SPECTROPOLARIMETRY OF RADIO-SELECTED BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QUASARS

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/189/1/83· OSTI ID:21455211

DiPompeo, M A; Brotherton, M S ^[1]; Becker, R H; Gregg, M D ^[2]; Tran, H D ^[3]; White, R L ^[4]; Laurent-Muehleisen, S A ^[5]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, 3905, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States)
2. Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, P.O. Box 808, L413, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)
3. W. M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States)
4. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
5. Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60616 (United States)

We report spectropolarimetry of 30 radio-selected broad absorption line (BAL) quasars with the Keck Observatory, 25 from the sample of Becker et al. Both high- and low-ionization BAL quasars are represented, with redshifts ranging from 0.5 to 2.5. The spectropolarimetric properties of radio-selected BAL quasars are very similar to those of radio-quiet BAL quasars: a sizeable fraction (20%) shows large continuum polarization (2%-10%) usually rising toward short wavelengths; emission lines are typically less polarized than the continuum; and absorption line troughs often show large polarization jumps. There are no significant correlations between polarization properties and radio properties, including those indicative of system orientation, suggesting that BAL quasars are not simply normal quasars seen from an edge-on perspective.

• OSTI ID: 21455211
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 189; ISSN 0067-0049; ISSN APJSA2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
EMISSION
POLARIZATION
QUASARS
RED SHIFT
SORPTION