Quasar broad absorption line variability measurements using reconstructions of unabsorbed spectra

Conor Wildy (5297188)
Michael R. Goad (7580096)
J. T. Allen (7669577)

Publication date

January 2014

Abstract

We present a two-epoch Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Gemini/GMOS+William Herschel Telescope/ISIS variability study of 50 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars of redshift range 1.9 < z<4.2, containing 38 Si IV and 59 C IV BALs and spanning rest-frame time intervals of ≈10 months to 3.7 years. We find that 35/50 quasars exhibit one or more variable BALs, with 58 per cent of Si IV and 46 per cent of C IVBALs showing variability across the entire sample. On average, Si IV BALs show larger fractional change in BAL pseudo-equivalent width than C IV BALs, as referenced to an unabsorbed continuum+emission line spectrum constructed using non-negative matrix factorization. No correlation is found between BAL variability and quasar luminosity, suggestin...

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Quasar broad absorption line variability measurements using reconstructions of unabsorbed spectra

Abstract

Extracted data

Quasar broad absorption line variability measurements using reconstructions of unabsorbed spectra

Abstract

Extracted data

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