Detailed analysis of Balmer lines in a Sloan Digital Sky Survey sample of 90 broad-line active galactic nuclei

Abstract

In order to contribute to the general effort aiming at the improvement of our knowledge about the physical conditions within the broad-line regions (BLRs) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), here we present the results achieved by our analysis of the spectral properties of a sample of 90 broad-line-emitting sources, collected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database. By focusing our attention mainly on the Balmer series of hydrogen emission lines, which is the dominant feature in the optical wavelength range of many BLR spectra, we extracted several flux and profile measurements, which we related to other source properties, such as optical continuum luminosity, inferred black hole mass, and accretion rate. Using the Boltzmann plot method to investigate the Balmer-line flux ratios as a function of the line profiles, we found that AGNs that emit broader lines typically have larger Hα/Hβ and smaller Hα/Hβ and Hδ/Hβ line ratios. With the help of some recent investigations, we model the structure of the BLR, and we study the influence of the accretion process on the properties of BLR plasma. © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.