Measuring the Virial Factor in SDSS DR7 Active Galactic Nuclei with Redshifted Hβ and Hα Broad Emission Lines

Abstract

Abstract Under the hypothesis of gravitational redshift induced by the central supermassive black hole and based on line widths and shifts of redward-shifted Hβ and Hα broad emission lines for more than 8000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7 active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we measure the virial factor in determining supermassive black hole masses. The virial factor had been believed to be independent of accretion radiation pressure on gas clouds in broad-line regions (BLRs) and only dependent on the inclination effects of BLRs. The virial factor measured spans a very large range. For the vast majority of AGNs (>96%) in our samples, the virial factor is larger than the f = 1 usually used in the literature. The f-correction makes the percent of high-accreting AGNs decrease by about 100 times. There are positive correlations of f with the dimensionless accretion rate and Eddington ratio. The redward shifts of Hβ and Hα are mainly of gravitational origin, confirmed by a negative correlation between the redward shift and the dimensionless radius of the BLR. Our results show that radiation pressure force is a significant contributor to the measured virial factor, containing the inclination effects of the BLR. The usually used values of f should be corrected for high-accreting AGNs, especially high-redshift quasars. The f-correction increases their masses by 1–2 orders of magnitude, which will make it more challenging to explain the formation and growth of supermassive black holes at high redshifts.