A First Close Look at the Balmer-edge Behavior of the Quasar Big Blue Bump

Abstract

We have found for the first time a Balmer edge feature in the Big Blue Bump emission of a quasar. The feature is seen in the polarized flux spectrum of the quasar, where all the emissions from outside the nucleus are scraped off and removed. The existence of the Balmer-edge absorption feature directly indicates that the Big Blue Bump is indeed thermal and optically-thick.