The Velocity Field of Quasar Broad Emission Line Gas

Abstract

In this Letter, the broad emission line (BEL) profiles of superluminal quasars with apparent jet velocities, ${\beta }_a>10$, (ultraluminal QSOs, or ULQSOs hereafter) are studied as a diagnostic of the velocity field of the BEL emitting gas in quasars. The ULQSOs are useful because they satisfy a very strict kinematical constraint, their parsec scale jets must be propagating within $12^{\circ }$ of the line of sight. We know the orientation of these objects with great certainty. The large BEL FWHM, $\sim 3,000km/s-6,000km/s$, in ULQSOs tend to indicate that the BEL gas has a larger component of axial velocity (either random or in a wind) along the jet direction than previously thought.

To appear in ApJ Letters

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