Metallicity of Active Galactic Nuclei from ultraviolet and optical emission lines I: Carbon abundance dependence

Abstract

Metallicity ($Z$) estimates based on ultraviolet (UV) emission lines from the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been found to differ from those derived from optical lines. However, the origin of this discrepancy ($ZR$) remains poorly understood. To investigate the source of $ZR$, we compiled from the literature the fluxes of narrow near-UV ($1000 < \lambda(\angstrom) < 2000)$ and optical ($3000 < \lambda(\angstrom) < 7000)$ emission line measurements for a sample of 11 AGNs (9 at $z<0.4$ and 2 at $z\sim2.4$). Metallicity values for our sample were derived using a semi-empirical calibration based on the $C43$=log[(\ion{C{iv}$\lambda$1549+\ion{C{iii}]$\lambda$1909)/\ion{He}{ii}$\lambda$1640] emission-line ratio and compared with those obtained via direct measurement of the electron temperature ($T_{\rm e}$-method) and via calibrations based on optical emission-lines. The source of the discrepancy was investigated in terms of the ionization parameter ($U$), electron density ($N_{\rm e}$), and carbon abundance (C/H). We found a weak correlation between $ZR$, $U$ and $N_{\rm e}$. However, a moderate correlation was observed between $ZR$ and direct estimates of C/H, suggesting that the previously assumed (C/O)-$Z$ relations in photoionization models used to derive UV carbon-line calibrations may not be valid for AGNs. By combining a large set of abundance estimates for local star-forming regions with those of our AGN sample, we derived a new (C/O)-$Z$ relation. Comparisons between the results of photoionization models that assume this new abundance relation and the UV observational data of our sample produce $Z$ values derived from the $C43$ index that are consistent with those obtained using the $T_{\rm e}$-method.