Variability in Quasar Broad Absorption Line Outflows

Broad absorption lines (BALs) in quasar spectra identify high-velocity outflows that likely exist in all quasars and could play a major role in feedback to galaxy evolution (e.g., Di Matteo et al. 2005). Studying the variability in these BALs can help us understand the structure, evolution, and basi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 2009-08, Vol.5 (S267), p.394-394
Main Authors: Capellupo, Daniel M., Hamann, Fred, Shields, Joseph C., Barlow, Tom A., Rodriguez, Paola
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Contributed Papers
Quasars
Spectrum analysis
Star & galaxy formation
Stars & galaxies
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Summary:Broad absorption lines (BALs) in quasar spectra identify high-velocity outflows that likely exist in all quasars and could play a major role in feedback to galaxy evolution (e.g., Di Matteo et al. 2005). Studying the variability in these BALs can help us understand the structure, evolution, and basic physical properties of these outflows. We are investigating BAL variability in a sample of 25 luminous quasars at 1.2 < z < 2.9 with multi-epoch observations that cover time scales from less than around a month to 7.7 years in the quasar rest-frame. We investigate changes in the C iv λ1549 BALs, and we see a variety of phenomena, including some BALs that either appeared or disappeared completely and other BALs that did not change at all over the whole observation period.
ISSN:1743-9213
1743-9221
DOI:10.1017/S1743921310006782