THE VIEWING ANGLES OF BROAD ABSORPTION LINE VERSUS UNABSORBED QUASARS

Abstract

It was recently shown that there is a significant difference in the radio spectral index distributions of broad absorption line (BAL) quasars and unabsorbed quasars, with an overabundance of BAL quasars with steeper radio spectra. This result suggests that source orientation does play into the presence or absence of BAL features. In this paper we provide more quantitative analysis of this result based on Monte-Carlo simulations. While the relationship between viewing angle and spectral index does indeed contain a lot of scatter, the spectral index distributions are different enough to overcome that intrinsic variation. Utilizing two different models of the relationship between spectral index and viewing angle, the simulations indicate that the difference in spectral index distributions can be explained by allowing BAL quasar viewing angles to extend about 10 degrees farther from the radio jet axis than non-BAL sources, though both can be seen at small angles. These results show that orientation cannot be the only factor determining whether BAL features are present, but it does play a role.