High-ionization emission line ratios from quasar broad line regions: metallicity or density?
Matthew J. Temple,
Gary J. Ferland,
Amy L. Rankine
et al.
Abstract:The flux ratios of high-ionization lines are commonly assumed to indicate the metallicity of the broad emission line region in luminous quasars. When accounting for the variation in their kinematic profiles, we show that the N /C , (Si +O ])/C and N /Ly 𝛼 line ratios do not vary as a function of the quasar continuum luminosity, black hole mass, or accretion rate. Using photoionization models from CLOUDY, we further show that the observed changes in these line ratios can be explained by emission from gas with … Show more
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