Probing spectral properties of radio-quiet quasars searched for optical microvariability

Abstract

We obtained SDSS spectra for a set of 37 radio-quiet quasars (RQQSOs) that had been previously examined for rapid small scale optical variations, or microvariability. Their H-beta and Mg II emission lines were carefully fit to determine line widths (FWHM) as well as equivalent widths (EW) due to the broad emission line components. The line widths were used to estimate black hole masses and Eddington ratios, ell. Both EW and FWHM are anticorrelated with ell. The EW distributions provide no evidence for the hypothesis that a weak jet component in the RQQSOs is responsible for their microvariability.

15 pages, 8 figures, 5 table, to match the published version; The definitive version will be available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/