Description
We obtained spectra of 60 red, star-like objects (m_E_<18.8) identified with FIRST radio sources, S_1.4GHz_>1mJy. Eight are quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) with redshift z>3.6. Combined with our earlier pilot search, our sample of 121 candidates yields a total of 18 z>3.6 QSOs (10 of these with z>4.0). 8 per cent of candidates with S_1.4GHz_<10mJy and 37 per cent of candidates with S_1.4GHz_>10mJy are QSOs with z>3.6. The surface density of m_E_<18.8, S_1.4GHz_>1mJy, z>4 QSOs is 0.003deg^-2^. This is currently the only well-defined sample of radio-loud QSOs at z~4 selected independently of radio spectral index. The QSOs are highly luminous in the optical (eight have M_B_<28, q_0_=0.5, H_0_=50km/s/Mpc). The SEDs are as varied as those seen in optical searches for high-redshift QSOs, but the fraction of objects with weak (strongly self-absorbed) Ly emission is marginally higher (3 out of 18) than for high-redshift QSOs from SDSS (5 out of 96).
|