类星体L_α森林吸收线密度与发射红移的相关性

本文对16个高红移类星体的L_α森林吸收线密度N(z_(abs))统计分析的结果,表明它明显地依赖于类星体自身的发射红移z_(em)。这不仅表现在z(em)越大的类星体其全部L_α吸收线的平均数密度N(z_(abs))也越大;更重要的是,对于相同的吸收红移值z_(abs),而言,N(z_(abs))在统计意义上明显地随着类星体z_(em)的增大而增大。另一方面,本文也在“吸收体源自类星体抛射”的框架下作了统计,结果仍表明z_(em)对L_α森林吸收线密度有显著影响,但抛射速度却对被抛射体的数目无显著影响。最后,对所得的结果以及可能影响N(z_(abs))的若干因素作了讨论。     

高红移类星体光谱中的L_α森林

在类星体光谱证认史上,“L_α森林”假说的提出与证实是继“发射红移”、“吸收红移、“多重红移”之后的又一座里程碑。L_α森林的概念形成于六、七十年代之交,八十年代初对它的研究逐渐进入高潮。研究L_α森林是了解星系际物质分布及其演化的重要途径,其潜在的宇宙学意义将是很深刻的.本文是继Sargent和Boksenberg之后有关L_α森林的第二篇专题评述,全文的要点是:L_α森林概念的形成和证实(第二、三节),吸收线密度的统计研究(第五节)、静止等值宽度(第六节)、吸收云的成团性(第七节)、吸收云的尺度(第八节)和其他物理参数(第九节)。其他有关论题可参阅文献[5]和另外几篇综述类星体吸收线的文章(参考文献[6,7,8]),以及为它们所引用的文献.     

九个类星体的氢L_α吸收线的统计研究

本文研究了九个类星体,即B2 1225+31.7,PKS 2126—158,Q 0002—422,Q 0453—423,PHL 957,PKS 0528—250,PKS 0805+046,PKS 1448—232和PKS 1442+101的高分辨率光谱中L_a吸收线的性质.发射线红移的范围是2.20≤Z_(em)≤3.54;L_a吸收线的红移范围是1.70≤Z_(abs)<3.54,总数为350条. 统计分析的结果支持了如下结论:(1)L_a吸收线的数密度在不同类星体之间没有显著差异;(2)L_a吸收线的数密度随红移没有显著变化;(3)L_a吸收线的静止等值宽度谱随红移没有显著变化;(4)L_a吸收线的性质在L_a发射线翼同连续区没有差别;(5)L_a吸收线的两点相关函数在分辨率极限内是平坦的,与星系相关函数的行为不同. 这些结果表明,高红移类星体中的L_a吸收线,很可能是均匀分布于宇宙空间的星系际氢云产生的.     

跟类星体红移宇宙学解释相符合的证据

分析类星体吸收线红移和发射线红移的特征。我们从Hewitt和Burbidge ( 1 993 )的星表中选择了吸收线红移和发射线红移都同时提供的类星体 ,得到了包含 4 0 1个对象的样本。这是至今对类星体红移研究的最大样本。我们从吸收线红移和发射线红移之间的关系图发现绝大多数 ( 93 .6% )对象的吸收线红移都小于相应的发射线红移。这个结论人们在 2 0世纪 70年代已经从很小的类星体样本 (样本大小 50左右 )中得到。本文进一步支持了这个结论。它表明类星体红移确实是距离的指示器。这跟宇宙学对类星体红移的解释是一致的     

与发射线区成协的类星体CIV吸收系统研究(Ⅱ)统计研究(1)

本文是系列文章的第二篇,我们在文(1)建立的均匀无偏的CIV吸收线样本的基础上,对该样本进行了统计检验和分析,结果支持成协系统的出现频率比非成协系统有明显的过超.而这种过超现象几乎和类星体的射电性质无关.但不同射电性质的类星体成协吸收出现频率随z_(em)的变化不尽相同.这种随z_(em)的变化可能反映了各种类星体,特别是射电类星体与环境相互作用的演化效应.但我们的样本中高红移射电类星体较少,因此非常需要获得更大的高红移射电类星体样本,以检验我们的结果.     

类星体Lyα吸收线密度与其发射线红移的关系

本文利用７２个具有中等分辨率的类星体Ｌｙα线资料，研究了Ｌｙα吸收线数密度Ｎ（Ｚａｂｓ）与类星体发射红移Ｚｅｍ的变化关系，结果表明：对于Ｚｅｍ越大的类星体其全部Ｌｙα吸收线的平均数密度Ｎ（Ｚａｂｓ）也越大，但对于相同的吸收红移值而言，Ｎ（Ｚａｂｓ）在统计意义上与Ｚｅｍ并无关系。本文还将所得结果与其他的有关工作作了比较及讨论。     

跟类星体红移宇宙学解释相符合的证据

分析类星体吸收线红移和发射线红移的特征。我们从Hewitt和Burbidge（1993）的星表中选择了吸收线红称和发射线红移都同时提供的类星体，得到了包含401个对象的样本。这是至今对类星体红移研究的最大样本。我们从吸收线红移和发射线红移之间的关系图发现绝大多数（93．6％）对象的吸收线红移都小于相应的发射线红移。这个结论人们在20世纪70年代已经从很小的类星体样本（样本大小50左右）中得到。本文进一步支持了这个结论。它表明类星体红移确实是距离的指示器。这跟宇宙学对类星体红移的解释是一致的。     

类星体QSO2000-330的重元素吸收线系统的证认

本文利用文[1]和文[2]所给出的高红移类星体吸收系统的证认方法,对目前最大红移类星体QS02000-330(z_e=3.78)的吸收光谱进行了吸收线红移系统的证认,并得到了六个重元素的吸收线系统:z_a=3.1881,3.1913,3.3335,3.5519以及z_a=1.3441,3.3459。前四个系统和Hunstead等人(1986)所得到的A、B、C、D系统(红移值分别是z_a=3.1881,3.1914,3.3332,3.5519)相符合;后两个是我们新发现的吸收系统。     

类星体吸收线红移的研究

在此工作中,分析了一个类星体样本的吸收线红移和发射线红移之间的关系。结果表明这两类红移之间存在显著的相关。主要结论:a)反常吸收线红移的主要部分是宇宙学红移;b)吸收体相对于类星体的运动是弱的;c)结果表明产生这些反常吸收线红移的吸收体位于类星体寄主星系或者类星体内部并且朝着类星体运动。     

类星体发射线和吸收线的统计分析

本文根据文[1，2]三个类星体表的3941个类星体作统计分析，发现在发射红移Zem1．4—3．2范围内吸收线较多，尤其在Zem1．8—2．4范围内明显增加；同时在Zem1．4—2．8范围内出现吸收线红移Zab＞Zem的现象．结果表明，在Zem1．8—2．2间隔内的类星体活动性加剧，似可以说反映了类星体与环境相互作用的演化效应．     

类星体色指数随红移的变化

本文讨论了类星体各光谱特征对其色指数的影响以及色指数随红移的变化．随着红移的增加，位于Ｌｙα发射线短波方向的各种吸收特征进入了可见光区，内禀的幂律谱和发射线强度的分布对类星体色指数及其弥散的影响将是次要的，各种吸收系统的作用将改变类星体色指数随红移变化的趋势，其中，Ｌｙｍａｎ系限吸收系统的影响最大。利用ＩＵＥ观测的类星体光谱求得色指数随红移的变化，对上述结果进行了验证。     

The proximity effect in a close group of QSOs

We present an analysis of the proximity effect in a sample of 10 2-Å-resolution QSO spectra of the Ly α forest at     . Rather than investigating variations in the number density of individual absorption lines, we employ a novel technique that is based on the statistics of the transmitted flux itself. We confirm the existence of the proximity effect at the > 99 per cent confidence level. We derive a value for the mean intensity of the extragalactic background radiation at the Lyman limit of     . This value assumes that QSO redshifts measured from high-ionization lines differ from the true systemic redshifts by     . We find evidence at a level of 2.6 σ that the significance of the proximity effect is correlated with QSO Lyman limit luminosity. Allowing for known QSO variability, the significance of the correlation reduces to 2.1 σ .
The QSOs form a close group on the sky and the sample is thus well suited for an investigation of the foreground proximity effect, where the Ly α forest of a background QSO is influenced by the UV radiation from a nearby foreground QSO. From the complete sample we find no evidence for the existence of this effect, implying either that     or that QSOs emit at least a factor of 1.4 less ionizing radiation in the plane of the sky than along the line of sight to Earth. We do, however, find one counter-example. Our sample includes the fortunate constellation of a foreground QSO surrounded by four nearby background QSOs. These four spectra all show underdense absorption within ±3000 km s⁻¹ of the redshift of the foreground QSO.     

Spatial fluctuations in the spectral shape of the ultraviolet background at 2 < z < 3 and the reionization of helium

The low-density hydrogen and helium in the intergalactic medium (IGM) probed by quasi-stellar object (QSO) absorption lines is sensitive to the amplitude and spectral shape of the metagalactic ultraviolet (UV) background. We use realistic H  i and He  ii Lyα forest spectra, constructed from state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations of a Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) universe to confirm the reliability of using line profile fitting techniques to infer the ratio of the metagalactic H  i and He  ii ionization rates. We further show that the large spatial variations and the anticorrelation with H  i absorber density observed in the ratio of the measured He  ii to H  i column densities can be explained in a model where the H  i ionization rate is dominated by the combined UV emission from young star-forming galaxies and QSOs and the He  ii ionization rate is dominated by emission from QSOs only. In such a model the large fluctuations in the column density ratio are due to the small number of QSOs expected to contribute at any given point to the He  ii ionization rate. A significant contribution to UV emission at the He  ii photoelectric edge from hot gas in galaxies and galaxy groups would decrease the expected fluctuations in the column density ratio. Consequently, this model appears difficult to reconcile with the large increase in He  ii opacity fluctuations towards higher redshift. Our results further strengthen previous suggestions that observed He  ii Lyα forest spectra at z ∼ 2–3.5 probe the tail end of the reionization of He  ii by QSOs.     

A new examination of absorption line density in the Lα forest of QSOs

The distribution of the absorption lines in the L forest of QSOs is re-examined in relation to both absorption and emission redshifts by analyzing a sample consisting of 20 QSO L forests.On the one hand, the -value in the relationN(z _abs)=N ₀(1+z _abs) is re-estimated by applying the maximum likelihood (ML) method to all the L forests in our sample as a whole as well as to the forests for individual QSOs. The global estimated is 2.20±0.28 and both the quasars with highest and lowestz _em do not individually have a significant effect on it. A non-parametric test on the estimate of from individual QSOs shows that there is no significant difference between the numbers of positive and negative -values. This does not, therefore, favour the idea that for individual QSOsN(z _abs) decreases with increasingz _abs.On the other hand, the possible correlation between the absorption line density and the emission redshift of the QSO itself, which was found by Bianet al. (1986, 1988) and re-discovered independently by Tytler (1987), is shown once again not only by the largerz _em QSOs having larger mean density, but more importantly, at a rather high confidence level, by the fact that, at the same values ofz _abs, QSOs with largerz _em possess a greater number of L absorption lines.A discussion of the inverse effect suggests that it is still hard to say whether this effect really exists.     

Are QSOs local objects?

The similarities of the spectra of QSOs with those of Wolf-Rayet stars are pointed out. The emission spectrum of the earliest discovered QSO, 3C 273, in the ultraviolet and visible regions is interpreted as that of an object deficient in hydrogen like Wolf-Rayet stars but havingno redshift. The visible emission spectra of two other QSOs, 3C 48 and 3C 280.1, are also similarly interpreted. It is further assumed that the absorption lines of QSOs are produced in an expanding atmosphere so that they are violet shifted as in Wolf-Rayet stars. Fifty-four out of 55 narrow absorption lines of the QSO Q 1246-057 are interpreted on the assumption that the average velocity of the absorbing ions is 500 km s^–1, although the redshift theory can explain only 23 lines by invoking six different redshifts: Four of the five emission lines of the same object can be identified assuming no shift. Since the QSOs are here assumed to be comparatively local objects, the problems of energy supply, superluminal velocities, etc., raised by the conventional explanation do not arise in this case.Presently at the Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Universität Erlangen, F.R.G.     

An excess of damped Lyman α galaxies near quasi-stellar objects

We present a sample of 33 damped Lyman α systems (DLAs) discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) whose absorption redshifts ( z _abs) are within 6000 km s⁻¹ of the quasi-stellar object's (QSO) systemic redshift ( z _sys). Our sample is based on  731 2.5 < z _sys < 4.5  non-broad absorption line (non-BAL) QSOs from Data Release 3 (DR3) of the SDSS. We estimate that our search is ≈100 per cent complete for absorbers with N (H  i )  ≥ 2 × 10²⁰ cm⁻²  . The derived number density of DLAs per unit redshift, n ( z ), within  Δ v < 6000 km s⁻¹  is higher (3.5σ significance) by almost a factor of 2 than that of intervening absorbers observed in the SDSS DR3, i.e. there is evidence for an overdensity of galaxies near the QSOs. This provides a physical motivation for excluding DLAs at small velocity separations in surveys of intervening 'field' DLAs. In addition, we find that the overdensity of proximate DLAs is independent of the radio-loudness of the QSO, consistent with the environments of radio-loud and radio-quiet QSOs being similar.     

Growth of Black Holes and Their Host Spheroids in (Sub)mm-loud High-Redshift QSOs

We study the growth of black holes and stellar population in spheroids at high redshift using several (sub)mm-loud QSO samples. Applying the same criteria established in an earlier work, we find that, similar to IR QSOs at low redshift, the far-infrared emission of these (sub)mm-loud QSOs mainly originates from dust heated by starbursts. By combining low-z IR QSOs and high-z (sub)mm-loud QSOs, we find a trend that the star formation rate (M) increases with the accretion rate (Macc). We compare the values of M/Macc for submm emitting galaxies (SMGs), far-infrared ultraluminous/hyperluminous QSOs and typical QSOs, and construct a likely evolution scenario for these objects. The (sub)mm-loud QSO transition phase has both high Macc and M and hence is important for establishing the correlation between the masses of black holes and spheroids.     

Illuminating protogalaxies? The discovery of extended Lyman-α emission around a QSO at z=4.5

We have discovered extended Lyman-α emission around a z=4.5 QSO in a deep long-slit spectrum with Keck/LRIS at moderate spectral resolution (R≈ 1000). The line emission extends 5 arcsec beyond the continuum of the QSO and is spatially asymmetric. This extended line emission has a spectral extent of 1000km/s, much narrower in velocity spread than the broad Lyman-α from the QSO itself and slightly offset in redshift. No evidence of continuum is seen for the extended emission line region, suggesting that this recombination line is powered by reprocessed QSO Lyman continuum flux rather than by local star formation. This phenomenon is rare in QSOs which are not radio loud, and this is the first time it has been observed at z>4. It seems likely that the QSO is illuminating the surrounding cold gas of the host galaxy, with the ionizing photons producing Lyman-α fluorescence. As suggested by Haiman and Rees (2001), this `fuzz' around a distant quasar may place strong constraints on galaxy formation and the extended distribution of cold, neutral gas. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.