Dust in the Wind: Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Broad Absorption Line Quasars

Computer Science

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Scientific paper

We propose to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of an exploratory sample of mid-infrared bright Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasars. Though small in number, our carefully selected sample of 8 BAL quasars includes objects covering a wide range of BAL properties including outflow velocities and absorption depths with examples of both high and low ionization absorption. Furthermore, the objects have a wide range of UV continuum slopes allowing us to more directly assess the correlation of mid-infrared properties with the intrinsic ionizing continuum. Our proposed observations will enable us to constrain the overall dust content and distribution around the nucleus as well as more detailed constraints on the dust content within and along the line-of-sight to the wind. In particular, the details of the 9.7 micron silicate feature will constrain the opacity, grain size, and crystalline fraction of the dust. Combined with the larger photometric surveys being conducted by the Spitzer GTO teams, our detailed investigation will provide the first comprehensive picture of the dusty structures in BAL quasars. These results can then be compared directly with similar structures inferred in non-BAL quasars, further elucidating the nature of quasars and accretion-driven power in general.

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