Updating quasar bolometric luminosity corrections. II. Infrared bolometric corrections

TL;DR

This paper derives infrared bolometric luminosity corrections for quasars based on spectral energy distributions, providing updated formulas across multiple wavelengths and examining their applicability and consistency for different quasar properties.

Contribution

It introduces new infrared bolometric correction formulas for quasars and assesses their consistency and applicability across different luminosities and radio classifications.

Findings

Bolometric corrections are consistent for radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars.

Estimated bolometric luminosities are generally smaller than previous estimates.

Corrections are valid within specific luminosity ranges.

Abstract

We present infrared bolometric luminosity corrections derived from the detailed spectral energy distributions of 62 bright quasars of low- to moderate-redshift (z=0.03-1.4). At 1.5, 2, 3, 7, 12, 15, and 24 microns we provide bolometric corrections of the mathematical forms L_iso=\zeta \lambda L_\lambda and log(L_iso)=A+B log(\lambda L_\lambda). Bolometric corrections for radio-loud and radio-quiet objects are consistent within 95% confidence intervals, so we do not separate them. Bolometric luminosities estimated using these corrections are typically smaller than those derived from some commonly used in the literature. We investigate the possibility of a luminosity dependent bolometric correction and find that, while the data are consistent with such a correction, the dispersion is too large and the luminosity range too small to warrant such a detailed interpretation. Bolometric corrections at 1.5 $\mu$m are appropriate for objects with properties that fall in the range log(L_bol)=45.4-47.3 and bolometric corrections at all other wavelengths are appropriate for objects with properties that fall in the range log(L_bol)=45.1-47.0.