UV to NIR spectra of the QSO 2MASS J15165323+1900482

The NIR and optical spectra show strong broad emission lines, while the UV spectrum is dominated by a set of rich intermediate-width emission lines (IELs). These IELs, unshifted with respect to the quasar systemic velocity measured by narrow emission lines, share a common profile of about 1900km/s in FWHM, in contrast to the Balmer and Paschen broad emission lines of FWHM ~6300km/s observed in the optical and NIR.

The intermediate width of these lines indicates that the emitting gas may come from the dusty torus region. However, the observed peculiar IEL intensity ratios, such as NV{lambda}1240/Ly{alpha}, indicate that the emitting gas has a very high density, up to ~10^13^cm^-3^. Such a high density is unusual for gas around the dusty torus region, except that we consider mechanisms such as shocks that can produce local ultradense gas.