The optical-UV emissivity of quasars: dependence on black hole mass and radio loudness

TL;DR

This study compares quasar UV-optical spectra with accretion disk models, finding no clear dependence of continuum slopes on black hole mass, luminosity, or radio loudness, challenging some theoretical predictions.

Contribution

It provides the first large-scale observational test of accretion disk model predictions regarding quasar continuum slopes across different black hole and radio properties.

Findings

No significant dependence of alpha_3000 on black hole mass or luminosity.

Radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars have similar or redder slopes than models predict.

Weak redshift evolution of continuum slopes observed up to z~1.2.

Abstract

We analyzed a large sample of radio-loud and radio-quiet quasar spectra at redshift 1.0 < z < 1.2 to compare the inferred underlying quasar continuum slopes (after removal of the host galaxy contribution) with accretion disk models. The latter predict redder (decreasing) alpha_3000 continuum slopes (L_\nu~\nu^alpha at 3000Ang) with increasing black hole mass, bluer alpha_3000 with increasing luminosity at 3000Ang, and bluer alpha_3000 with increasing spin of the black hole, when all other parameters are held fixed. We find no clear evidence for any of these predictions in the data. In particular we find that: (i) alpha_3000 shows no significant dependence on black hole mass or luminosity. Dedicated Monte Carlo tests suggest that the substantial observational uncertainties in the black hole virial masses can effectively erase any intrinsic dependence of alpha_3000 on black hole mass, in line with some previous studies. (ii) The mean slope alpha_3000 of radio-loud sources, thought to be produced by rapidly spinning black holes, is comparable to, or even redder than, that of radio-quiet quasars. Indeed, although quasars appear to become more radio loud with decreasing luminosity, we still do not detect any significant dependence of alpha_3000 on radio loudness. The predicted mean alpha_3000 slopes tend to be bluer than in the data. Disk models with high inclinations and dust extinction tend to produce redder slopes closer to empirical estimates. Our mean alpha_3000 values are close to the ones independently inferred at z<0.5 suggesting weak evolution with redshift, at least for moderately luminous quasars.