An Empirical Ultraviolet Iron Spectrum Template Applicable to Active Galaxies

Abstract

Iron emission is often a severe contaminant in optical-ultraviolet spectra of active galaxies. Its presence complicates emission line studies. A viable solution, already successfully applied at optical wavelengths, is to use an empirical iron emission template. We have generated FeII and FeIII templates for ultraviolet active galaxy spectra based on HST archival 1100 - 3100 A spectra of IZw1. Their application allows fitting and subtraction of the iron emission in active galaxy spectra. This work has shown that in particular CIII] lambda 1909 can be heavily contaminated by other line emission, including iron transitions. Details of the data processing, generation, and use of the templates, are given by Vestergaard & Wilkes (2001).