HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING OF POST-STARBURST QUASARS
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)
- Department of Computer Science, Engineering, and Physics, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI 48502 (United States)
- Department of Physics, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA 15650 (United States)
- Physics Department, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)
- Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)
We present images of 29 post-starburst quasars (PSQs) from a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel Snapshot program. These broadlined active galactic nuclei (AGNs) possess the spectral signatures of massive (M{sub burst} {approx} 10{sup 10} M{sub sun}), moderate-aged stellar populations (hundreds of Myr). Thus, their composite nature provides insight into the AGN-starburst connection. We measure quasar-to-host galaxy light contributions via semi-automated two-dimensional light profile fits of point-spread-function-subtracted images. We examine the host morphologies and model the separate bulge and disk components. The HST/ACS-F606W images reveal an equal number of spiral (13/29) and early-type (13/29) hosts, with the remaining three hosts having indeterminate classifications. AGNs hosted by early-type galaxies have on average greater luminosity than those hosted by spiral galaxies. Disturbances such as tidal tails, shells, star-forming knots, and asymmetries are seen as signposts of interaction/merger activity. Disturbances like these were found in 17 of the 29 objects and are evenly distributed among early-type and spiral galaxies. Two of these systems are clearly merging with their companions. Compared to other AGNs of similar luminosity and redshift, these PSQs have a higher fraction of early-type hosts and disturbances. Our most luminous objects with disturbed early-type host galaxies appear to be consistent with merger products. Thus, these luminous galaxies may represent a phase in an evolutionary scenario for merger-driven activity. Our less luminous objects appear to be consistent with Seyfert galaxies not requiring triggering by major mergers. Many of these Seyferts are barred spiral galaxies.
- OSTI ID:
- 21612686
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 741, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/106; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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