SDSS low z quasar companion galaxies

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bettoni, D., Falomo, R., Paiano, S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911237447614464
author Bettoni, D.
Falomo, R.
Paiano, S.
author_facet Bettoni, D.
Falomo, R.
Paiano, S.
contents We investigate the relationship between quasars and close companion galaxies using photometry and spectroscopy from the large data set of the SDSS DR16 survey. From the SDSS-QSO catalog of quasars, we selected objects with 0.1 < z < 0.35 and absolute magnitude M(r) <-21.3. For all these targets, we searched for candidate companion galaxies that have a projected distance from the target < 700 kpc and a radial velocity difference from the QSO DeltaV < 1000 km/sec. We find that in 447 QSO at least one companion galaxy is associated. A total of 691 associated galaxies are found in these QSO fields. In the majority of them there is just one associated galaxy but in few cases, many companions are also discovered and in two cases the QSO is found in rich galaxy environments. The possible contamination due to a chance projection of the companion galaxies is found less than 5%. Based on the available data we expect on average to find \sim2 associated companion galaxies for each QSO. A small fraction (13%) of the companion galaxies exhibits [OII] emission lines as signature of recent star formation. However a similar fraction (16%) of unassociated galaxies in the same QSO fields show [OII] emission. This study suggests that there is no significant link between the presence of these close companion galaxies or the signature of recent star formation and the QSO nuclear activity.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_09483
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle SDSS low z quasar companion galaxies
Bettoni, D.
Falomo, R.
Paiano, S.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We investigate the relationship between quasars and close companion galaxies using photometry and spectroscopy from the large data set of the SDSS DR16 survey. From the SDSS-QSO catalog of quasars, we selected objects with 0.1 < z < 0.35 and absolute magnitude M(r) <-21.3. For all these targets, we searched for candidate companion galaxies that have a projected distance from the target < 700 kpc and a radial velocity difference from the QSO DeltaV < 1000 km/sec. We find that in 447 QSO at least one companion galaxy is associated. A total of 691 associated galaxies are found in these QSO fields. In the majority of them there is just one associated galaxy but in few cases, many companions are also discovered and in two cases the QSO is found in rich galaxy environments. The possible contamination due to a chance projection of the companion galaxies is found less than 5%. Based on the available data we expect on average to find \sim2 associated companion galaxies for each QSO. A small fraction (13%) of the companion galaxies exhibits [OII] emission lines as signature of recent star formation. However a similar fraction (16%) of unassociated galaxies in the same QSO fields show [OII] emission. This study suggests that there is no significant link between the presence of these close companion galaxies or the signature of recent star formation and the QSO nuclear activity.
title SDSS low z quasar companion galaxies
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09483