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PHL 1222

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PHL 1222
SDSS image of PHL 1222
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
ConstellationPisces
Right ascension01h 53m 53.89s
Declination+05° 02′ 57.13″
Redshift1.896000
Heliocentric radial velocity568,407 km/s
Distance9.994 Gly
Apparent magnitude (V)17.63
Apparent magnitude (B)18.04
Characteristics
TypeRQQ
Other designations
UM 144, 0151+048, WISEA J015353.89+050257.1, PGC 7032, 2MASS J01535392+0502566, [WMF2001] 03

PHL 1222 also known as Q0151+048 or UM 144, is a radio-quiet binary quasar[1][2] located in the constellation of Pisces. The quasar has a redshift of (z) 1.91[3] and was first discovered in January 1990 by astronomers Georges Meylan, Peter Shaver and Stanislav Djorgovski.[4]

Description

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PHL 1222 is described having V-band magnitudes of 17.6 and 21.25 respectively. When observed, the quasars are separated into two individual components. One of the components (B) is shown to have a flat continuum while the other (A), has continuum colors described changing from blue to red with its flux level twice as high. It is suggested PHL 1222 might be a gravitationally lensed quasar candidate suggested by Meylan, who noticed a few objects encircling the component of the primary quasar, but however based on the continuum differences and the emission line showing widths described larger in the spectra of component B, he and his team concluded they are a quasar pair.[3][5][6] According to observations, Meylan also found PHL 1222 is relatively young, with a separation gap of 3.3 arcseconds, estimating around 100,000-300,000 light-years apart. He suggested they might be formed by tidal interactions.[3][7][4]

The host galaxy of the primary quasar of the PHL 1222 system is described as extremely luminous according to observations obtained by Nordic Optical Telescope, with A-B magnitudes of -24.0, detected in photometric system bands.[8] It is said to be a massive elliptical galaxy in early evolution stages based on a de Vaucouleurs profile with a star population between 10-100 million years old, while the host galaxy of the secondary quasar is found very faint by 3.2 magnitudes.[9][8] Additionally, the primary quasar host displays extended continuum radio emission described as slight elongated with a position angle of 20° east of north.[9] The supermassive black hole masses for both objects are estimated to be 109.33 and 108.38 Mʘ with dark matter halo masses measuring to be 1033.74 and 1013.13 Mʘ based on correlation trends.[10]

PHL 1222 shows a number of rich absorption line systems in its spectrum.[11][12] When observed, the absorption line systems are found to be located various redshifts at (z) 1.929, 1.560, 1,618, 1.933 and 1.931, with mini broad absorption cerium lines described as a blend result of four absorption systems lying between 1.65 to 1.66.[12][13] Further evidence showed there is a striking feature in one of the absorption lines centering at ʎ3567. This absorption line is described as strong, with it splitting into three different components and four sets of closely packed doublets. The first component is described as a Lyman-alpha feature while the other three are magnesium ions. These absorption systems are likely created by either accretion of interstellar medium or ejection of an interstellar cloud from the quasar via radiation pressure.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Pica, A. J.; Pollock, J. T.; Smith, A. G.; Leacock, R. J.; Edwards, P. L.; Scott, R. L. (November 1980). "Long-term optical behaviour of 114 extragalactic sources". The Astronomical Journal. 85: 1442–1461. Bibcode:1980AJ.....85.1442P. doi:10.1086/112820. ISSN 0004-6256.
  2. ^ Yee, H. K. C.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Tang, Dongping (January 1993). "A High Resolution Gravitational Lens Survey". The Astronomical Journal. 105: 7. Bibcode:1993AJ....105....7Y. doi:10.1086/116403. ISSN 0004-6256.
  3. ^ a b c Meylan, G.; Djorgovski, S.; Weir, N.; Shaver, P. (March 1990). "PHL 1222 - an interacting quasar pair?". The Messenger. 59: 47–49. ISSN 0722-6691.
  4. ^ a b "Science: Astronomers witness the birth of quasar twins". New Scientist. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  5. ^ Meylan, G.; Djorgovski, S.; Shaver, P. (September 1989). "PHL 1222: A Gravitational Lens or an Interacting Quasar Pair?". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 21: 1132.
  6. ^ Maoz, D.; Bahcall, J. N.; Doxsey, R.; Schneider, D. P.; Bahcall, N. A.; Lahav, O.; Yanny, B. (January 1993). "The Hubble Space Telescope Snapshot Survey. III. Further Observations in Search of Gravitationally Lensed Quasars". The Astrophysical Journal. 402: 69. Bibcode:1993ApJ...402...69M. doi:10.1086/172113. ISSN 0004-637X.
  7. ^ Meylan, G.; Djorgovski, S.; Weir, N.; Shaver, P. (1990), A search for gravitational lenses and quasar pairs and the discovery of a new multiple QSO system, Lecture Notes in Physics, vol. 360, Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, pp. 111–116, doi:10.1007/bfb0009243, ISBN 3-540-52648-X, retrieved 2025-07-10
  8. ^ a b Fynbo, J. U.; Burud, I.; Møller, P. (2002-05-01). "The host galaxy of Q0151+048A". New Astronomy Reviews. Lifecycles of radio galaxies. 46 (2): 193–195. Bibcode:2002NewAR..46..193F. doi:10.1016/S1387-6473(01)00178-6. ISSN 1387-6473.
  9. ^ a b Fynbo, J. U.; Burud, I.; Møller, P. (June 2000). "The sources of extended continuum emission towards Q0151+048A: the host galaxy and the damped Lyalpha absorber". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 358: 88–94. arXiv:astro-ph/0004079. Bibcode:2000A&A...358...88F. ISSN 0004-6361.
  10. ^ Zafar, T.; Møller, P.; Ledoux, C.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Nilsson, K. K.; Christensen, L.; D’Odorico, S.; Milvang-Jensen, B.; Michałowski, M. J.; Ferreira, D. D. M. (2011-08-01). "A Lyα blob and zabs ≈ zem damped Lyα absorber in the dark matter halo of the binary quasar Q 0151+048" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 532: A51. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201016332. ISSN 0004-6361.
  11. ^ Møller, P.; Warren, S. J.; Fynbo, J. U. (February 1998). "On the nature of z_abs ~ z_em damped absorbers in quasar spectra". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 330: 19–24. arXiv:astro-ph/9709160. Bibcode:1998A&A...330...19M. ISSN 0004-6361.
  12. ^ a b c Williams, R. E.; Weymann, R. J. (August 1976). "The Absorption Spectrum of the Quasar PHL 1222". The Astrophysical Journal. 207: L143. Bibcode:1976ApJ...207L.143W. doi:10.1086/182199. ISSN 0004-637X.
  13. ^ Narayanan, Desika; Hamann, Fred; Barlow, Tom; Burbidge, E. M.; Cohen, Ross D.; Junkkarinen, Vesa; Lyons, Ron (February 2004). "Variability Tests for Intrinsic Absorption Lines in Quasar Spectra". The Astrophysical Journal. 601 (2): 715–722. arXiv:astro-ph/0310469. Bibcode:2004ApJ...601..715N. doi:10.1086/380781. ISSN 0004-637X.
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