity coverage. However, the numbers of systems rise sharply at lower velocities and narrower FWHMs, suggesting that many outflow lines are missed by our study. All of the systems are highly ionized based on the strong presence of N v and O vi and/or the absence of Si ii and C ii when within the wavelength coverage. Two of the mini-BAL systems in our catalog, plus three others at smaller velocity shifts, have P v λ1118,1128 absorption indicating highly saturated C iv absorption and total hydrogen column densities 10 22 cm −2 . Most of the mini-BALs are confirmed to have optical depths 1 with partial covering of the quasar continuum source. The covering fractions are as small as 0.06 in C iv and 0.03 in Si iv, corresponding to outflow absorbing structures < 0.002 pc across. When multiple lines are measured, the lines of less abundant ions tend to have narrower profiles and smaller covering fractions indicative of inhomogeneous absorbers where higher column densities occur in smaller clumps. This picture might extend to BAL outflows if the broader and generally deeper BALs form in either the largest clumps or collections of many mini-BAL-like clumps that blend together in observed quasar spectra.

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“…Quasar outflows can produce a diverse range of absorption lines. Broad absorption lines (BALs) exhibit line widths exceeding 2000 km s −1 (e.g., Murray et al 1995;Elvis 2000;Capellupo et al 2011;He et al 2017), narrow absorption lines (NALs) present widths less than a few hundred kilometers per second (e.g., Chartas et al 2009;Hamann et al 2011Hamann et al , 2012Chen et al 2018cChen et al , 2020b, and Mini-BALs exhibit intermediate widths between NALs and BALs (e.g., Misawa et al 2007;Gibson et al 2009a;Horiuchi et al 2016;Xu et al 2018;Chen et al 2021). Optical spectroscopic surveys of quasars show that outflow NALs or Mini-BALs are more prevalent than outflow BALs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Connection among the Quasars with Different Types of Outflow Absorption Lines

Peng,

Chen,

et al. 2024

ApJ

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It is commonly accepted that outflows from the central regions of quasars play a substantial role in regulating the global properties of the host galaxy. These outflows are typically detected through blueshifted absorption lines. However, the question remains whether outflows observed with different absorption line types indeed reflect the same environmental or evolutionary stage of the host galaxy. In this study, we use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar catalog and employ the flux ratio of [O II] and [Ne V] emission lines as indicators to compare star formation rates (SFRs) within host galaxies of quasars exhibiting various outflow absorption line types: low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL), low-ionization Mini-BAL (LoMini-BAL), low-ionization narrow absorption line (LoNAL), high-ionization broad absorption line (HiBAL), high-ionization Mini-BAL (HiMini-BAL), and high-ionization narrow absorption line (HiNAL). Our findings indicate that the SFR of LoMini-BAL quasars is comparable to that of LoNAL quasars, somewhat less than that of LoBAL quasars, but markedly greater than that of HiBAL quasars. Furthermore, the SFR of HiMini-BAL quasars mirrors that of HiNAL or Non-abs (no associated absorption lines) quasars, but is significantly higher than that of HiBAL quasars. If we consider that differing absorption line types are indicative of the quasar evolution stage, our results propose an inclusive evolution sequence: LoBALs evolve into LoMini-BALs/LoNALs, then progress to HiBALs, and ultimately morph into HiMini-BALs/HiNALs/Non-abs. Concomitantly, the SFR within the host galaxies of quasars appears to decline noticeably nearing the LoNAL phase’s end and rejuvenates before the HiMini-BAL phase.

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Optical variability properties of mini-BAL and NAL quasars

Cited by 8 publications

References 63 publications

Collective Properties of Quasar Narrow Associated Absorption Lines

Collective Properties of Quasar Narrow Associated Absorption Lines

A Catalog of High-Velocity CIV Mini-BALs in the VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES Archives

Comprehensive Connection among the Quasars with Different Types of Outflow Absorption Lines

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