1998/04/02 by K. M. Sealey, Katrina M. Sealey, M. J. Drinkwater +3 · 13 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Absorption (acoustics) #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Field (mathematics) #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #High resolution #Hubble Deep Field #Hubble Ultra-Deep Field #Hubble space telescope #Quasar #Resolution (logic) #Telescope #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/311370
published in The Astrophysical Journal 499(2), L135-L138 (IOP Publishing) · 9 pages and 2 figures, submitted to ApJL
arxiv created 1998/04/02 · openalex publication_date 1998/06/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The Hubble Deep Field South (HDF-S) Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) observations are expected to begin in 1998 October. We present a composite spectrum of the QSO in the HDF-S field covering UV/optical/near-IR wavelengths, obtained by combining data from the Australian National University 2.3 m telescope with STIS on the HST . This intermediate-resolution spectrum covers the range 1600-10000 Å and allows us to derive some basic information on the intervening absorption systems which will be important in planning future higher resolution studies of this QSO. The QSO J2233-606 coordinates are α = 22 h 33 m 37 6, δ = -60°33'29'' (J2000), the magnitude is B = 17.5, and its redshift is z em = 2.238, derived by simultaneously fitting several emission lines. The spectral index is α = -0.7 ± 0.1, measured between the Lyα and Mg II emission lines. Many absorption systems are present, including systems with metal lines redward of the Lyα emission line at z abs = 2.204, 1.942, 1.870, 1.787 and a few very strong Lyα features at z abs = 2.077, 1.928, without similarly strong metal lines. There is a conspicuous Lyman limit (LL) absorption system that is most likely associated with the z abs = 1.942 system with a neutral hydrogen column density of N H I = (3.1 ± 1.0) × 10 17 cm -2 . There is some evidence for the presence of a second LL absorber just to the blue of the conspicuous system at z = 1.870. We have employed a new technique, based on an analysis of the shape of the observed spectrum in the region of the LL absorption, to explore the properties of the gas. We tentatively conclude that this system might have suitable characteristics for measuring the deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratio.