We present an analysis of the variability of broad absorption lines (BALs) in a quasar SDSS J141955.26+522741.1 at $z=2.145$ with 72 observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 16 (SDSS DR16). The strong correlation between the equivalent widths of BAL and the continuum luminosity, reveals that the variation of BAL trough is dominated by the photoionization. The photoionization model predicts that when the time interval $ΔT$ between two observations is longer than the recombination timescale $t_{\rm rec}$, the BAL variations can be detected. This can be characterized as a "sharp rise" in the detection rate of BAL variation at $ΔT=t_{\rm rec}$. For the first time, we detect such a "sharp rise" signature in the detection rate of BAL variations. As a result, we propose that the $t_{\rm rec}$ can be obtained from the "sharp rise" of the detection rate of BAL variation. It is worth mentioning that the BAL variations are detected at the time-intervals less than the $t_{\rm rec}$ for half an order of magnitude in two individual troughs. This result indicates that there may be multiple components with different $t_{\rm rec}$ but the same velocity in an individual trough.
Announcing the release v7.2 of the Milliquas (Million Quasars) catalogue which presents all published quasars to 30 April 2021, including VLASS radio associations for the first time, and concluding the audit of quasars from SDSS-DR16Q and earlier SDSS releases. The totals are 829666 classified type-I QSOs/AGN, 703348 quasar candidates of 60%-100% pQSO, plus type-II objects and blazars which bring the total count to 1573824. Radio and/or X-ray associations, including probable double radio lobes, are shown for 333638 entries. Gaia-DR2 astrometry is given for most objects, as available. The catal…
The SDSS-DR16 Quasar Superset and pipeline catalogues are searched for undeclared quasars which were concealed by or confused with other objects, usually due to incomplete deblending. Forty such quasars with redshifts are found and herewith presented. Also, 82 entries in the SDSS-DR16Q main quasar catalogue are shown to be non-quasars, some also due to incomplete deblending, especially "line poachers". Other non-quasars are shown to be star spikes or moving stars or other types, and 7 new quasars are identified from analysis of "unplugged" spectra. These numbers are tiny compared with the mill…
In the manuscript, we discuss properties of SDSS J1451+2709, a normal blue quasar but mis-classified as a HII galaxy in the BPT diagram (called as a mis-classified quasar). The emission lines around H$α$ and H$β$ are well measured by different model functions with broad Balmer lines being described by Gaussian or Lorentz functions, in the SDSS spectrum in 2007 and in the KPNO spectrum in 1990. After considering variations of broad emission lines, different model functions lead to different fluxes of narrow emission lines, but the different narrow emission line flux ratios lead the SDSS J1451+2…
In the manuscript, the blue quasar SDSS J105816.19+544310.2 (=SDSS J1058+5443) at redshift 0.479 is reported as so-far the best candidate of true type-2 quasar with disappearance of central BLRs. There are so-far no definite conclusions on the very existence of true type-2 AGN, mainly due to detected optical broad emission lines in high quality spectra of some previously classified candidates of true type-2 AGN. Here, not similar as previous reported candidates for true type-2 AGN among narrow emission-line galaxies with weak AGN activities but strong stellar lights, the definite blue quasar S…
We analyze the VLT/UVES spectrum of the quasar SDSS J143907.5-010616.7, retrieved from the UVES Spectral Quasar Absorption Database. We identify two outflow systems in the spectrum: a mini broad absorption line (mini-BAL) system and a narrow absorption line (NAL) system. We measure the ionic column densities of the mini-BAL ($v=-1550$ km s$^{-1}$) outflow, which has excited state absorption troughs of Fe II. We determine that the electron number density $\log{n_e}=3.4^{+0.1}_{-0.1}$ based on the ratios between the excited and ground state abundances of Fe II, and find the kinetic luminosity of…
We present multi object optical spectroscopy of the galaxies in the environment of 12 low-redshift (z < 0.5) quasars and of 11 inactive massive galaxies chosen to match the properties of the quasar host galaxies to probe physical association and possible events of recent star formation. The quasars are selected from a sample of QSOs in the SDSS Stripe82 region for which both the host galaxy and the large scale environments were previously investigated. The new observations complement those reported in our previous works on close companion galaxies of nearby quasars. For the whole dataset we fi…
We present a well-designed sample of more than 1000 type 1 quasars at $3.5<z<5$ and derive UV quasar luminosity functions (QLFs) in this redshift range. These quasars were selected using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging data in SDSS Stripe 82 and overlap regions with repeat imaging observations. They are about one magnitude fainter than those found using the SDSS single-epoch data. The spectroscopic observations were conducted by the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) as one of the BOSS ancillary programs. This quasar sample reaches $i\sim21.5$ mag and bridges p…
We analyze VLT/UVES observations of the quasar SDSS J024221.87+004912.6. We identify four absorption outflow systems: a CIV BAL at $v\approx -18,000 \text{ km s}^{-1}$, and three narrower low-ionization systems with centroid velocities ranging from -1200 to -3500 km s$^{-1}$. These outflows show similar physical attributes to the [OIII] outflows studied by arXiv:1305.6922. We find that two of the systems are energetic enough to contribute to AGN feedback, with one system reaching above 5% of the quasar's Eddington luminosity. We also find that this system is at a distance of 67 kpc away from t…
Extremely variable quasars (EVQs) are a population of sources showing large optical photometric variability revealed by time-domain surveys. The physical origin of such extreme variability is yet unclear. In this first paper of a series, we construct the largest-ever sample of 14,012 EVQs using photometric data spanning over $>$ 15 years from SDSS and Pan-STARRS1. We divide them into five sub-samples according to the relative brightness of an EVQ during SDSS spectroscopic observation compared to the mean brightness from photometric observations. Corresponding control samples of normal quasars …
We report, for the first time, a synchronized velocity shift of Mg II and Al III broad absorption lines (BALs) in quasar SDSS J134444.33+315007.6 (hereafter J1344+3150). We found this quasar from a sample of 134 Mg II BAL quasars with multi-epoch observations. This quasar contains three low-ionization BAL systems, the fastest of which at $\sim$$-17, 000\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ shows a kinematic shift of $\sim$$-1101\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ and $\sim$$-1170\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ in its Mg II and Al III ions, respectively, during a rest-frame time of about 3.21 yr. Meanwhile, this quasar also shows other various v…
A survey of luminous high-redshift quasars with SDSS and WISE. I. target selection and optical spectroscopy
高红移类星体是早期宇宙结构和演化的重要示踪物。然而，它们是非常罕见的，很难找到时，使用颜色选择，因为污染的晚型矮星。仅基于光学颜色的高红移类星体巡天观测存在着不完整性和低识别效率的问题，特别是在$z\gtrsim4.5$上。我们已经开发出一种新的方法来选择$4.7\lesssim z \lesssim 5.4$类星体与高效率和完整性相结合的光学和中红外宽视场红外巡天探测器（WISE）光度数据，并正在进行一个发光的$z\sim5$类星体调查在整个斯隆数字巡天（SDSS）的足迹。在110个$z$带星等大于19.5的候选天体中，我们观测到了99个，其中64个（64.6%）是红移为$4.4\lesssim z \lesssim 5.5$、绝对星等为$-29\lesssim M_{1450} \lesssim -26.4$的类星体。此外，我们还观测到了14个较暗的候选天体，并利用$4.7<z<5.4$确定了其中8个（57.1%）为类星体。在72个新发现的类星体中，有12个位于$5.2 < z < 5.7$，这使得在这个红移范围内的类星体数量增加了36%.更重要的是，我们的鉴定使具有$z>4.5$的$M_{1450}<-27.5$的类星体数量增加了一倍，这将对类星体光度函数的亮端设置强约束。我们还扩展了我们的方法，选择类星体在$z\gtrsim5.7$。本文报道了基于SDSS-WISE选择的四…
Investigation of quasar emission line properties and relationships between spectral parameters is important for understanding the physical mechanisms that originate inside different regions of the active galactic nuclei. In this paper, we investigate the optical spectral parameters of type 1 quasars taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 Quasar Catalog (arXiv:1006.5178 [astro-ph.CO]). Spectral parameters, such are equivalent widths and full widths at half maximum of both narrow and broad lines are taken into account. We perform the analysis of correlation matrix and principal c…
We used 3.1 million spectroscopically labelled sources from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to train an optimised random forest classifier using photometry from the SDSS and the Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). We applied this machine learning model to 111 million previously unlabelled sources from the SDSS photometric catalogue which did not have existing spectroscopic observations. Our new catalogue contains 50.4 million galaxies, 2.1 million quasars, and 58.8 million stars. We provide individual classification probabilities for each source, with 6.7 million galaxies (13%), 0.3…
We present optical spectroscopy of the close companions of 22 low redshift (z<0.5) quasars (QSO) selected from a larger sample of QSO in the SDSS Stripe82 region for which both the host galaxy and the large scale environments have been investigated in our previous work. The new observations extend the number of QSO studied in our previous paper on close companion galaxies of 12 quasars. Our analysis here covers all 34 quasars from both this work and the previously published paper. We find that half of them (15 QSO; $\sim$44%) have at least one associated galaxy. Many (12 galaxies; $\sim$67%) o…
We report a synchronized kinematic shift of CIV and SiIV broad absorption lines (BAL) in a high-ionization, radio-loud, and X-ray bright quasar SDSS-J092345+512710 (at $z_{em} \sim 2.1627$). This quasar shows two broad absorption components (blue component at $v \sim 14,000\ km\ s^{-1}$, and red component at $v \sim 4,000\ km\ s^{-1}$ with respect to the quasars systemic redshift). The absorption profiles of CIV and SiIV BAL of the blue component show decrease in outflow velocity with an average deceleration rate of $-1.62_{-0.05}^{+0.04}\ cm\ s^{-2}$ and $-1.14^{+0.21}_{-0.22}\ cm\ s^{-2}$ ov…
Environment of SDSS quasars at $z=0.4$$-$$1.0$ explored by Subaru HSC
Ehime University（爱媛大学）；Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution, Ehime University（爱媛大学宇宙演化研究中心）；Amanogawa Galaxy Astronomy Research Center, Kagoshima University（鹿儿大学银河天文学研究中心）；National Astronomical Observatory of Japan（日本国立天文台）；Department of Advanced Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Hosei University（法政大学理工学部先进科学系）；School of Science, Kwansei Gakuin University（关西学院大学理学部）；Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University（东北大学天文研究所）；Department of Physical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University（立命馆大学物理科学系）；Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics（中央研究院天文及天文物理研究所）
Broad absorption line (BAL) features in quasar spectra reveal an unambiguous signature of energetic outflows from central supermassive black holes, and thus BAL quasars are prime targets for investigating the potential process of luminous quasar feedback on galaxies. We analyzed the rest-UV spectrum of an "overlapping trough" iron low-ionization broad absorption line quasar (FeLoBAL) SDSS J135246.37+423923.5 using the novel spectral synthesis code SimBAL (Leighly et al. 2018) and discovered an extraordinarily fast and energetic BAL outflow. Our analysis revealed outflow velocities reaching $\s…
We use the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 Survey (Pan-STARRS1, PS1) data to extend the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 quasar light curves. Combining PS1 and SDSS light curves provides a 15 yr baseline for 9248 quasars - 5 yr longer than prior studies that used only SDSS. We fit the light curves with the damped random walk (DRW) model model - a statistical description of their variability. We correlate the resulting DRW model parameters: asymptotic variability amplitude SF$_{\infty}$, and characteristic timescale $τ$, with quasar physical properties - black ho…
Discovery and first models of the quadruply lensed quasar SDSS J1433+6007
我们报告发现的四倍透镜类星体J1433+6007，在SDSS DR 12光度星表使用一种新的离群选择技术，没有事先光谱或紫外线过量的信息。在北欧光学望远镜（NOT，La Palma）获得的发现数据显示，在$z_s=2.74$上有几乎相同的类星体光谱，还有四张折叠配置的类星体图像，其中一张位于蓝色弧上。偏折器红移为$z_{l}=0.407,$。我们描述的选择程序，发现和后续行动，图像的位置和$BVRi$的大小，并从简单的镜头模型的第一个结果和预测。
Disclosing the Radio Loudness Distribution Dichotomy in Quasars: An Unbiased Monte Carlo Approach Applied to the SDSS-FIRST Quasar Sample
我们调查的二分法的射电响度分布的类星体通过模拟他们的无线电发射和各种选择的影响，使用蒙特卡罗方法。两个物理上不同的类星体群体的存在，射电响亮和射电安静类星体，是有争议的，在过去的十年中，类星体射电响度的双峰分布既被肯定又有争议。我们用简单的单峰和双峰分布函数模拟类星体的射电光度分布。将得到的模拟样本与从SDSS DR 7类星体目录中提取的8，300个类星体的基准样本进行比较，并与FIRST调查的射电观测相结合。我们的研究结果表明，SDSS-FIRST样本最好由两个分量组成的无线电响度分布来描述，其中12+/-1%的源位于无线电响度分量中。另一方面，在响度分布（双峰）的局部最小值的证据并不强，我们发现，以前的索赔，其存在可能受到影响的第一次调查的不完整性接近其微弱的限制。我们还调查了红移和亮度依赖的射电响度分布，并发现初步证据表明，在高红移射电响亮类星体是罕见的，平均“响亮”，并表现出较小的范围内的射电响度。与最近的其他工作一致，我们得出结论，SDSS-FIRST样本强烈表明类星体的射电响度分布不是一个普适函数，需要比这里提出的更复杂的模型来充分解释现有的观测结果。
Given their extremely large distances and small apparent sizes, quasars are generally considered as objects with near-zero parallax and proper motion. However, some special quasars may have abnormal astrometric characteristics, such as quasar pairs, lensed quasars, AGNs with bright parsec-scale optical jets, which are scientifically interesting objects, such as binary black holes. These quasars may come with astrometric jitter detectable with Gaia data, or significant changes in the position at different wavelengths. In this work, we aim to find these quasar candidates from Gaia EDR3 astrometr…
We present CO(1--0) observations of the high-redshift quasar SDSS J160705+533558 ($z=3.653$) using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We detect CO emission associated with the quasar and at $\sim16.8\,\rm kpc$ projected distance from it, separated by $\sim800\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ in velocity. The total molecular gas mass of this system is $\sim5\times10^{10}\,\rm M_{\odot}$. By comparing our CO detections with previous submillimetre (submm) observations of the source, an offset between the different emission components is revealed: the peak of the submm emission is offset from the quasar a…
Identification of SDSSJ141324.27+530527.0 as A New "Changing-Look" Quasar with a "Turn-on" Transition
本文通过对比我们新的光谱观测和斯隆数字巡天（SDSS）存档数据库，确认了位于$z=0.456344$的SDSSJ 141324 +530527.0（SBS 1411 +533）是一个新的类星体，其光谱类型在1-10年的静止帧时间尺度内从1.9/2型转变为1型。在2003年拍摄的SDSS DR 7光谱中，主星系的星光发射主要是向巴耳末极限的红色方向，并且具有不可检测的宽H $β$线。我们在2017年6月1日拍摄的新光谱和2017年5月29日拍摄的SDSS DR 14光谱表明，该物体是一个典型的类星体光谱，具有蓝色连续谱和强巴耳末宽发射线。此外，在2015年拍摄的SDSS DR 13光谱中可以识别出中间光谱类型。MgII $\lambda2800$发射线翼的不变性和时标参数（[OIII] $λ$ 5007线蓝色不对称的不变性）表明，遮蔽的变化（加速外流）不是一个有利的方案。时间尺度的论点使我们相信，类型转变可能是由粘性径向流入或磁盘不稳定性周围的$\sim5-9\times10^{7}M_\odot$黑洞。
Quasars that exhibit blue-shifted, broad absorption lines (BAL QSOs) are an important probe of black hole feedback on galaxy evolution. Yet the presence of BALs is also a complication for large, spectroscopic surveys that use quasars as cosmological probes because the BAL features can affect redshift measurements and contaminate information about the matter distribution in the Lyman-$α$ forest. We present a new BAL QSO catalog for quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 14 (DR14). As the SDSS DR14 quasar catalog has over 500,000 quasars, we have developed an automated BAL c…
