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Start Over Subject quasars Subject redshifted Facility HST Rights public
1. Composite HST Spectrum of Quasars
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/475/469
Title:
Composite HST Spectrum of Quasars
Short Name:
J/ApJ/475/469
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We construct a composite quasar spectrum from 284 HST FOS spectra of 101 quasars with redshifts z>0.33. The spectrum covers the wavelengths between 350 and 3000A in the rest frame, with a peak S/N level of ~130 per A at ~1200A. Since ~90% of the sample quasars have redshift z<1.5, the spectrum is suitable for studying the wavelength region shortward of Ly{alpha} without large effects from intervening Ly{alpha} forest absorption. Data in the waveband between 350 and 600A are mainly from the spectra of z>1.5 quasars, for which significant corrections for the accumulated Lyman-series line and continuum absorption have been applied. There is a significant steepening of the continuum slope around 1050A. The continuum between 1050 and 2200A can be modeled as a power law f_{nu} proportional to {nu}_{alpha}_ with {alpha}=-0.99+/-0.05. For the full sample the power-law index in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) between 350 and 1050A is {alpha}=-1.96+/-0.15. For the radio-loud subsample (60 objects), the EUV spectral index is {alpha}~=-2.2, while for the radio-quiet subsample (41 objects) it is {alpha}~=-1.8. The continuum flux in the wavelengths near the Lyman limit shows a depression of ~10%. The break in the power-law index and the slight depression of the continuum near the Lyman limit are features expected in Comptonized accretion-disk spectra. Comptonization produces a power-law tail in the wavelength band shortward of 1000A and smears out the Lyman-limit edge of the intrinsic accretion-disk spectrum. In the EUV waveband, we detect several possible emission features, including one around 690A that may be O III + N III produced by the Bowen fluorescence effect. Comparing our composite spectrum with one made at higher redshifts by Francis et al. (1991ApJ...373..465F), we find that the equivalent widths of Ly{alpha} and high-ionization emission lines are larger in our sample, reflecting a known luminosity dependence. The equivalent widths of low-ionization lines do not exhibit such a dependence, suggesting that the quasar EUV continuum above ~50eV is steeper at higher luminosity. Radio-quiet quasars appear to show a slightly harder continuum and lower ionization levels in their emission lines.
2. HST Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. X.
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/97/1
Title:
HST Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. X.
Short Name:
J/ApJS/97/1
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
Sensitive H I 21cm emission line spectra have been measured for the directions to 143 quasars and AGNs chosen from the observing lists for the HST Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. Narrow-band and wide-band data were obtained with the NRAO 43m radio telescope for each object. The narrow-band data have a velocity resolution of 1km/s, extend from -220 to +170km/s, and are corrected for stray 21cm radiation. The wide-band data have a resolution of 4km/s and extend from -1000 to +1000km/s. The data are important for the interpretation of ultraviolet absorption lines near zero redshift in Key Project spectra. Twenty-two percent of the quasars lie behind Galactic high-velocity H I clouds with |VLSR|>100km/s whose presence can increase the equivalent width of interstellar absorption lines significantly. This paper contains the emission spectra and measures of the H I velocities and column densities along the sight line to each quasar. We discuss how the measurements can be used to estimate the visual and ultraviolet extinction toward each quasar and to predict the approximate strength of the strong ultraviolet resonance lines of neutral gas species in the HST Key Project spectra.
3. Properties of low z QSO absorption systems
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/122/355
Title:
Properties of low z QSO absorption systems
Short Name:
J/ApJS/122/355
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
(Partial): We examine the clustering properties of low-redshift Ly{alpha} and heavy-element QSO absorption line systems seen in the spectra of 13 QSOs at the Galactic poles. This is the densest sample of ~1 degree separated QSOs observed spectroscopically with the Hubble Space Telescope to date. At the median redshift of the Ly{alpha} sample (z{=~}0.7), the QSO lines of sight are separated on transverse scales from about 15 to 200h^-1^Mpc (q_0_=0.5, H=100h.km/s/Mpc), allowing the three-dimensional clustering of the absorbers to be examined on those scales. The Galactic poles are also regions where relatively deep and wide-field galaxy redshift surveys have taken place, so the distributions of galaxies and Ly{alpha} systems can be compared within the same volume of space. There are 545 total absorption lines detected in the complete sample from 13 QSOs. We identify 307 Ly{alpha} systems, of which 18 contain heavy-element lines. We confirm the relatively slow redshift number density evolution for Ly systems at z{<=}1. There are also five likely C IV doublets in our sample, for which the Ly{alpha} line is not accessible.
4. RK photometry in 3C 336 field
ID:
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/480/568
Title:
RK photometry in 3C 336 field
Short Name:
J/ApJ/480/568
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
We present very deep WFPC2 images and FOS spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) together with numerous supporting ground-based observations of the field of the quasar 3C 336 (z_em_=0.927). The observations are designed to investigate the nature of galaxies producing metal-line absorption systems in the spectrum of the QSO. Along a single line of sight, we find at least six metal-line absorption systems (of which three are newly discovered) ranging in redshift from 0.317 to 0.892. Through an extensive program of optical and IR imaging, QSO spectroscopy, and faint galaxy spectroscopy, we have identified five of the six metal-line absorption systems with luminous (L_K_>=0.1L^*^_K_) galaxies. These have morphologies ranging from very late-type spiral to S0, and they exhibit a wide range of inclination and position angles with respect to the QSO sight line. The only unidentified absorber, despite our intensive search, is a damped Lyman-{alpha} system at z_abs_=0.656. Analysis of the absorption spectrum suggests that the metal abundances ([Fe/H]=-1.2) in this system are similar to those in damped systems at z~2 and to the two other damped systems for which abundances have been determined at z<1. The absorption line system must either be associated with an underluminous, late-type spiral galaxy, which we find at a projected disk impact parameter of ~120h^-1^kpc, or with an as yet unseen, extremely faint galaxy (L<0.05L^*^_K_) near the QSO sight line that eludes detection despite our deep HST and high-resolution ground-based near-IR images. We have found no examples of intrinsically faint galaxies (L<0.1L^*^) at small impact parameters that might have been missed as absorber candidates in our previous ground-based imaging and spectroscopic programs on Mg II absorbing galaxies. We have, however, identified several intrinsically faint galaxies within ~50h^-1^kpc of the QSO sight line that do not produce detectable metal-line absorption. There are no bright galaxies (L>0.1L_K_) within 50h^-1^kpc that do not produce detectable metal lines (of Mg II {lambda}{lambda}2796, 2803 and/or C IV {lambda}{lambda}1548, 1550) in the QSO spectrum. All of these results generally support the inferences we have previously reached from a larger survey for absorption-selected galaxies at z<1. There are several other galaxies with redshifts near that of 3C 336, suggesting that the QSO is situated in an overdense region, perhaps a galaxy cluster. Previously published reports of a cluster around 3C 336 were largely misled by the presence of many foreground galaxies seen in projection near the QSO. It is possible that a reported measurement of weak shear gravitational lensing in this field may be produced by the QSO cluster itself, since there appear to be no other groups or clusters in the foreground. We find no evidence for a normal, bright QSO host galaxy, although there are several faint objects very close to the quasar and at similar redshift that might either be companions or part of a disorganized QSO host.

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