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The Spectra of Red Quasars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Paul J. Francis ,
Catherine L. Drake ,
Matthew T. Whiting ,
Michael J. Drinkwater  and
Rachel L. Webster
Paul J. Francis
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200; [email protected] Joint Appointment with the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Australian National University
Catherine L. Drake
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200; [email protected]
Matthew T. Whiting
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010; [email protected]
Michael J. Drinkwater
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010; [email protected]
Rachel L. Webster
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010; [email protected]
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Abstract

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We measure the spectral properties of a representative sub-sample of 187 quasars, drawn from the Parkes Half-Jansky, Flat-radio-spectrum Sample (PHFS). Quasars with a wide range of rest-frame optical/UV continuum slopes are included in the analysis: their colours range over 2 < B–K < 7. We present composite spectra of red and blue sub-samples of the PHFS quasars, and tabulate their emission line properties.

The median Hβ and [O III] emission line equivalent widths of the red quasar sub-sample are a factor of ten weaker than those of the blue quasar sub-sample. No significant differences are seen between the equivalent width distributions of the C IV, C III] and Mg II lines. Both the colours and the emission line equivalent widths of the red quasars can be explained by the addition of a featureless red synchrotron continuum component to an otherwise normal blue quasar spectrum. The red synchrotron component must have a spectrum at least as red as a power-law of the form Fυ α υ−2.8. The relative strengths of the blue and red components span two orders of magnitude at rest-frame 500 nm. The blue component is weaker relative to the red component in low optical luminosity sources. This suggests that the fraction of accretion energy going into optical emission from the jet is greater in lowluminosity quasars. This correlation between colour and luminosity may be of use in cosmological distance scale work.

This synchrotron model does not, however, fit ˜10% of the quasars, which have both red colours and high equivalent width emission lines.We hypothesise that these red, strong-lined quasars have intrinsically weak Big Blue Bumps.

There is no discontinuity in spectral properties between the BL Lac objects in our sample and the other quasars. BL Lac objects appear to be the red, low equivalent width tail of a continuous distribution. The synchrotron emission component only dominates the spectrum at longer wavelengths, so existing BL Lac surveys will be biased against high redshift objects. This will affect measurements of BL Lac evolution.

The blue PHFS quasars have significantly higher equivalent width C IV, Hβ and [O III] emission than a matched sample of optically selected QSOs.

Keywords

quasars: generalquasars: emissionlinesBL Lacertae objects: general
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , 2001 , pp. 221 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 2001

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