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    Standardizing a larger, higher-quality, homogeneous sample of reverberation-mapped Hβ active galactic nuclei using the broad-line region radius-luminosity relation

    Shulei Cao1,2,*, Amit Kumar Mandal3, Michal Zajaček4, and Bharat Ratra1,†

    • *Contact author: shuleic@mail.smu.edu
    • †Contact author: ratra@phys.ksu.edu

    Phys. Rev. D 112, 043516 – Published 14 August, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/w1qx-4v84

    Abstract

    We present a high-quality, homogeneous sample of 157 Hβ reverberation-mapped active galactic nuclei (AGNs) spanning redshifts 0.00308≤z≤0.8429, which is approximately 3.8 times larger than the previously available high-quality homogeneous sample. Using the broad-line region radius-luminosity relation (R−L), which involves the broad Hβ line time delay and the monochromatic luminosity at 5100 Å, we show that the sample is standardizable by using six spatially flat and nonflat cosmological models. The inferred cosmological model parameters are consistent within 2σ uncertainties with those from better established baryon acoustic oscillation and Hubble parameter measurements, with the exception of two nonflat models that are ruled out by other data. The R−L relation slope is found to be flatter (γ=0.428±0.025 in the flat ΛCDM model) than the slope of 0.5 expected from a simple photoionization model as well as the slope found previously for the smaller homogeneous sample. In addition, we find a mild dependence of Hβ R−L relation parameters as well as its intrinsic scatter on the Eddington ratio by comparing the R−L relations for low- and high-accreting equal-sized subsamples. A future analysis of a larger homogeneous sample containing a broader range of luminosities and Eddington ratios is necessary to confirm the standardizability of Hβ AGNs.

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    See Also

    Standardizing reverberation-mapped Hα and Hβ active galactic nuclei using radius-luminosity relations involving monochromatic and broad Hα luminosities

    Shulei Cao, Amit Kumar Mandal, Michal Zajaček, Bożena Czerny, and Bharat Ratra
    Phys. Rev. D 111, 083545 (2025)

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