Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-1991
Publication Title
Astrophysical Journal
Abstract
We have detected narrow emission lines at 1.118 μm and 1.456 μm in the spectrum of the z = 2.606 quasar Q1215 + 333, corresponding to [O II] λ3727 and Hβ at z = 1.9984, the redshift of a damped Lyα absorber toward this quasar. The intensity of the Hβ line is 7.6 ± 2 × 10-16 ergs cm-2 s-1, which corresponds to a line luminosity of 5 × 1042 ergs s-1 h-2100 (q0 = 0.5). If we assume that the photoionization producing the emission is due purely to massive star formation with a Salpeter initial mass function, we find a total star formation rate of 100 M⊙ yr-1 h-2100. Given the uncertainty in the initial mass function and cosmological parameters, this star formation rate is very uncertain. However, the star formation rate is well above those inferred from Lyα emission-line searches of similar systems, implying effective destruction of Lyα photons. The intensity of the [O II] λ3727 line is 1.6 ± 0.3 × 10-15 ergs cm-2 s-1. The ratio [O II]/Hβ ≈ 2 and the weakness of the ratio [O III] λ5007/β < 0.5 is typical of star formation regions with gas at nearly solar metallicity.
Keywords
Quasars
Volume
373
Issue
2 PART 2
DOI
10.1086/186046
ISSN
0004637X
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Rights
© The Authors
Recommended Citation
Elston, Richard; Bechtold, Jill; Lowenthal, James; and Rieke, Marcia, "Emission from the z = 2 Damped Lyα Absorber Toward Q1215 + 333" (1991). Astronomy: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/ast_facpubs/76
Comments
Archived as published.