Constraining the geometry and kinematics of the quasar broad emission line region using gravitational microlensing

Gravitational microlensing is a powerful tool allowing one to probe the structure of quasars on sub-parsec scale. We report recent results, focusing on the broad absorption and emission line regions. In particular microlensing reveals the intrinsic absorption hidden in the P Cygni-type line profiles observed in the broad absorption line quasar H1413+117, as well as the existence of an extended continuum source. In addition, polarization microlensing provides constraints on the scattering region. In the quasar Q2237+030, microlensing differently distorts the H$\alpha$ and CIV broad emission line profiles, indicating that the low- and high-ionization broad emission lines must originate from regions with distinct kinematical properties. We also present simulations of the effect of microlensing on line profiles considering simple but representative models of the broad emission line region. Comparison of observations to simulations allows us to conclude that the H$\alpha$ emitting region in Q2237+030 is best represented by a Keplerian disk.

The quadruply lensed quasar HE0435−1223 shows a clear microlensing effect that affects differently the blue and red wings of the Hα line profile in its image D. To interpret these observations, and constrain the broad emission line region (BLR) properties, the effect of gravitational microlensing on quasar broad emission line profiles and their underlying continuum has been simulated considering representative BLR models and microlensing magnification maps. The amplification and distortion of the Hα line profile, characterized by a set of four indices, can be reproduced by the simulations. Although the constraints on the BLR models set by the observed single-epoch microlensing signal are not very robust, we found that flattened geometries (Keplerian disk and equatorial wind) can more easily reproduce the observed line profile deformations than a biconical polar wind. With an additional independent constraint on the size of the continuum source, the Keplerian disk model of the Hα BLR is slightly favored.

Microlensing-induced distortions of broad emission line profiles observed in the spectra of gravitationally lensed quasars can be used to probe the size, geometry, and kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR). To this end, single-epoch Mg II or Hα line profile distortions observed in five gravitationally lensed quasars, J1131-1231, J1226-0006, J1355-2257, J1339+1310, and HE0435-1223, have been compared with simulated ones. The simulations are based on three BLR models, a Keplerian disk (KD), an equatorial wind (EW), and a polar wind (PW), with different sizes, inclinations, and emissivities. The models that best reproduce the observed line profile distortions were identified using a Bayesian probabilistic approach. We find that the wide variety of observed line profile distortions can be reproduced with microlensing-induced distortions of line profiles generated by our BLR models. For J1131, J1226, and HE0435, the most likely model for the Mg II and Hα BLRs is either KD or EW, depending on the orientation of the magnification map with respect to the BLR axis. This shows that the line profile distortions depend on the position and orientation of the isovelocity parts of the BLR with respect to the caustic network, and not only on their different effective sizes. For the Mg II BLRs in J1355 and J1339, the EW model is preferred. For all objects, the PW model has a lower probability. As for the high-ionization C IV BLR, we conclude that disk geometries with kinematics dominated by either Keplerian rotation or equatorial outflow best reproduce the microlensing effects on the low-ionization Mg II and Hα emission line profiles. The half-light radii of the Mg II and Hα BLRs are measured in the range of 3 to 25 light-days. We also confirm that the size of the region emitting the low-ionization lines is larger than the region emitting the high-ionization lines, with a factor of four measured between the sizes of the Mg II and C IV emitting regions in J1339. Unexpectedly, the microlensing BLR radii of the Mg II and Hα BLRs are found to be systematically below the radius-luminosity (R − L) relations derived from reverberation mapping, confirming that the intrinsic dispersion of the BLR radii with respect to the R − L relations is large, but also revealing a selection bias that affects microlensing-based BLR size measurements. This bias arises from the fact that, if microlensing-induced line profile distortions are observed in a lensed quasar, the BLR radius should be comparable to the microlensing Einstein radius, which varies only weakly with typical lens and source redshifts.

J1004+4112 is a lensed quasar for which the first broad emission line profile deformations due to microlensing were identified. Detailed interpretations of these features have nevertheless remained controversial. Based on 15 spectra obtained from 2003 to 2018, in this work, we revisit the microlensing effect that distorts the C IV broad emission line profile in J1004+4112. We take advantage of recent measurements of the image macro-magnification ratios, along with the fact that at one epoch, image B was not microlensed, thus constituting a reference spectrum to unambiguously characterize the microlensing effect observed in image A. After disentangling the microlensing in images A and B, we show that the microlensing-induced line profile distortions in image A, although variable, are remarkably similar over a period of 15 years. We find they are characterized by a strong magnification of the blue part of the line profile, a strong demagnification of the red part of the line profile, and a small-to-negligible demagnification of the line core. We used the microlensing effect, characterized by either the full magnification profile of the C IV emission line or a set of four integrated indices, to constrain the broad emission-line region (BLR) size, geometry, and kinematics. For this purpose, we modeled the deformation of the emission lines considering three simple, representative BLR models: a Keplerian disk, an equatorial wind, and a biconical polar wind, with various inclinations with respect to the line of sight. We find that the observed magnification profile of the C IV emission line in J1004+4112 can be reproduced with the simple BLR models we considered, without the need for more complex BLR features. The magnification appears dominated by the position of the BLR with respect to the caustic network – and not by the velocity-dependent size of the BLR. The favored models for the C IV BLR are either the Keplerian disk or the equatorial wind, depending on the orientation of the BLR axis with respect to the caustic network. We also find that the polar wind model can be discarded. We measured the C IV BLR half-light radius as r1/2=2.8−1.7+2.0 light-days. This value is smaller than the BLR radius expected from the radius-luminosity relation derived from reverberation mapping, but it is still in reasonable agreement given the large uncertainties.

With the detection of black hole mergers by the LIGO gravitational wave telescope, there has been increasing interest in the possibility that dark matter may be in the form of solar mass primordial black holes. One of the predictions implicit in this idea is that compact clouds in the broad emission line regions of high-redshift quasars will be microlensed, leading to changes in line structure and the appearance of new emission features. In this paper, the effect of microlensing on the broad emission line region is reviewed by reference to gravitationally lensed quasar systems where microlensing of the emission lines can be unambiguously identified. It is then shown that although changes in Seyfert galaxy line profiles occur on time-scales of a few years, they are too nearby for a significant chance that they could be microlensed, and are plausibly attributed to intrinsic changes in line structure. In contrast, in a sample of 53 high-redshift quasars, 9 quasars show large changes in line profile at a rate consistent with microlensing. These changes occur on a time-scale an order of magnitude too short for changes associated with the dynamics of the emission line region. The main conclusion of the paper is that the observed changes in quasar emission line profiles are consistent with microlensing by a population of solar mass compact bodies making up the dark matter, although other explanations like intrinsic variability are possible. Such bodies are most plausibly identified as primordial black holes.

Microlensing of the broad emission line region (BLR) in gravitationally lensed quasars produces line profile distortions that can be used to probe the BLR size, geometry, and kinematics. Based on single-epoch spectroscopic data, we analyzed the C IV line profile distortions due to microlensing in two quasars, SDSS J133907.13+131039.6 (J1339) and SDSS J113803.73+031457.7 (J1138), complementing previous studies of microlensing in the quasars Q2237+0305 and J1004+4112. J1339 shows a strong, asymmetric line profile deformation, while J1138 shows a more modest, symmetric deformation, confirming the rich diversity of microlensing-induced spectral line deformations. To probe the C IV BLR, we compared the observed line profile deformations to simulated ones. The simulations are based on three simple BLR models, a Keplerian disk (KD), an equatorial wind (EW), and a polar wind (PW), of various sizes, inclinations, and emissivities. These models were convolved with microlensing magnification maps specific to the microlensed quasar images, which produced a large number of distorted line profiles. The models that best reproduce the observed line profile deformations were then identified using a Bayesian probabilistic approach. We find that the line profile deformations can be reproduced with the simple BLR models under consideration, with no need for more complex geometries or kinematics. The models with disk geometries (KD and EW) are preferred, while the PW model is definitely less likely. In J1339, the EW model is favored, while the KD model is preferred in Q2237+0305, suggesting that various kinematical models can dominate the C IV BLR. For J1339, we find the C IV BLR half-light radii to be r1/2 = 5.1−2.9+4.6 light-days and r1/2 = 6.7−3.8+6.0 light-days from spectra obtained in 2014 and 2017, respectively. They do agree within uncertainties. For J1138, the amplitude of microlensing is smaller and more dependent on the macro-magnification factor. From spectra obtained in 2005 (single epoch), we find r1/2 = 4.9−2.7+4.9 light-days and r1/2 = 12−8+13 light-days for two extreme values of the macro-magnification factor. Combining these new measurements with those previously obtained for the quasars Q2237+0305 and J1004+4112, we show that the BLR radii estimated from microlensing do follow the C IV radius–luminosity relation obtained from reverberation mapping, although the microlensing radii seem to be systematically smaller, which could indicate either a selection bias or a real offset.

In this manuscript, an interesting blue active galactic nuclei (AGNs) SDSS J154751.94+025550 (=SDSS J1547) is reported with very different line profiles of broad Balmer emission lines: double-peaked broad H β but single-peaked broad H α. SDSS J1547 is the first AGN with detailed discussions on very different line profiles of the broad Balmer emission lines, besides the simply mentioned different broad lines in the candidate for a binary black hole (BBH) system in SDSS J0159+0105. The very different line profiles of the broad Balmer emission lines can be well explained by different physical conditions to two central BLRs in a central BBH system in SDSS J1547. Furthermore, the long-term light curve from CSS can be well described by a sinusoidal function with a periodicity about 2159 d, providing further evidence to support the expected central BBH system in SDSS J1547. Therefore, it is interesting to treat different line profiles of broad Balmer emission lines as intrinsic indicators of central BBH systems in broad line AGN. Under assumptions of BBH systems, 0.125 per cent of broad-line AGN can be expected to have very different line profiles of broad Balmer emission lines. Future study on more broad line AGN with very different line profiles of broad Balmer emission lines could provide further clues on the different line profiles of broad Balmer emission lines as indicator of BBH systems.

Blueshifts – or, more accurately, blue asymmetries – in broad emission lines such as C iv λ1550 are common in luminous quasars and correlate with fundamental properties such as Eddington ratio and broad absorption line (BAL) characteristics. However, the formation of these blueshifts is still not understood, and neither is their physical connection to the BAL phenomenon or accretion disc. In this work, we present Monte Carlo radiative transfer and photoionization simulations using parametrized biconical disc-wind models. We take advantage of the azimuthal symmetry of a quasar and show that we can reproduce C iv blueshifts provided that (i) the disc-mid-plane is optically thick out to radii beyond the line formation region, so that the receding wind bicone is obscured; and (ii) the system is viewed from relatively low (that is, more face-on) inclinations (≲40°). We show that C iv emission-line blueshifts and BALs can form in the same wind structure. The velocity profile of the wind has a significant impact on the location of the line formation region and the resulting line profile, suggesting that the shape of the emission lines can be used as a probe of wind-driving physics. While we are successful at producing blueshifts/blue asymmetries in outflows, we struggle to match the detailed shape or skew of the observed emission-line profiles. In addition, our models produce redshifted emission-line asymmetries for certain viewing angles. We discuss our work in the context of the C iv λ1550 emission blueshift versus equivalent-width space and explore the implications for quasar disc wind physics.

Gravitational microlensing by stars in galaxies can affect the continuum flux observed from quasars, but it is usually assumed that the size of the broad emission line region (BLR) is too large to be considerably magnified (or demagnified) by stellar-mass lenses. Although this is true, this does not mean that the radiation from the BLR is unaffected by microlensing. If the BLR has intrinsic structure (such as a large-scale velocity field), parts of it can be stronger magnified than others, leading to an influence on the resulting line profile. Whereas the changes of the line profile by microlensing will be too small to be detectable in a single quasar spectrum, a comparison of the same line in different images of a multiply imaged quasar can yield differences, which (with consideration of a possible difference in the light-travel time between these images) can be attributed to the action of microlensing in one (or more) of the images.

Line profile distortions are commonly observed in gravitationally lensed quasar spectra. These distortions are caused by microlensing from the stars in the lensing galaxy, which produce differential magnification of spatially and kinematically separated parts of the broad line region (BLR). The quasi-simultaneous visible and near-infrared spectroscopy of the lensed quasar Q2237+0305 reveals strong microlensing-induced line deformations in the high-ionization C IVλ1549 Å and the low-ionization Hα emission lines. We use this effect to constrain the BLR size, geometry, and kinematics in Q2237+0305. For this purpose, we modeled the deformation of the emission lines for three representative BLR models: a Keplerian disk, an equatorial wind, and a biconical polar wind. We considered various inclinations with respect to the line of sight. We find that the observed microlensing effect, characterized by a set of four indices, can only be reproduced by a subsample of the considered BLR models. The microlensing analysis favors a Keplerian disk model for the regions emitting the C IV and the Hα emission lines. A polar wind model remains possible for the C IV BLR, although it is less likely. The equatorial wind model is totally excluded. A preferred inclination of the BLR of 40° is found, in agreement with expectations for a type 1 AGN and past constraints on the accretion disk inclination. The half-light radius of the BLR is r1/2 ≃ 47 ± 19 light-days, with no significant difference between the C IV and Hα BLRs. The size of the C IV BLR agrees with the radius-luminosity relation derived from reverberation mapping, while the size of the Balmer line BLR is one order of magnitude smaller, possibly revealing different quasar properties at high luminosities and high accretion rates.

This year marks the 60^th anniversary of quasar discovery in 1963. The kinematics of gaseous clouds in quasars have been the subject of decades-long debate, focusing on two modelsrotation and blowing-wind. The rotation model, wherein gaseous clouds orbit black holes, is widely accepted by astronomers and frequently used to measure supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses in quasars. Another model is blowing-wind model, in which the gaseous clouds are outflows and in linear motion toward all directions. Our study creatively employs the quasar absorption line technique, utilizing atomic hydrogen Balmer absorption lines for identification, especially during eclipses of inner emitting clouds. The ambiguous presence of hydrogen Balmer absorption lines hints at massive eclipse clouds near central black holes, but detection is hindered by obscuration from dusty tori outside the broad emission line-producing region. We conduct an intensive survey among million quasars in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and acquire a small sample of quasars with hydrogen Balmer absorptions on their spectra. Three quasars exhibit significant variabilities over a decade, contradicting the blowing-wind model, which predicts constant motion along the line of sight with no absorption variabilities. The discovery servers as the direct observation evidence for the rotation model of broad emission lines in quasars. Rotation velocities of eclipse clouds, consistent with expected velocities of emission line clouds, confirm homology between absorption and emission clouds.

Cerenkov Line-like Radiation and the Origin of Broad Emission Lines in Quasars

We studied the spectra of six $z \sim 2.2$ quasars obtained with the X-shooter spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. The redshift of these sources and X-shooter's spectral coverage allow us to cover the rest spectral range $\sim1200 - 7000$\AA\ for the simultaneous detection of optical and ultraviolet lines emitted by the Broad Line Region. Simultaneous measurements, avoiding issues related to quasars variability, help us understanding the connection between different Broad Line Region line profiles generally used as virial estimators of Black Holes masses in quasars. The goal of this work is comparing the emission lines from the same object to check on the reliability of H$\alpha$, MgII and CIV with respect to H$\beta$. H$\alpha$ and MgII linewidths correlate well with H$\beta$, while CIV shows a poorer correlation, due to the presence of strong blueshifts and asymmetries in the profile. We compare our sample with the only other two whose spectra were taken with the same instrument and for all examined lines our results are in agreement with the ones obtained with X-shooter at $z \sim 1.5 - 1.7$. We finally evaluate CIII] as a possible substitute of CIV in the same spectral range and find that its behaviour is more coherent with those of the other lines: we believe that, when a high quality spectrum such as the ones we present is available and a proper modelization with the FeII and FeIII emissions is performed, the use of this line is more appropriate than that of CIV if not corrected for the contamination by non-virialized components.

We investigate the kinematics and ionization structure of the broad emission line region of the gravitationally lensed quasar QSO2237+0305 (the Einstein cross) using differential microlensing in the high- and low-ionization broad emission lines. We combine visible and near-infrared spectra of the four images of the lensed quasar and detect a large-amplitude microlensing effect distorting the high-ionization CIV and low-ionization H$\alpha$ line profiles in image A. While microlensing only magnifies the red wing of the Balmer line, it symmetrically magnifies the wings of the CIV emission line. Given that the same microlensing pattern magnifies both the high- and low-ionization broad emission line regions, these dissimilar distortions of the line profiles suggest that the high- and low-ionization regions are governed by different kinematics. Since this quasar is likely viewed at intermediate inclination, we argue that the differential magnification of the blue and red wings of H$\alpha$ favors a flattened, virialized, low-ionization region whereas the symmetric microlensing effect measured in CIV can be reproduced by an emission line formed in a polar wind, without the need of fine-tuned caustic configurations.

The emission and forbidden lines in quasars