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Description
We have conducted a systematic search of low-mass black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with broad H{alpha} emission lines, aiming at building a homogeneous sample that is more complete than previous ones for fainter, less highly accreting sources. For this purpose, we developed a set of elaborate, automated selection procedures and applied it uniformly to the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Special attention is given to AGN-galaxy spectral decomposition and emission-line deblending. We define a sample of 309 type 1 AGNs with BH masses in the range 8x10^4^-2x10^6^M_{sun}_ (with a median of 1.2x10^6^M_{sun}_), using the virial mass estimator based on the broad H{alpha} line. About half of our sample of low-mass BHs differs from that of Greene & Ho (2007, Cat. J/ApJ/670/92), with 61 of them discovered here for the first time. Our new sample picks up more AGNs with low accretion rates: the Eddington ratios of the present sample range from <~0.01 to ~1, with 30% below 0.1. This suggests that a significant fraction of low-mass BHs in the local universe are accreting at low rates. The host galaxies of the low-mass BHs have luminosities similar to those of L* field galaxies, optical colors of Sbc spirals, and stellar spectral features consistent with a continuous star formation history with a mean stellar age of less than 1Gyr.
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