10 research outputs found
An FeLoBAL Binary Quasar
In an ongoing infrared imaging survey of quasars at Keck Observatory, we have
discovered that the z=1.285 quasar SDSS J233646.2-010732.6 comprises two point
sources with a separation of 1.67". Resolved spectra show that one component is
a standard quasar with a blue continuum and broad emission lines; the other is
a broad absorption line (BAL) quasar, specifically, a BAL QSO with prominent
absorption from MgII and metastable FeII, making it a member of the ``FeLoBAL''
class. The number of known FeLoBALs has recently grown dramatically from a
single example to more than a dozen, including a gravitationally lensed example
and the binary member presented here, suggesting that this formerly rare object
may be fairly common. Additionally, the presence of this BAL quasar in a
relatively small separation binary adds to the growing evidence that the BAL
phenomenon is not due to viewing a normal quasar at a specific orientation, but
rather that it is an evolutionary phase in the life of many, if not all,
quasars, and is particularly associated with conditions found in interacting
systems.Comment: AASTEX 13 pp., 4 figs; accepted by ApJ Letter
C, N, O Abundances in the Most Metal-Poor Damped Lyman alpha Systems
This study focuses on some of the most metal-poor damped Lyman alpha
absorbers known in the spectra of high redshift QSOs, using new and archival
observations obtained with UV-sensitive echelle spectrographs on the Keck and
VLT telescopes. The weakness and simple velocity structure of the absorption
lines in these systems allows us to measure the abundances of several elements,
and in particular those of C, N, and O, a group that is difficult to study in
DLAs of more typical metallicities. We find that when the oxygen abundance is
less than about 1/100 of solar, the C/O ratio in high redshift DLAs and
sub-DLAs matches that of halo stars of similar metallicity and shows higher
values than expected from galactic chemical evolution models based on
conventional stellar yields. Furthermore, there are indications that at these
low metallicities the N/O ratio may also be above simple expectations and may
exhibit a minimum value, as proposed by Centurion and her collaborators in
2003. Both results can be interpreted as evidence for enhanced production of C
and N by massive stars in the first few episodes of star formation, in our
Galaxy and in the distant proto-galaxies seen as QSO absorbers. The higher
stellar yields implied may have an origin in stellar rotation which promotes
mixing in the stars' interiors, as considered in some recent model
calculations. We briefly discuss the relevance of these results to current
ideas on the origin of metals in the intergalactic medium and the universality
of the stellar initial mass function.Comment: 17 pages, 9 Figures, Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
Emission-Line Properties of z > 4 Quasars
We present results of a program of high signal-to-noise spectroscopy for 44
QSOs at redshifts > 4 using the MMT and Keck observatories. The quasar spectra
cover 1100 -- 1700 A in the rest frame for sources spanning a luminosity range
of approximately 2 orders of magnitude. Comparisons between these data and
spectra of lower redshift quasars reveal a high degree of similarity, although
differences are present in the profiles and the strengths of some emission
features. An examination of the luminosity dependence of the emission lines
reveals evidence for a weak or absent Baldwin effect among z > 4 QSOs. We
compare measurements for objects in our sample with results from other high
redshift surveys characterized by different selection techniques. Distributions
of equivalent widths for these different ensembles are consistent with a common
parent population, suggesting that our sample is not strongly biased, or in any
case, subject to selection effects that are not significantly different from
other surveys, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Based on this
comparison, we tentatively conclude that the trends identified here are
representative of high z QSOs. In particular, the data bolster indications of
supersolar metallicities in these luminous, high-z sources, which support
scenarios that assume substantial star formation at epochs preceding or
concurrent with the QSO phenomena.Comment: 26 pages (incl. 9 figures), AASTeX v5.0, to appear in The
Astrophysical Journa
The Metallicity of the Redshift 4.16 Quasar BR2248-1242
We estimate the metallicity in the broad emission-line region of the redshift
z=4.16 quasar, BR2248-1242, by comparing line ratios involving nitrogen to
theoretical predictions. BR2248-1242 has unusually narrow emission lines with
large equivalent widths, thus providing a rare opportunity to measure several
line-ratio abundance diagnostics. The combined diagnostics indicate a
metallicity of ~2 times solar. This result suggests that an episode of vigorous
star formation occurred near BR2248-1242 prior to the observed z=4.16 epoch.
The time available for this enrichment episode is only ~1.5 Gyr at z=4.16 (for
H_{0}=65 km s^-1 Mpc^-1, Omega_{m}=0.3 and Omega_Lambda ~< 1). This evidence
for high metallicities and rapid star formation is consistent with the expected
early-epoch evolution of dense galactic nuclei.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Prepared in AAStex. Submitted to the
Astrophysical Journal Revised version: added 1 referenc