Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing
| Title: | Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Hutsemékers, Damien, Sluse, Dominique |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Collection: | Astrophysics |
| Subject Terms: | Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| More Details: | Microlensing by stars in the lens galaxy of a gravitationally lensed quasar is a phenomenon that can selectively magnify quasar subregions, producing observable changes in the continuum brightness or distortions in the emission line profiles. Hence, microlensing allows us to probe the inner quasar regions. In this paper, we report measurements of the ratio of the broad emission line region (BLR) radius to the continuum source radius in eight lensed quasars, for the CIV, MgII, and H$\alpha$ emission lines and their respective underlying continua at $\lambda\lambda$ 1550\AA , 2800\AA , and 6563 \AA . The microlensing-induced line profile distortions and continuum magnifications were observed in the same single-epoch datasets, and simultaneously compared with microlensing simulations. We found that, on average, the inner radius of the BLR starts at the end of the UV-optical continuum source, independently of the line ionization and the wavelength of the continuum. The half-light radius of the BLR is, on average, a factor of six larger than the half-light radius of the continuum source, independently of the quasar's bolometric luminosity. We also found a correlation between the BLR radius and the continuum source radius, supporting the idea that the dominant contribution to the UV-optical continuum may come from the BLR itself. Our results independently confirm the results of reverberation mapping studies, and extend them to higher-redshift, higher-luminosity quasars. Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| Document Type: | Working Paper |
| Access URL: | http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08313 |
| Accession Number: | edsarx.2502.08313 |
| Database: | arXiv |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08313 Name: EDS - Arxiv Category: fullText Text: View this record from Arxiv MouseOverText: View this record from Arxiv – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/xy5jbn/result?sid=EBSCO:edsarx&genre=article&issn=&ISBN=&volume=&issue=&date=20250212&spage=&pages=&title=Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing&atitle=Evidence%20of%20a%20diffuse%2C%20extended%20continuum%20source%20in%20quasars%20from%20the%20relative%20sizes%20of%20the%20broad%20line%20region%20and%20the%20UV-optical%20continuum%20source%20measured%20with%20microlensing&aulast=Hutsem%C3%A9kers%2C%20Damien&id=DOI: Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (s8985755) Category: fullText Text: Find It @ SCU Libraries MouseOverText: Find It @ SCU Libraries |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: edsarx DbLabel: arXiv An: edsarx.2502.08313 RelevancyScore: 1147 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 1146.56457519531 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hutsemékers%2C+Damien%22">Hutsemékers, Damien</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sluse%2C+Dominique%22">Sluse, Dominique</searchLink> – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Year Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: Subset Label: Collection Group: HoldingsInfo Data: Astrophysics – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Astrophysics+-+Astrophysics+of+Galaxies%22">Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Description Group: Ab Data: Microlensing by stars in the lens galaxy of a gravitationally lensed quasar is a phenomenon that can selectively magnify quasar subregions, producing observable changes in the continuum brightness or distortions in the emission line profiles. Hence, microlensing allows us to probe the inner quasar regions. In this paper, we report measurements of the ratio of the broad emission line region (BLR) radius to the continuum source radius in eight lensed quasars, for the CIV, MgII, and H$\alpha$ emission lines and their respective underlying continua at $\lambda\lambda$ 1550\AA , 2800\AA , and 6563 \AA . The microlensing-induced line profile distortions and continuum magnifications were observed in the same single-epoch datasets, and simultaneously compared with microlensing simulations. We found that, on average, the inner radius of the BLR starts at the end of the UV-optical continuum source, independently of the line ionization and the wavelength of the continuum. The half-light radius of the BLR is, on average, a factor of six larger than the half-light radius of the continuum source, independently of the quasar's bolometric luminosity. We also found a correlation between the BLR radius and the continuum source radius, supporting the idea that the dominant contribution to the UV-optical continuum may come from the BLR itself. Our results independently confirm the results of reverberation mapping studies, and extend them to higher-redshift, higher-luminosity quasars.<br />Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Working Paper – Name: URL Label: Access URL Group: URL Data: <link linkTarget="URL" linkTerm="http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08313" linkWindow="_blank">http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08313</link> – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: edsarx.2502.08313 |
| PLink | https://login.libproxy.scu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&scope=site&db=edsarx&AN=edsarx.2502.08313 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Subjects: – SubjectFull: Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hutsemékers, Damien – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sluse, Dominique IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 12 M: 02 Type: published Y: 2025 |
| ResultId | 1 |