NIR Observations of the QSO 3C 48 Host Galaxy

Abstract

In this paper we present new near infrared (NIR) imaging and spectroscopic data of the quasar 3C 48 and its host galaxy. The data were obtained with the ESO-VLT camera ISAAC.We report the first detection of the apparent second nucleus 3C 48A about 100NE of the bright QSO nucleus in the NIR bands J, H, and Ks. 3C 48A is highly reddened with respect to the host, which could be due to warm dust, heated by enhanced star formation or by interstellar material intercepting the radio jet. In fact, all colors on the host galaxy are reddened by several magnitudes of visual extinction. Imaging and initial spectroscopy also reveal a stellar content of about 30% to the overall QSO-light in the NIR. These results are important input parameters for future models of the stellar populations by taking extinction into account.

8 pages, 8 figures, accepted by A&A

References in corpus (4)

• JHK Standard Stars for Large Telescopes: the UKIRT Fundamental and Extended Lists
• 3C 48: Stellar Populations and the Kinematics of Stars and Gas in the Host Galaxy
• JHK Imaging and Photometry of Low z QSOs and Radio Galaxy
• A multi-particle model of the 3C 48 host

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• Kinematics of the parsec-scale radio jet in 3C48
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• The Nature of Optical Features in the Inner Region of the 3C48 Host Galaxy
• The radio counter-jet of the QSO 3C~48
• Molecular gas and continuum emission in 3C48: Evidence for two merger nuclei?
• Merger driven ULIRG-QSO evolution: The case of 3C 48
• Near infrared imaging of the broad absorption line quasar BAL QSO 0134+3253