Testing Super-Eddington Accretion onto a Supermassive Black Hole: Reverberation Mapping of PG 1119+120

TL;DR

This study uses reverberation mapping and multi-band photometry to analyze the accretion flow and black hole mass of PG 1119+120, suggesting super-Eddington accretion possibly via a slim disc.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed reverberation mapping of PG 1119+120, revealing super-Eddington accretion and supporting the slim disc model through spectral and variability analysis.

Findings

Black hole mass estimated at log(M/M_sun)=7.0 with 0.4 dex uncertainty.

Detection of variability consistent with thin or slim disc models.

Evidence of super-Eddington accretion with a flat disc spectrum.

Abstract

We measure the black hole mass and investigate the accretion flow around the local ($z=0.0502$) quasar PG 1119+120. Spectroscopic monitoring with Calar Alto provides H$\beta$ lags and linewidths from which we estimate a black hole mass of $\log \left(M_{\bullet}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot} \right) = 7.0$, uncertain by $\sim0.4$ dex. High cadence photometric monitoring over two years with the Las Cumbres Observatory provides lightcurves in 7 optical bands suitable for intensive continuum reverberation mapping. We identify variability on two timescales. Slower variations on a 100-day timescale exhibit excess flux and increased lag in the $u'$ band and are thus attributable to diffuse bound-free continuum emission from the broad line region. Faster variations that we attribute to accretion disc reprocessing lack a $u'$-band excess and have flux and delay spectra consistent with either $\tau \propto \lambda^{4/3}$, as expected for a temperature structure of $T(R) \propto R^{-3/4}$ for a thin accretion disc, or $\tau \propto \lambda^{2}$ expected for a slim disc. Decomposing the flux into variable (disc) and constant (host galaxy) components, we find the disc SED to be flatter than expected with $f_{\nu} \sim \rm{const}$. Modelling the SED predicts an Eddington ratio of $\lambda_{\rm Edd} > 1$, where the flat spectrum can be reproduced by a slim disc with little dust extinction or a thin disc which requires more dust extinction. While this accretion is super-Eddington, the geometry is still unclear, however a slim disc is expected due to the high radiation pressure at these accretion rates, and is entirely consistent with our observations.