A Composite Broad-line Region in SDSS J1609+4902: A Double-peaked Disk Component and a Gaussian Component

Abstract The profiles of broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide critical insights into the geometry and kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR), which in turn influence the uncertainties in estimating the masses of central supermassive black holes. In this study, we report the discovery of a low-luminosity AGN, SDSS J1609+4902, in which the H α line exhibits two distinct BLR components: a Gaussian component and an extremely broad double-peaked component. Follow-up observations conducted at the Lijiang Observatory in 2025 reveal that the line profile remains roughly unchanged, suggesting that this BLR structure may remain stable over a timescale of ∼10 yr. We find that the size of the central Gaussian (full width at half-maximum, FWHM ∼ 3000 km s −1 ) component is consistent with the classical reverberation mapping correlation. In contrast, the asymmetric double-peaked wing (FWHM ∼ 23,000 km s −1 ) likely originates from a disk-like BLR with an inner radius of approximately 70 gravitational radii. These results provide new constraints on the structure and dynamics of BLRs in AGNs and highlight the potential for long-term stability in such systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2025-06-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade2cc
Primary Topic
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Type
article
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article

A Composite Broad-line Region in SDSS J1609+4902: A Double-peaked Disk Component and a Gaussian Component

Jian‐Min Wang, Xinwu Cao, Chen Hu, Bing Lyu et al.
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
article

A Composite Broad-line Region in SDSS J1609+4902: A Double-peaked Disk Component and a Gaussian Component

Jian‐Min Wang, Xinwu Cao, Chen Hu, Bing Lyu, Yi-Xin Fu, Jiancheng Wu, Qingwen Wu, Hua-Rui Bai, Yu Zhao
article en

Abstract

Abstract The profiles of broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) provide critical insights into the geometry and kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR), which in turn influence the uncertainties in estimating the masses of central supermassive black holes. In this study, we report the discovery of a low-luminosity AGN, SDSS J1609+4902, in which the H α line exhibits two distinct BLR components: a Gaussian component and an extremely broad double-peaked component. Follow-up observations conducted at the Lijiang Observatory in 2025 reveal that the line profile remains roughly unchanged, suggesting that this BLR structure may remain stable over a timescale of ∼10 yr. We find that the size of the central Gaussian (full width at half-maximum, FWHM ∼ 3000 km s −1 ) component is consistent with the classical reverberation mapping correlation. In contrast, the asymmetric double-peaked wing (FWHM ∼ 23,000 km s −1 ) likely originates from a disk-like BLR with an inner radius of approximately 70 gravitational radii. These results provide new constraints on the structure and dynamics of BLRs in AGNs and highlight the potential for long-term stability in such systems.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 987(1)
Openalex Percentile: Top 91%
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
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A Composite Broad-line Region in SDSS J1609+4902: A Double-peaked Disk Component and a Gaussian Component — Jian‐Min Wang, Xinwu Cao, et al. · The Astrophysical Journal (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS