Spectroscopic quasar anomaly detection (SQuAD): I. Rest-frame UV spectra from SDSS DR16

Abstract

Aims. We present the results of applying anomaly detection algorithms to a quasar spectroscopic subsample from the SDSS DR16 quasar catalog, covering the redshift range of 1.88 ≤ z ≤ 2.47. Methods. A principal component analysis (PCA) was employed for the dimensionality reduction of the quasar spectra, followed by a hierarchical k-means clustering in a 20-dimensional PCA eigenvector hyperspace. To prevent broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from being identified as the primary anomaly group, we conducted separate analyses on BAL and non-BAL quasars (a.k.a. QSOs), comparing both classes for a clearer identification of other anomalous quasar types. Results. We identified 2066 anomalous quasars, categorized into 10 broadly defined groups. The anomalous groups include: C IV peakers: quasars with extremely strong and narrow C IV emission lines; Excess Si IV emitters: quasars where the Si IV line is as strong as the C IV line; and Si IV deficient anomalies: which exhibit significantly weaker Si IV emission compared to typical quasars. The anomalous nature of these quasars is attributed to lower Eddington ratios for C IV peakers, supersolar metallicity for Excess Si IV emitters, and subsolar metallicity for Si IV deficient anomalies. Additionally, we identified four groups of BAL anomalies: blue BALs, flat BALs, reddened BALs, and FeLoBALs, distinguished primarily by the strength of reddening in these sources. Furthermore, among the non-BAL quasars, we identified three types of reddened anomaly groups classified as heavily reddened, moderately reddened, and plateau-shaped spectrum quasars, each exhibiting varying degrees of reddening. We present the detected anomalies as an accompanying value-added catalog.