J/A+A/585/A87ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/585/A87doi:10.26093/cds/vizier.35850087CDSSelsing J.Fynbo J. P. UChristensen L.Krogager J.-K.2017-07-10T06:22:03Z2015-12-23T07:55:18ZCDS support team

CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France

cds-question@unistra.frquasarsspectroscopyultraviolet-astronomyinfrared-astronomyQuasi-stellar object (QSO) spectral templates are important both to QSO physics and for investigations that use QSOs as probes of intervening gas and dust. However, combinations of various QSO samples obtained at different times and with different instruments so as to expand a composite and to cover a wider rest frame wavelength region may create systematic effects, and the contribution from QSO hosts may contaminate the composite. We have constructed a composite spectrum from luminous blue QSOs at 1<z<2.1 selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The observations with X-shooter simultaneously cover ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR) light, which ensures that the composite spectrum covers the full rest-frame range from Ly{beta} to 11350{AA} without any significant host contamination. Assuming a power-law continuum for the composite we find a spectral slope of {alpha}{lambda}=1.70+/-0.01, which is steeper than previously found in the literature. We attribute the differences to our broader spectral wavelength coverage, which allows us to effectively avoid fitting any regions that are affected either by strong QSO emissions lines (e.g., Balmer lines and complex [FeII] blends) or by intrinsic host galaxy emission. Finally, we demonstrate the application of the QSO composite spectrum for evaluating the reddening in other QSOs.2016A&A...585A..87Shttps://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/585/A87CatalogResearchIsServedByTAP VizieR generic servicehttps://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.htmlhttps://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/585/A87https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/585/A87http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/585/A87https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/585/A87https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/585/A87http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/585/A87GETtext/xml+votablehttps://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tapUVInfrareddefaultJ/A+A/585/A87/spectrumQuasar composite spectrumrecnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintlambdaWavelength array for the composite0.1nmem.wlfloatSNormalized flux density, normalized to unity at 6800{AA} (1)phot.fluxfloate_SError relative to the normalized flux densitystat.errorfloat