Studying the [OIII]$\lambda$5007A emission-line width in a sample of $\sim$80 local active galaxies: A surrogate for ${\sigma }_{\star }$?

Abstract

For a sample of $\sim$80 local ($0.02\le z\le 0.1$) Seyfert-1 galaxies with high-quality long-slit Keck spectra and spatially-resolved stellar-velocity dispersion (${\sigma }_{\star }$) measurements, we study the profile of the [OIII]$\lambda$5007A emission line to test the validity of using its width as a surrogate for ${\sigma }_{\star }$. Such an approach has often been used in the literature, since it is difficult to measure ${\sigma }_{\star }$ for type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) due to the AGN continuum outshining the stellar-absorption lines. Fitting the [OIII] line with a single Gaussian or Gauss-Hermite polynomials overestimates ${\sigma }_{\star }$ by 50-100%. When line asymmetries from non-gravitational gas motion are excluded in a double Gaussian fit, the average ratio between the core [OIII] width (${\sigma }_{[\mathrm{OIII}],\mathrm{D}}$) and ${\sigma }_{\star }$ is $\sim$1, but with individual data points off by up to a factor of two. The resulting black-hole-mass-${\sigma }_{[\mathrm{OIII}],\mathrm{D}}$ relation scatters around that of quiescent galaxies and reverberation-mapped AGNs. However, a direct comparison between ${\sigma }_{\star }$ and ${\sigma }_{[\mathrm{OIII}],\mathrm{D}}$ shows no close correlation, only that both quantities have the same range, average and standard deviation, probably because they feel the same gravitational potential. The large scatter is likely due to the fact that line profiles are a luminosity-weighted average, dependent on the light distribution and underlying kinematic field. Within the range probed by our sample (80-260 km s${}^{-1}$), our results strongly caution against the use of [OIII] width as a surrogate for ${\sigma }_{\star }$ on an individual basis. Even though our sample consists of radio-quiet AGNs, FIRST radio-detected objects have, on average, a $\sim$10% larger [OIII] core width.

arXiv comment15 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

References in corpus (41)

• Coevolution (Or Not) of Supermassive Black Holes and Host Galaxies
• Revisiting the Scaling Relations of Black Hole Masses and Host Galaxy Properties
• The SAURON project - V. Integral-field emission-line kinematics of 48 elliptical and lenticular galaxies
• The Indo-U.S. Library of Coude Feed Stellar Spectra
• A Comparison of Stellar and Gaseous Kinematics in the Nuclei of Active Galaxies
• Narrow-line region gas kinematics of 24,264 optically-selected AGN: the radio connection
• The Atlas3D project - X. On the origin of the molecular and ionised gas in early-type galaxies
• Selection bias in dynamically-measured super-massive black hole samples: its consequences and the quest for the most fundamental relation
• The black hole mass - stellar velocity dispersion relation of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies
• The Black Hole-Bulge Relationship in QSOs
• On the Correlations between Galaxy Properties and Supermassive Black Hole Mass
• The Black Hole Mass - Galaxy Bulge Relationship for QSOs in the SDSS DR3
• M-BH - sigma relation for a Complete Sample of Soft X-ray Selected AGNs
• Black Hole Mass, Velocity Dispersion and the Radio Source in AGN
• On the nature of Seyfert galaxies with high [OIII]5007 blueshifts
• The Prevalence of Gas Outflows in Type 2 AGNs
• The Relation between Black Hole Mass and Host Spheroid Stellar Mass out to z~2
• Cosmic Evolution of Black Holes and Spheroids. I: The M_BH-sigma Relation at z=0.36
• Cosmic Evolution of Mass Accretion Rate and Metalicity in Active Galactic Nuclei
• Comparing and calibrating black hole mass estimators for distant active galactic nuclei
• Black hole mass and velocity dispersion of narrow line region in active galactic nuclei and narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies
• Cosmic Evolution of Black Holes and Spheroids. IV. The BH Mass - Spheroid Luminosity Relation
• Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxies and the M_BH - sigma Relation
• Tracing kinematic (mis)alignments in CALIFA merging galaxies: Stellar and ionized gas kinematic orientations at every merger stage
• A Local Baseline of the Black Hole Mass Scaling Relations for Active Galaxies. I. Methodology and Results of Pilot Study
• SDSS-IV MaNGA: Properties of galaxies with kinematically decoupled stellar and gaseous components
• Does the Narrow [O III] 5007 Line Reflect the Stellar Velocity Dispersion in AGN?
• The shape of broad-line profiles in AGN
• Origin and Dynamical Support of Ionized Gas in Galaxy Bulges
• Radio Continuum Observations of the Galactic Center: Photoevaporative Proplyd-like Objects near Sgr A*
• Broad Hbeta Emission-Line Variability in a Sample of 102 Local Active Galaxies
• High-ionization mid-infrared lines as black hole mass and bolometric luminosity indicators in active galactic nuclei
• Host Galaxies of Luminous Type 2 Quasars at z ~ 0.5
• Cosmic Evolution of Black Holes and Spheroids. V. The Relation Between Black Hole Mass and Host Galaxy Luminosity for a Sample of 79 Active Galaxies
• A view of the narrow-line region in the infrared: active galactic nuclei with resolved fine-structure lines in the Spitzer archive
• A Local Baseline of the Black Hole Mass Scaling Relations for Active Galaxies. III. The BH mass - $\sigma$ relation
• Calibration and Limitations of the Mg II line-based Black Hole Masses
• QSO Narrow [OIII] Line Width and Host Galaxy Luminosity
• Spatially-Resolved Narrow Line Region Kinematics in Active Galactic Nuclei
• Extreme Gaseous Outflows in Radio-Loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies
• The Black Hole Mass - Galaxy Luminosity Relationship for Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasars

Cited by in corpus (15)

• Bayesian AGN Decomposition Analysis for SDSS Spectra: A Correlation Analysis of [OIII]$\lambda 5007$ Outflow Kinematics with AGN and Host Galaxy Properties
• A New Iron Emission Template for Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Optical Template for the H$\beta$ region
• The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS): IFU survey data and the BH mass dependence of long-term AGN variability
• Fast Outflows in Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies with Keck/NIRES
• Spectral Classification and Ionized Gas Outflows in $z\sim 2$ WISE-Selected Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies
• Stronger Constraints on the Evolution of the $M_{\mathrm{BH}}-{\sigma }_{\ast }$ Relation up to $z\sim 0.6$
• Circumnuclear regions of different BPT types in star-forming MaNGA galaxies: AGN detectability
• [OIII] 5007A Emission Line Width as a Surrogate for stellar dispersion in Type 1 AGNs?
• Jet Collimation and Acceleration in the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar 1928+738
• A Spatially-Resolved Survey of Distant Quasar Host Galaxies: II. Photoionization and Kinematics of the ISM
• Connecting the radio AGN life cycle to feedback: Ionised gas is more disturbed in young radio AGN
• Properties of IR selected Active Galactic Nuclei
• Discovery of Five Green Pea Galaxies with Double-peaked Narrow [OIII] Lines
• Selection of highly-accreting quasars: Spectral properties of FeII emitters not belonging to extreme Population A
• Spatially Resolved [O III] Emission Line Kinematics of Reverberation-Mapped AGNs with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager