The local environments of low-redshift quasars and powerful radio galaxies

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168211· OSTI ID:6904777

Smith, E P; Heckman, T M ^[1]

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1. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA) Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA)

The local environments of 31 low-redshift QSOs and 35 powerful radio galaxies (PRGs) are studied on the basis of V and R CCD frames processed to generate catalogs of companion galaxies. The PRGs and radio-loud QSOs are noted to inhabit regions whose local galaxy densities are similar to normal giant ellipticals and 3-4 times less dense than the regions inhabited by lower power radio-loud elliptical galaxies. The brightest companion galaxy is on average about 2 mag dimmer than the QSO host galaxy or PRG. Attention is given to the implications of these results for theories of the origin of nuclear activity, as well as the relationship between various classes of active galaxies and QSOs. 43 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6904777
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 348; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640105 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CATALOGS
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
CONFIGURATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELLIPTICAL CONFIGURATION
ENVIRONMENT
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY CLUSTERS
GALAXY NUCLEI
LUMINOSITY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORIGIN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASARS
RADIO GALAXIES
RED SHIFT
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES