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Probing the Structure of SDSS J1004+4112 through Microlensing Analysis of Spectroscopic Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2024

C. Fian*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad de Valencia, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
J. A. Muñoz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad de Valencia, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Observatorio Astronómico, Universidad de Valencia, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
R. Forés-Toribio
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad de Valencia, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Observatorio Astronómico, Universidad de Valencia, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
E. Mediavilla
Affiliation:
Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias, Va Láctea S/N, La Laguna 38200, Tenerife, Spain Departamento de Astrofsica, Universidad de la Laguna, La Laguna 38200, Tenerife
J. Jiménez-Vicente
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fsica Teórica y del Cosmos, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, 18071 Granada, Spain Instituto Carlos I de Fsica Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
D. Chelouche
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel Haifa Research Center for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
S. Kaspi
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy and Wise Observatory, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
G. T. Richards
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Drexel University, 32 S. 32nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Abstract

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We aim to uncover the structure of the continuum and broad emission line (BEL) emitting regions in the gravitationally lensed quasar SDSS J1004+4112 through unique microlensing signatures. Analyzing 20 spectroscopic observations from 2003 to 2018, we study the striking deformations of various BEL profiles and determine the sizes of their respective emitting regions. We use the emission line cores as a baseline for no microlensing and then apply Bayesian methods to derive the sizes of the Lyα, Si IV, C IV, C III], and Mg II emitting regions, as well as of the underlying continuum-emitting sources. We find that the sizes of the emitting regions for the BELs are a few light-days across, notably smaller than in typical lensed quasars. The asymmetric distortions observed in the BELs suggest that the broad-line region lacks spherical symmetry and is likely confined to a plane. The inferred continuum emitting region sizes are larger than predictions based on standard thin-disk theory by a factor of ∼ 4. We find that the size-wavelength relation is in agreement with that of a geometrically thin and optically thick accretion disk.

Type
Contributed Paper
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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