Characterisation of the continuum and kinematical properties of nearby NLS1

Abstract

Aims. In order to study the slope and strength of the non-stellar continuum, we analysed a sample from nearby Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1). Also, we re-examined the location of NLS1 galaxies on the MBH − σ⋆ relation, using the stellar velocity dispersion and the [OIII]λ5007 emission line as a surrogate of the former. Methods. We studied spectra of a sample of 131 NLS1 galaxies taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. We approached determining the non-stellar continuum by employing the spectral synthesis technique, which uses the code STARLIGHT, and by adopting a power-law base to model the non-stellar continuum. Composite spectra of NLS1 galaxies were also obtained based on the sample. In addition, we obtained the stellar velocity dispersion from the code and by measuring Calcium II Triplet absorption lines and [OIII] emission lines. From Gaussian decomposition of the Hβ profile we calculated the black hole mass. Results. We obtained a median slope of β = −1.6 with a median fraction of contribution of the non-stellar continuum to the total flux of 0.64. We determined black hole masses in the range of log(MBH/M⊙) = 5.6–7.5, which is in agreement with previous works. We found a correlation between the luminosity of the broad component of Hβ and black hole mass with the fraction of a power-law component. Finally, according to our results, NLS1 galaxies in our sample are located mostly underneath the MBH − σ⋆ relation, both considering the stellar velocity dispersion (σ⋆) and the core component of [OIII]λ5007.