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Issue A&A
Volume 423, Number 1, August III 2004
Page(s) 121 - 132
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20035912



A&A 423, 121-132 (2004)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20035912

VLT/ISAAC spectra of the H $\beta$ region in intermediate redshift quasars

J. W. Sulentic1, G. M. Stirpe2, P. Marziani3, R. Zamanov3, 4, M. Calvani3 and V. Braito3, 5

1  Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
    e-mail: giacomo@merlot.astr.ua.edu
2  Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, INAF, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
    e-mail: giovanna.stirpe@bo.astro.it
3  Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, INAF, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
    e-mail: [marziani; zamanov; calvani]@pd.astro.it
4  Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD, UK
    e-mail: rz@astro.livjm.ac.uk
5  Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, INAF, via Brera 28, 20121 Milano, Italy
    e-mail: braito@brera.mi.astro.it

(Received 19 December 2003 / Accepted 4 May 2004)

Abstract
We present high S/N spectra of the H $\beta$ region in 17 intermediate redshift ( $0.85\leq z \leq2.5$) quasars. The spectra represent first results of our campaign to test the redshift/luminosity robustness of the so-called Eigenvector 1 (E1) parameter space as developed for low redshift AGN in Sulentic et al. (2000, ApJ, 536, L5). The new quasars span the luminosity range $-26\geq M_B\geq -29$ while most of our low redshift sample (n=215) involve sources in the range $-19\geq M_B\geq -26$. The high redshift sources show E1 parameter values and domain occupation that are similar to our low redshift sample supporting earlier findings that E1 parameters are uncorrelated with source luminosity. Elementary accretion theory can account for a systematic increase of the minimum observed H $\beta$ profile width with source luminosity. Narrow line Seyfert 1 sources with MB= -28 show FWHM(H $\beta$) as much as 2000 km s -1 broader than those with MB= -22. A possible change in the higher redshift/luminosity sources involves systematically weaker [OIII] $\lambda\lambda$4959,5007 narrow line emission.


Key words: line: profiles -- galaxies: quasars: emission lines

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© ESO 2004


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