Related papers: Can we improve CIV-based single epoch black hole m…
We report on the analysis of the photometric and spectroscopic properties of a sample of 29 low redshift (z<0.6) QSOs for which both HST WFPC2 images and ultraviolet HST FOS spectra are available. For each object we measure the R band…
We present the results of new infrared spectroscopic observations of 37 quasars at z~3, selected based on the optical r'-band magnitude and the availability of nearby bright stars for future imaging follow-up with Adaptive Optics system.…
We estimate black hole masses (M$_{\rm BH}$) for 14 gravitationally lensed quasars using the Balmer lines along with estimates based on MgII and CIV emission lines for four and two of them, respectively. We compare with results obtained for…
We jointly constrain the luminosity function (LF) and black hole mass function (BHMF) of broad-line quasars with forward Bayesian modeling in the quasar mass-luminosity plane, based on a homogeneous sample of ~ 58,000 SDSS DR7 quasars at z…
The determination of supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses is the key to understanding the host galaxy build-up and the SMBH mass assembly histories. The SMBH masses of non-local quasars are frequently estimated via the single-epoch virial…
Quasar redshifts require the best possible precision and accuracy for a number of applications, such as setting the velocity scale for outflows as well as measuring small-scale quasar-quasar clustering. The most reliable redshift standard…
The masses of the black holes powering quasars represent a fundamental parameter of active galaxies. Estimates of quasar black hole masses using single-epoch spectra are quite uncertain, and require quantitative improvement. We recently…
We intend to use the impact of microlensing on the Fe III emission line blend along with a measure of its gravitational redshift to estimate the mass of the quasar's central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We fit the Fe III feature in…
We present a study on the possible overestimation of single-epoch supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses in previous works, based on more than 55,000 type 1 quasars at $0.25 < z < 0.8$ from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). We…
The presence of supermassive black holes (SMBHs, $M_\text{BH}\sim10^9 M_\odot$) at $z>7$ remains a puzzle. While their existence appears to require exotic formation or growth processes, it is possible that BH mass estimates are incorrect…
We present near-infrared spectra of ten luminous, intermediate redshift quasars observed with SofI at the NTT of ESO/La Silla. With these rest-frame optical spectra we probe the Hb -[OIII] emission line region. Using the standard scaling…
Based on an updated Hbeta reverberation mapping (RM) sample of 44 nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN), we propose a novel approach for black hole (BH) mass estimation using two filtered luminosities computed from single-epoch (SE) AGN…
High-accuracy black hole (BH) masses require excellent spatial resolution that is only achievable for galaxies within ~100 Mpc using present-day technology. At larger distances, BH masses are often estimated with single-epoch scaling…
The masses of supermassive black holes in broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be measured through reverberation mapping, but this method currently cannot be applied to very large samples or to high-redshift AGNs. As a practical…
We present new near-infrared (IR) observations of the H$\beta\ \lambda4861$ and MgII $\lambda2798$ lines for 32 luminous quasars with $3.2<z<3.9$ using the Palomar Hale 200 inch telescope and the Large Binocular Telescope. We find that the…
The quadruple lensed system WGD2038-4008 was recently discovered with the help of new techniques and observations. Even though black hole mass has been estimated for lensed quasars, it has been calculated mostly for one broad emission line…
Massive black hole binaries at sub-parsec separations may display in their spectra anomalously small flux ratios between the MgII and CIV broad emission lines, i.e. F_MgII/F_CIV <~ 0.1, due to the erosion of the broad line region around the…
The black hole mass MBH is crucial in constraining the growth of supermassive BHs within their host galaxies. Since direct measurements of MBH with dynamical methods are restricted to a limited number of nearly quiescent nearby galaxies and…
The black hole (BH) mass and luminosity are key factors in determining how a quasar interacts with its environment. In this study, we utilise data from the European Southern Observatory Large Programme XQ-100, a high-quality sample of 100…
Using bonafide black hole (BH) mass estimates from reverberation mapping and the line ratio [Si VI]1.963$\mu$m/Br$\gamma_{\rm broad}$ as tracer of the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) ionizing continuum, we find a novel BH-mass scaling relation…