The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Quasar Survey: Quasar Properties from Data Release Two and Three

TL;DR

This paper presents the second and third data releases of the LAMOST Quasar Survey, identifying over 20,000 quasars, including many newly discovered, with detailed emission line measurements and black hole mass estimates, enriching quasar catalogs.

Contribution

It provides extensive new quasar data from LAMOST DR2 and DR3, including many newly identified quasars with emission line analysis and black hole mass estimates, expanding existing catalogs.

Findings

Over 20,000 quasars cataloged from LAMOST DR2 and DR3.

Identification of 8,100 new quasars not previously cataloged.

Reliable emission line measurements and black hole masses for most quasars.

Abstract

This is the second installment for the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Quasar Survey, which includes quasars observed from September 2013 to June 2015. There are 9024 confirmed quasars in DR2 and 10911 in DR3. After cross-match with the SDSS quasar catalogs and NED, 12126 quasars are discovered independently. Among them 2225 quasars were released by SDSS DR12 QSO catalogue in 2014 after we finalised the survey candidates. 1801 sources were identified by SDSS DR14 as QSOs. The remaining 8100 quasars are considered as newly founded, and among them 6887 quasars can be given reliable emission line measurements and the estimated black hole masses. Quasars found in LAMOST are mostly located at low-to-moderate redshifts, with a mean value of 1.5. The highest redshift observed in DR2 and DR3 is 5. We applied emission line measurements to H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, Mg{\sc ii} and C{\sc iv}. We deduced the monochromatic continuum luminosities using photometry data, and estimated the virial black hole masses for the newly discovered quasars. Results are compiled into a quasar catalog, which will be available online.