The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data

Xiaohui Fan; Michael A. Strauss; James E. Gunn; Robert H. Lupton; C. L. Carilli; M. P. Rupen; Gary D. Schmidt; Leonidas A. Moustakas; Marc Davis; James Annis; Neta A. Bahcall; J. Brinkmann; Robert J. Brunner; István Csabai; Mamoru Doi; Masataka Fukugita; Timothy M. Heckman; G. S. Hennessy; Robert B. Hindsley; Željko Ivezić; G. R. Knapp; D. Q. Lamb; Jeffrey A. Munn; A. George Pauls; Jeffrey R. Pier; Constance M. Rockosi; Donald P. Schneider; Alexander S. Szalay; Douglas L. Tucker; Donald G. York

doi:10.1086/312382

The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data

Xiaohui Fan, Michael A. Strauss, James E. Gunn, Robert H. Lupton, C. L. Carilli, M. P. Rupen, Gary D. Schmidt, Leonidas A. Moustakas, Marc Davis, James Annis, Neta A. Bahcall, J. Brinkmann, Robert J. Brunner, István Csabai, Mamoru Doi, Masataka Fukugita, Timothy M. Heckman, G. S. Hennessy, Robert B. Hindsley, Željko IvezićG. R. Knapp, D. Q. Lamb, Jeffrey A. Munn, A. George Pauls, Jeffrey R. Pier, Constance M. Rockosi, Donald P. Schneider, Alexander S. Szalay, Douglas L. Tucker, Donald G. York

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15 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report observations of a luminous unresolved object at redshift z = 4.62, with a featureless optical spectrum redward of the Lyα forest region, discovered from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshift is determined by the onset of the Lyα forest at λ ∼ 6800 Å and a Lyman limit system at λ = 5120 Å. A strong Lya absorption system with weak metal absorption lines at z = 4.58 is also identified in the spectrum. The object has a continuum absolute magnitude of -26.6 at 1450 Å in the rest frame (h₀ = 0.5, q₀ = 0.5) and therefore cannot be an ordinary galaxy. It shows no radio emission (the 3 σ upper limit of its flux at 6 cm is 60 μJy), indicating a radio-to-optical flux ratio at least as small as that of the radio-weakest BL Lacertae objects known. It is also not linearly polarized to a 3 σ upper limit of 4% in the observed I band. Therefore, it is either the most distant BL Lac object known to date, with very weak radio emission, or a new type of unbeamed quasar, whose broad emission line region is very weak or absent.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L57-L60
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	526
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/312382
State	Published - Dec 1 1999

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

Quasars: individual (SDSS 1533-00)
Radio continuum: galaxies
X-rays: galaxies

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10.1086/312382

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Fan, X., Strauss, M. A., Gunn, J. E., Lupton, R. H., Carilli, C. L., Rupen, M. P., Schmidt, G. D., Moustakas, L. A., Davis, M., Annis, J., Bahcall, N. A., Brinkmann, J., Brunner, R. J., Csabai, I., Doi, M., Fukugita, M., Heckman, T. M., Hennessy, G. S., Hindsley, R. B., ... York, D. G. (1999). The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. Astrophysical Journal, 526(2 PART 2), L57-L60. https://doi.org/10.1086/312382

@article{61df935229444976a268a40d3e1a96cb,

title = "The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data",

abstract = "We report observations of a luminous unresolved object at redshift z = 4.62, with a featureless optical spectrum redward of the Lyα forest region, discovered from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshift is determined by the onset of the Lyα forest at λ ∼ 6800 {\AA} and a Lyman limit system at λ = 5120 {\AA}. A strong Lya absorption system with weak metal absorption lines at z = 4.58 is also identified in the spectrum. The object has a continuum absolute magnitude of -26.6 at 1450 {\AA} in the rest frame (h0 = 0.5, q0 = 0.5) and therefore cannot be an ordinary galaxy. It shows no radio emission (the 3 σ upper limit of its flux at 6 cm is 60 μJy), indicating a radio-to-optical flux ratio at least as small as that of the radio-weakest BL Lacertae objects known. It is also not linearly polarized to a 3 σ upper limit of 4% in the observed I band. Therefore, it is either the most distant BL Lac object known to date, with very weak radio emission, or a new type of unbeamed quasar, whose broad emission line region is very weak or absent.",

keywords = "Quasars: individual (SDSS 1533-00), Radio continuum: galaxies, X-rays: galaxies",

author = "Xiaohui Fan and Strauss, {Michael A.} and Gunn, {James E.} and Lupton, {Robert H.} and Carilli, {C. L.} and Rupen, {M. P.} and Schmidt, {Gary D.} and Moustakas, {Leonidas A.} and Marc Davis and James Annis and Bahcall, {Neta A.} and J. Brinkmann and Brunner, {Robert J.} and Istv{\'a}n Csabai and Mamoru Doi and Masataka Fukugita and Heckman, {Timothy M.} and Hennessy, {G. S.} and Hindsley, {Robert B.} and {\v Z}eljko Ivezi{\'c} and Knapp, {G. R.} and Lamb, {D. Q.} and Munn, {Jeffrey A.} and Pauls, {A. George} and Pier, {Jeffrey R.} and Rockosi, {Constance M.} and Schneider, {Donald P.} and Szalay, {Alexander S.} and Tucker, {Douglas L.} and York, {Donald G.}",

year = "1999",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1086/312382",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "526",

pages = "L57--L60",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2 PART 2",

}

Fan, X, Strauss, MA, Gunn, JE, Lupton, RH, Carilli, CL, Rupen, MP, Schmidt, GD, Moustakas, LA, Davis, M, Annis, J, Bahcall, NA, Brinkmann, J, Brunner, RJ, Csabai, I, Doi, M, Fukugita, M, Heckman, TM, Hennessy, GS, Hindsley, RB, Ivezić, Ž, Knapp, GR, Lamb, DQ, Munn, JA, Pauls, AG, Pier, JR, Rockosi, CM, Schneider, DP, Szalay, AS, Tucker, DL & York, DG 1999, 'The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 526, no. 2 PART 2, pp. L57-L60. https://doi.org/10.1086/312382

TY - JOUR

T1 - The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data

AU - Fan, Xiaohui

AU - Strauss, Michael A.

AU - Gunn, James E.

AU - Lupton, Robert H.

AU - Carilli, C. L.

AU - Rupen, M. P.

AU - Schmidt, Gary D.

AU - Moustakas, Leonidas A.

AU - Davis, Marc

AU - Annis, James

AU - Bahcall, Neta A.

AU - Brinkmann, J.

AU - Brunner, Robert J.

AU - Csabai, István

AU - Doi, Mamoru

AU - Fukugita, Masataka

AU - Heckman, Timothy M.

AU - Hennessy, G. S.

AU - Hindsley, Robert B.

AU - Ivezić, Željko

AU - Knapp, G. R.

AU - Lamb, D. Q.

AU - Munn, Jeffrey A.

AU - Pauls, A. George

AU - Pier, Jeffrey R.

AU - Rockosi, Constance M.

AU - Schneider, Donald P.

AU - Szalay, Alexander S.

AU - Tucker, Douglas L.

AU - York, Donald G.

PY - 1999/12/1

Y1 - 1999/12/1

N2 - We report observations of a luminous unresolved object at redshift z = 4.62, with a featureless optical spectrum redward of the Lyα forest region, discovered from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshift is determined by the onset of the Lyα forest at λ ∼ 6800 Å and a Lyman limit system at λ = 5120 Å. A strong Lya absorption system with weak metal absorption lines at z = 4.58 is also identified in the spectrum. The object has a continuum absolute magnitude of -26.6 at 1450 Å in the rest frame (h0 = 0.5, q0 = 0.5) and therefore cannot be an ordinary galaxy. It shows no radio emission (the 3 σ upper limit of its flux at 6 cm is 60 μJy), indicating a radio-to-optical flux ratio at least as small as that of the radio-weakest BL Lacertae objects known. It is also not linearly polarized to a 3 σ upper limit of 4% in the observed I band. Therefore, it is either the most distant BL Lac object known to date, with very weak radio emission, or a new type of unbeamed quasar, whose broad emission line region is very weak or absent.

AB - We report observations of a luminous unresolved object at redshift z = 4.62, with a featureless optical spectrum redward of the Lyα forest region, discovered from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshift is determined by the onset of the Lyα forest at λ ∼ 6800 Å and a Lyman limit system at λ = 5120 Å. A strong Lya absorption system with weak metal absorption lines at z = 4.58 is also identified in the spectrum. The object has a continuum absolute magnitude of -26.6 at 1450 Å in the rest frame (h0 = 0.5, q0 = 0.5) and therefore cannot be an ordinary galaxy. It shows no radio emission (the 3 σ upper limit of its flux at 6 cm is 60 μJy), indicating a radio-to-optical flux ratio at least as small as that of the radio-weakest BL Lacertae objects known. It is also not linearly polarized to a 3 σ upper limit of 4% in the observed I band. Therefore, it is either the most distant BL Lac object known to date, with very weak radio emission, or a new type of unbeamed quasar, whose broad emission line region is very weak or absent.

KW - Quasars: individual (SDSS 1533-00)

KW - Radio continuum: galaxies

KW - X-rays: galaxies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088668478&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85088668478&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/312382

DO - 10.1086/312382

M3 - Article

C2 - 10550277

AN - SCOPUS:85088668478

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 526

SP - L57-L60

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART 2

ER -

The discovery of a high-redshift quasar without emission lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data

Abstract

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Keywords

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