Revealing the structure of the lensed quasar Q 0957+561 II. Supermassive black hole mass via gravitational redshift

Aims. We intend to use the impact of microlensing on the Fe III lambda lambda 2039 2113 emission line blend along with a measure of its gravitational redshift to estimate the mass of the quasar's central supermassive black hole (SMBH). Methods. We fit the Fe III feature in multiple spectroscopic observations between 2008 and 2016 of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q 0957 +561 with relatively high signal-to-noise ratios (at the adequate wavelength). Based on the statistics of microlensing magnifications, we used a Bayesian method to derive the size of its emitting region. Results. The Fe III lambda lambda 2039 2113 spectral feature appears systematically redshifted in all epochs of observation by a value of Delta lambda similar to 17 angstrom on average. We find clear di fferences in the shape of the Fe III line blend between images A and B. Measuring the strength of those magnitude di fferences, we conclude that this blend may arise from a region of half-light radius of R-1/2 similar to 15 ltdays, which is in good agreement with the accretion disk dimensions for this system. We obtain a mass for the central SMBH of M-BH = 1.5(-0.5)(+0.5) x 10(9) M-circle dot, consistent within uncertainties with previous mass estimates based on the virial theorem. The relatively small uncertainties in the mass determination (<35%) make this method a compelling alternative to other existing techniques (e.g., the virial plus reverberation mapping based size) for measuring black hole masses. Combining the Fe III lambda lambda 2039 2113 redshift based method with the virial, we estimate a virial factor in the f similar to 1:2 1:7 range for this system.Tel Aviv UniversityUniversity of Haifa through a DFG grant HA3555-14/1Spanish Government AYA2016- 79104-C3-1-P AYA2016-79104-C3-3-PCenter for Forestry Research & Experimentation (CIEF)European Commission Prometeo/2020/085Spanish Government AYA2014-53506-PEuropean Commission Spanish Government AYA2014-53506-PJunta de Andalucia FQM-108Centro de Astrofisica de Valparaiso (CAV

Revealing the structure of the lensed quasar Q 0957+561 III. Constraints on the size of the broad-line region

Aims. Our aim is to examine the size, kinematics, and geometry of the broad-line region (BLR) in the double-lensed quasar Q 0957+561 by analyzing the impact of microlensing on various rest-frame ultraviolet broad-emission lines (BELs). Methods. We explore the influence of intrinsic variability and microlensing on the C IV, C III], and Mg II emission lines through multiple spectroscopic observations taken between April 1999 and January 2017. By utilizing the line cores as a reference for no microlensing and correcting for the long time delay between the images, we estimate the sizes of the regions emitting the broad-line wings using a Bayesian approach. Results. Our study of the microlensing amplitudes between the lensed images of the quasar Q 0957+561 reveals differing sizes of the regions emitting the three prominent BELs C IV, C III], and Mg II. The strength of the differential microlensing indicates that the high-ionization line C IV arises from a compact inner region of the BLR with a half-light radius of R1/2 ≳ 16.0 lt-days, which represents a lower limit on the overall size of the BLR and is comparable to the size of the region emitting the r-band continuum in this system. A somewhat larger size of R1/2 ≳ 44 lt-days is obtained for the semi-forbidden line C III]. Microlensing has a weak impact on the lower-ionization line Mg II, which is emitted from a region with a half-light radius of R1/2 ≳ 50 lt-days. These findings suggest that the BEL regions may have distinct geometries and kinematics, with the more extended ones being spherically symmetric, and the most compact ones being nonspherical, with motions likely confined to a plan

Continuum reverberation mapping of MCG 08-11-011

We report the results from a photometric reverberation mapping campaign carried out with the C18 telescope at the Wise Observatory from 2019 to 2020, targeting the active galactic nucleus (AGN) MCG 08-11-011. The monitoring was conducted on a daily basis with specially designed narrow-band filters, spanning from optical to near-infrared wavelengths ($\sim4000$ to $8000${\AA}) and avoiding prominent broad emission lines. We aim to measure inter-band continuum time lags, determine the size-wavelength relation, and estimate the host-subtracted AGN luminosity for this system. We used the point-spread function photometry to extract the continuum light curves and measure the inter-band time lags using several methods, including the interpolated cross-correlation function, the z-transformed discrete correlation function, a von Neumann estimator, JAVELIN (in spectroscopic and photometric mode), MICA, and a multivariate correlation function. We find wavelength-dependent lags, $\tau(\lambda)$, up to $\sim$7 days between the multiband light curves of MCG 08-11-011. The observed lags are larger than predictions based on standard thin-disk theory by a factor of $\sim3-7$. We discern a significantly steeper ($\tau \propto \lambda^{4.74}$) size-wavelength relation than the $\tau \propto \lambda^{4/3}$ expected for a geometrically thin and optically thick accretion disk, which may result from the contribution of diffuse continuum emission to the flux. These results are similar to those found by previous continuum reverberation mapping campaigns.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2111.0738

Revealing the structure of the lensed quasar Q 0957+561 III. Constraints on the size of the broad-line region

Our aim is to examine the size, kinematics, and geometry of the broad-line region (BLR) in the double-lensed quasar Q 0957+561 by analyzing the impact of microlensing on various rest-frame ultraviolet broad-emission lines (BELs). We explore the influence of intrinsic variability and microlensing on the C IV, C III], and Mg II emission lines through multiple spectroscopic observations taken between April 1999 and January 2017. By utilizing the line cores as a reference for no microlensing and correcting for the long time delay between the images, we estimate the sizes of the regions emitting the broad-line wings using a Bayesian approach. Our study of the microlensing amplitudes between the lensed images of the quasar Q 0957+561 reveals differing sizes of the regions emitting the three prominent BELs C IV, C III], and Mg II. The strength of the differential microlensing indicates that the high-ionization line C IV arises from a compact inner region of the BLR with a half-light radius of $R_{1/2} \gtrsim 16.0$ lt-days, which represents a lower limit on the overall size of the BLR and is comparable to the size of the region emitting the r-band continuum in this system. A somewhat larger size of $R_{1/2}\gtrsim 44$ lt-days is obtained for the semi-forbidden line C III]. Microlensing has a weak impact on the lower-ionization line Mg II, which is emitted from a region with a half-light radius of $R_{1/2} \gtrsim 50$ lt-days. These findings suggest that the BEL regions may have distinct geometries and kinematics, with the more extended ones being spherically symmetric, and the most compact ones being nonspherical, with motions likely confined to a plane

Gravitational Lens System PS J0147+4630 (Andromeda's Parachute): Main Lensing Galaxy and Optical Variability of the Quasar Images

Because follow–up observations of quadruple gravitational lens systems are of extraordinary importance for astrophysics and cosmology, we present single-epoch optical spectra and r-band light curves of PS J0147+4630. This recently discovered system mainly consists of four images ABCD of a background quasar around a foreground galaxy G that acts as a gravitational lens. First, we use long-slit spectroscopic data in the Gemini Observatory Archive and a multi-component fittting to accurately resolve the spectra of A, D, and G. The spectral profile of G resembles that of an early-type galaxy at a redshift of 0.678±0.001, which is about 20% higher than the previous estimate. Additionally, the stellar velocity dispersion is measured to ∼5% precision. Second, our early r-band monitoring with the Liverpool Telescope leads to accurate light curves of the four quasar images. Adopting time delays predicted by the lens model, the new lens redshift, and a standard cosmology, we report the detection of microlensing variations in C and D as large as ∼0.1 mag on timescales of a few hundred days. We also estimate an actual delay between A and B of a few days (B is leading), which demonstrates the big potential of optical monitoring campaigns of PS J0147+4630.This research has been conducted in the framework of the Gravitational LENses and DArk MAtter (GLENDAMA) project, which is supported by the MINECO/AEI/FEDER-UE grant AYA2017-89815-P and the University of Cantabri

UV/Optical disk reverberation lags despite a faint X-ray corona in the AGN Mrk 335

We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER and ground-based X-ray/UV/optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV/optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV/optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV/optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region, however the u band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other AGN. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another two weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ~10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line-of-sight.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 15 pages, 8 figures, 3 table