Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of 14 Low-Redshift Quasars

Abstract

We present low-resolution ultraviolet spectra of 14 low-redshift (z_(em) ≲ 0.8) quasars observed with the Hubble Space Telescope STIS as part of a Snapshot project to understand the relationship between quasar outflows and luminosity. By design, all observations cover the C IV emission line. Ten of the quasars are from the Hamburg-ESO catalog, three are from the Palomar-Green catalog, and one is from the Parkes catalog. The sample contains a few interesting quasars, including two broad absorption line (BAL) quasars (HE 0143-3535 and HE 0436-2614), one quasar with a mini-BAL (HE 1105-0746), and one quasar with associated narrow absorption (HE 0409-5004). These BAL quasars are among the brightest known (although not the most luminous) since they lie at z_(em) < 0.8. We compare the properties of these BAL quasars to the z_(em) < 0.5 Palomar-Green and z_(em) > 1.4 Large Bright Quasar Survey samples. By design, our objects sample luminosities in between these two surveys, and our four absorbed objects are consistent with the v ~ L^(0.62) relation derived by Laor & Brandt (2002). Another quasar, HE 0441-2826, contains extremely weak emission lines, and our spectrum is consistent with a simple power-law continuum. The quasar is radio-loud but has a steep spectral index and a lobe-dominated morphology, which argues against it being a blazar. The unusual spectrum of this quasar resembles the spectra of the quasars PG 1407+265, SDSS J1136+0242, and PKS 1004+13, for which several possible explanations have been entertained.

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