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Abstract We present photometric selection of type 1 quasars in the ≈5.3 deg²XMM-Large Scale Structure survey field with machine learning. We constructed our training and blind-test samples using spectroscopically identified Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars, galaxies, and stars. We utilized the XGBoost machine learning method to select a total of 1591 quasars. We assessed the classification performance based on the blind-test sample, and the outcome was favorable, demonstrating high reliability (≈99.9%) and good completeness (≈87.5%). We used XGBoost to estimate photometric redshifts of our selected quasars. The estimated photometric redshifts span a range from 0.41 to 3.75. The outlier fraction of these photometric redshift estimates is ≈17%, and the normalized median absolute deviation (σ_NMAD) is ≈0.07. To study the quasar disk–corona connection, we constructed a subsample of 1016 quasars with Hyper Suprime-Cami < 22.5 after excluding radio-loud and potentially X-ray-absorbed quasars. The relation between the optical-to-X-ray power-law slope parameter (α_OX) and the 2500 Å monochromatic luminosity (L_2500Å) for this subsample is ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{OX}}=(-0.156\pm 0.007)\log L_{2500\AA }+(3.175\pm 0.211)$with a dispersion of 0.159. We found this correlation in good agreement with the correlations in previous studies. We explored several factors, which may bias theα_OX–L_2500Årelation, and found that their effects are not significant. We discussed possible evolution of theα_OX–L_2500Årelation with respect toL_2500Åor redshift. 

Abstract Dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) are enshrouded by dust and many are believed to host accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which makes them unique objects for probing the coevolution of galaxies and SMBHs. We select and characterize DOGs in the 13 deg²XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS), leveraging the superb multiwavelength data—from X-rays to radio. We select 3738 DOGs atz≈ 1.6–2.1 in XMM-SERVS, while maintaining good data quality without introducing significant bias. This represents the largest DOG sample with thorough multiwavelength source characterization. Spectral energy distribution modeling shows DOGs are a heterogeneous population consisting of both normal galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our DOGs are massive ( $\log M_{\star }/M_{☉}\approx 10.7-11.3$), 174 are detected in X-rays, and they are generally radio-quiet systems. X-ray detected DOGs are luminous and are moderately to heavily obscured in X-rays. Stacking analyses for the X-ray undetected DOGs show highly significant average detections. Critically, we compare DOGs with matched galaxy populations. DOGs have similar AGN fractions compared with typical galaxy populations. X-ray detected DOGs have higherM_⋆and higher X-ray obscuration, but they are not more star-forming than typical X-ray AGNs. Our results potentially challenge the relevance of the merger-driven galaxy-SMBH coevolution framework for X-ray detected DOGs. 

Abstract The supermassive black holes (M_BH∼ 10⁶–10¹⁰M_⊙) that power luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs), i.e., quasars, generally show a correlation between thermal disk emission in the ultraviolet (UV) and coronal emission in hard X-rays. In contrast, some “massive” black holes (mBHs;M_BH∼ 10⁵–10⁶M_⊙) in low-mass galaxies present curious X-ray properties with coronal radiative output up to 100× weaker than expected. To examine this issue, we present a pilot study incorporating Very Large Array radio observations of a sample of 18 high-accretion-rate (Eddington ratiosL_bol/L_Edd> 0.1), mBH-powered AGNs (M_BH∼ 10⁶M_⊙) with Chandra X-ray coverage. Empirical correlations previously revealed in samples of radio-quiet, high-Eddington AGNs indicate that the radio–X-ray luminosity ratio,L_R/L_X, is approximately constant. Through multiwavelength analysis, we instead find that the X-ray-weaker mBHs in our sample tend toward larger values ofL_R/L_Xeven though they remain radio-quiet per their optical–UV properties. This trend results in a tentative but highly intriguing correlation betweenL_R/L_Xand X-ray weakness, which we argue is consistent with a scenario in which X-rays may be preferentially obscured from our line of sight by a “slim” accretion disk. We compare this observation to weak emission-line quasars (AGNs with exceptionally weak broad-line emission and a significant X-ray-weak fraction) and conclude by suggesting that our results may offer a new observational signature for finding high-accretion-rate AGNs. 

ABSTRACT We present a new method for modelling the kinematics of galaxies from interferometric observations by performing the optimization of the kinematic model parameters directly in visibility space instead of the conventional approach of fitting velocity fields produced with the clean algorithm in real-space. We demonstrate our method on Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of $$^{12}$$CO (2–1), (3–2), or (4–3) emission lines from an initial sample of 30 massive 850 $$\mu$$m-selected dusty star-forming galaxies with far-infrared luminosities $$\gtrsim$$\, 10^{12}$$ L$$_{\odot }$$ in the redshift range $$z \sim$$ 1.2–4.7. Using the results from our modelling analysis for the 12 of the 20 sources with the highest signal-to-noise emission lines that show disc-like kinematics, we conclude the following: (i) our sample prefers a CO-to-$$H_2$$ conversion factor, of $$\alpha _{\rm CO} = 0.74 \pm 0.37$$; (ii) these far-infrared luminous galaxies follow a similar Tully–Fisher relation between the circular velocity, $$V_{\rm circ}$$, and baryonic mass, $$M_{\rm b}$$, as less strongly star-forming samples at high redshift, but extend this relation to much higher masses – showing that these are some of the most massive disc-like galaxies in the Universe; (iii) finally, we demonstrate support for an evolutionary link between massive high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies and the formation of local early-type galaxies using the both the distributions of the baryonic and kinematic masses of these two populations on the $$M_{\rm b}$$ – $$\sigma$$ plane and their relative space densities. 

Abstract We present the rest-frame ultraviolet−optical spectral properties of 65 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph−Distant Quasar Survey (GNIRS-DQS). These properties are compared with those of 195 non-BAL quasars from GNIRS-DQS in order to identify the drivers for the appearance of BALs in quasar spectra. In particular, we compare equivalent widths and velocity widths, as well as velocity offsets from systemic redshifts, of principal emission lines. In spite of the differences between their rest-frame ultraviolet spectra, we find that luminous BAL quasars are generally indistinguishable from their non-BAL counterparts in the rest-frame optical band at redshifts 1.55 ≲z≲ 3.50. We do not find any correlation between BAL trough properties and the Hβ-based supermassive black hole masses and normalized accretion rates in our sample. Considering the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample, which includes the GNIRS-DQS sample, we find that a monochromatic luminosity at rest-frame 2500 Å of ≳10⁴⁵erg s⁻¹is a necessary condition for launching BAL outflows in quasars. We compare our findings with other BAL quasar samples and discuss the roles that accretion rate and orientation play in the appearance of BAL troughs in quasar spectra. 

Abstract We measure the correlation between black hole massM_BHand host stellar massM_*for a sample of 38 broad-line quasars at 0.2 ≲z≲ 0.8 (median redshiftz_med= 0.5). The black hole masses are derived from a dedicated reverberation mapping program for distant quasars, and the stellar masses are derived from two-band optical+IR Hubble Space Telescope imaging. Most of these quasars are well centered within ≲1 kpc from the host galaxy centroid, with only a few cases in merging/disturbed systems showing larger spatial offsets. Our sample spans two orders of magnitude in stellar mass (∼10⁹–10¹¹M_⊙) and black hole mass (∼10⁷–10⁹M_⊙) and reveals a significant correlation between the two quantities. We find a best-fit intrinsic (i.e., selection effects corrected)M_BH–M_*,hostrelation of $\log \left(M_{\mathrm{BH}}/M_{\odot }\right)={7.01}_{-0.33}^{+0.23}+{1.74}_{-0.64}^{+0.64}\log \left(M_{*,\mathrm{host}}/{10}^{10}{M}_{\odot }\right)$, with an intrinsic scatter of ${0.47}_{-0.17}^{+0.24}$dex. Decomposing our quasar hosts into bulges and disks, there is a similarM_BH–M_*,bulgerelation with slightly larger scatter, likely caused by systematic uncertainties in the bulge–disk decomposition. TheM_BH–M_*,hostrelation atz_med= 0.5 is similar to that in local quiescent galaxies, with negligible evolution over the redshift range probed by our sample. With direct black hole masses from reverberation mapping and the large dynamical range of the sample, selection biases do not appear to affect our conclusions significantly. Our results, along with other samples in the literature, suggest that the locally measured black hole mass–host stellar mass relation is already in place atz∼ 1. 

Abstract We present the results of an investigation of a highly variable Civbroad absorption line (BAL) feature in spectra of the quasar SBS 1408+544 (z= 2.337) that shows a significant shift in velocity over time. This source was observed as a part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Reverberation Mapping project and the SDSS-V Black Hole Mapper Reverberation Mapping project, and has been included in two previous studies, both of which identified significant variability in a high-velocity CivBAL on timescales of just a few days in the quasar rest frame. Using ∼130 spectra acquired over 8 yr of spectroscopic monitoring with SDSS, we have determined that this BAL is not only varying in strength, but is also systematically shifting to higher velocities. Using cross-correlation methods, we measure the velocity shifts (and corresponding acceleration) of the BAL over a wide range of timescales, measuring an overall velocity shift of $\mathrm{\Delta }v=-{683}_{-84}^{+89}$km s⁻¹over the 8 yr monitoring period. This corresponds to an average rest-frame acceleration ofa= 1.04 ${}_{-0.13}^{+0.14}$cm s⁻², though the magnitude of the acceleration on shorter timescales is not constant throughout. We place our measurements in the context of BAL-acceleration models and examine various possible causes of the observed velocity shift. 

Abstract We present a velocity-resolved reverberation mapping analysis of the hypervariable quasar RM160 (SDSS J141041.25+531849.0) atz= 0.359 with 153 spectroscopic epochs of data representing a 10 yr baseline (2013–2023). We split the baseline into two regimes based on the 3× flux increase in the light curve: a “low state” phase during the years 2013–2019 and a “high state” phase during the years 2022–2023. The velocity-resolved lag profiles (VRLPs) indicate that gas with different kinematics dominates the line emission in different states. The HβVRLP begins with a signature of inflow onto the broad-line region (BLR) in the low state, while in the high state it is flatter with less signature of inflow. The HαVRLP begins consistent with a virialized BLR in the low state, while in the high state shows a signature of inflow. The differences in the kinematics between the Balmer lines and between the low state and the high state suggests complex BLR dynamics. We find that the BLR radius and velocity (both FWHM andσ) do not obey a constant virial product throughout the monitoring period. We find that the BLR lags and continuum luminosity are correlated, consistent with rapid response of the BLR gas to the illuminating continuum. The BLR kinematic profile changes in unpredictable ways that are not related to continuum changes and reverberation lag. Our observations indicate that nonvirial kinematics can significantly contribute to observed line profiles, suggesting caution for black hole mass estimation in luminous and highly varying quasars like RM160. 

Abstract High-quality Extragalactic Legacy-field Monitoring (HELM) is a long-term observing program that photometrically monitors several well-studied extragalactic legacy fields with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) imager on the CTIO 4 m Blanco telescope. Since 2019 February, HELM has been monitoring regions within COSMOS, XMM-LSS, CDF-S, S-CVZ, ELAIS-S1, and SDSS Stripe 82 with few-day cadences in the (u)gri(z) bands, over a collective sky area of ∼38 deg². The main science goal of HELM is to provide high-quality optical light curves for a large sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and to build decades-long time baselines when combining past and future optical light curves in these legacy fields. These optical images and light curves will facilitate the measurements of AGN reverberation mapping lags, as well as studies of AGN variability and its dependencies on accretion properties. In addition, the time-resolved and coadded DECam photometry will enable a broad range of science applications from galaxy evolution to time-domain science. We describe the design and implementation of the program and present the first data release that includes source catalogs and the first ∼3.5 yr of light curves during 2019A–2022A. 

Abstract We present the final data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Reverberation Mapping (RM) project, a precursor to the SDSS-V Black Hole Mapper RM program. This data set includes 11 yr photometric and 7 yr spectroscopic light curves for 849 broad-line quasars over a redshift range of 0.1 <z< 4.5 and a luminosity range ofL_bol= 10^44−47.5erg s⁻¹, along with spectral and variability measurements. We report 23, 81, 125, and 110 RM lags (relative to optical continuum variability) for broad Hα, Hβ, Mgii, and Civusing the SDSS-RM sample, spanning much of the luminosity and redshift ranges of the sample. Using 30 low-redshift RM active galactic nuclei with dynamical-modeling black hole masses, we derive a new estimate of the average virial factor of $\left(\log f\right)=0.62\pm 0.07$for the line dispersion measured from the rms spectrum. The intrinsic scatter of individual virial factors is 0.31 ± 0.07 dex, indicating a factor of 2 systematic uncertainty in RM black hole masses. Our lag measurements reveal significantR–Lrelations for Hβand Mgiiat high redshift, consistent with the latest measurements based on heterogeneous samples. While we are unable to robustly constrain the slope of theR–Lrelation for Civgiven the limited dynamic range in luminosity, we found substantially larger scatter in Civlags at fixedL₁₃₅₀. Using the SDSS-RM lag sample, we derive improved single-epoch (SE) mass recipes for Hβ, Mgii, and Civ, which are consistent with their respective RM masses as well as between the SE recipes from two different lines, over the luminosity range probed by our sample. The new Hβand Mgiirecipes are approximately unbiased estimators at given RM masses, but there are systematic biases in the Civrecipe. The intrinsic scatter of SE masses around RM masses is ∼0.45 dex for Hβand Mgii, increasing to ∼0.58 dex for Civ.