Mining the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Database for Quasar Outflows with Possible Distance Indicators

The focus of our project is to identify outflows within quasar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that exhibit key characteristics and warrant follow-up observations. Quasars are energetic objects in the universe and are connected with the supermassive black holes in the center of galaxies. These objects emit powerful outflows that influence the formation and evolution of the host galaxy. The research goal is to find outflows with specific characteristics that allow us to calculate number density and determine the distance of the outflow from the source, thus forming implications for quasar feedback. Currently, our project director Dr. Nahum Arav is looking for quasars with discernable S IV, N III and P V absorption troughs. These troughs are identified with software developed using the Interactive Data Language (IDL). The IDL software is used to find the velocity of the outflow relative to the quasar rest frame and its velocity spread. Moreover, it is used to check identifications of excited states and compare outflow troughs. After mining through 2,187 objects we found 55 objects that justified a follow-up. With our total being 10,218 objects over a 1,000 hour period, we expect 245 to qualify as interesting.