Updating quasar bolometric luminosity corrections

Bolometric corrections are used in quasar studies to quantify total energy output based on a measurement of a monochromatic luminosity. First, we enumerate and discuss the practical difficulties of determining such corrections, then we present bolometric luminosities between 1 μm and 8 keV rest frame and corrections derived from the detailed spectral energy distributions of 63 bright quasars of low to moderate redshift (z= 0.03-1.4). Exploring several mathematical fittings, we provide practical bolometric corrections of the forms L_iso=ζ λL_λ and log (L_iso) =A+Blog (λL_λ) for λ= 1450, 3000 and 5100 Å, where L_iso is the bolometric luminosity calculated under the assumption of isotropy. The significant scatter in the 5100 Å bolometric correction can be reduced by adding a first-order correction using the optical slope, α_{λ, opt}. We recommend an adjustment to the bolometric correction to account for viewing angle and the anisotropic emission expected from accretion discs. For optical/UV monochromatic luminosities, radio-loud and radio-quiet bolometric corrections are consistent within 95 per cent confidence intervals, so we do not make separate radio-loud and radio-quiet corrections. In addition, we provide several bolometric corrections to the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity, which are shown to have very large scatter. Separate radio-loud and radio-quiet corrections are warranted by the X-ray data.