Gemini Long-slit Observations of Luminous Obscured Quasars: Further Evidence for an Upper Limit on the Size of the Narrow-Line Region

Abstract

We examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a sample of 30 luminous obscured quasars at $0.4<z<0.7$ observed with spatially resolved Gemini-N GMOS long-slit spectroscopy. Using the [OIII]$\lambda 5007$ emission feature, we estimate the size of the NLR using a cosmology-independent measurement: the radius where the surface brightness falls to 10${}^{-15}$ erg s${}^{-1}$ cm${}^{-2}$ arcsec${}^{-2}$. We then explore the effects of atmospheric seeing on NLR size measurements and conclude that direct measurements of the NLR size from observed profiles are too large by 0.1 - 0.2 dex on average, as compared to measurements made to best-fit Sérsic or Voigt profiles convolved with the seeing. These data, which span a full order of magnitude in IR luminosity ($\log (L_{8\mu \mathrm{m}}/{\mathrm{erg}\mathrm{s}}^{-1})=44.4-45.4$) also provide strong evidence that there is a flattening of the relationship between NLR size and AGN luminosity at a seeing-corrected size of $\sim 7$ kpc. The objects in this sample have high luminosities which place them in a previously under-explored portion of the size-luminosity relationship. These results support the existence of a maximal size of the narrow-line region around luminous quasars; beyond this size either there is not enough gas, or the gas is over-ionized and does not produce enough [OIII]$\lambda 5007$ emission.

arXiv comment10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

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