Successive line-locked C iv doublets in quasar SDSS J115122.14+020426.3

ABSTRACT Rodríguez Hidalgo et al. (2013, ApJ, 775, 14) have reported the transition of a C iv mini-broad absorption line (mini-BAL) into a BAL in quasar SDSS J115122.14+020426.3 (hereafter J1151+0204). Based on the two-epoch spectra obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we further investigate the three BAL systems (systems A, B and C) in J1151+0204. First, we confirm that the absorption-line variability in J1151+0204 is most likely caused by the change in ionization in response to the continuum variation, according to at least the following observational factors: coordinated strengthening is detected between multiple absorption troughs, and the continuum shows obvious weakening. According to photoionization simulations, asynchronized variability between the continuum and absorption lines indicates that the mini-BAL (system A) of J1151+0204 actually represents the state of a higher ionization level and lower C iv column density of the outflow, while its BAL identifies the state of a lower ionization level and higher C iv column density. Second, we find a rare case of a quintuple, which is due to four successive line-locked C iv doublets, within system C. This indicates that these outflow clouds have achieved a high degree of clumpiness, and that the radiative forces play a significant role in the acceleration process of these clumpy outflow clouds.

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Ionization-driven intrinsic absorption line variability of BAL quasars in the Stripe 82 region

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz947 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 486 (2) ◽

pp. 2379-2396 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M Vivek

Keyword(s):

Absorption Line ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Sloan Digital Sky Survey ◽

High Signal ◽

Broad Absorption Line ◽

Final Sample ◽

Sky Survey ◽

Saturation Effects ◽

The Continuum

Abstract We investigate the connection between the intrinsic C iv absorption line variability and the continuum flux changes of broad absorption line (BAL) quasars using a sample of 78 sources in the Stripe 82 region. The absorption trough variability parameters are measured using the archival multi-epoch spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the continuum flux variability parameters are estimated from the photometric light curves obtained by the SDSS and the Catalina Real-Time Survey surveys. We find evidence for weak correlations (ρs ∼ 0.3) between the intrinsic C iv absorption line variability and the quasar continuum variability for the final sample of 78 BAL quasars. The correlation strengths improve (ρs ∼ 0.5) for the ‘high-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)’ sample sources that have higher spectral SNR. Using two subsets of the high-SNR sample differing on the absorption trough depth, we find that the shallow-trough subset shows an even stronger correlation (ρs ∼ 0.6), whereas the deep-trough subset does not show any correlation between the absorption line variability and the continuum variability. These results point to the important role of saturation effects in the correlation between the absorption line variability and the continuum variability of BAL quasars. Considering other effects that can also smear the correlation, we conclude that the actual correlation between the absorption line and continuum variability is even stronger.

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Correlation between the ionizing continuum and the variable C iv broad absorption line in multi-epoch observations of SDSS J141007.74+541203.3

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz1454 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 487 (2) ◽

pp. 2818-2823 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hong-Yan Huang ◽

Cai-Juan Pan ◽

Wei-Jian Lu ◽

Yi-Ping Qin ◽

Ying-Ru Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Absorption Line ◽

Individual Case ◽

Sloan Digital Sky Survey ◽

Broad Absorption ◽

Quasar Absorption Lines ◽

Independent Evidence ◽

Broad Absorption Line ◽

Sky Survey ◽

Data Release ◽

The Continuum

Abstract Correlations between the variations of quasar absorption lines and the ionizing continuum have been confirmed recently in systematic studies. However, no convincing individual case is reported. We present a statistical analysis of the variable C iv broad absorption line (BAL) in the quasar SDSS J141007.74+541203.3, which has been observed with 44 epochs by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14. Grier et al. have concluded that the most likely cause of the variability of the BAL in SDSS J141007.74+541203.3 is a rapid response to changes in the incident ionizing continuum. In this paper, we confirm the anticorrelation between the equivalent width of BALs and the flux of the continuum based on the spectra of this quasar, which show significant variations. This serves as further independent evidence for the conclusions of Grier et al.

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