Article

Broad absorption line quasars in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Early Data Release

S. FilbertCenter for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue 191 West Woodruff Avenue , Columbus, OH 43210, USAPaul MartiniCenter for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue 191 West Woodruff Avenue , Columbus, OH 43210, USAK. SeebaluckCenter for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue 191 West Woodruff Avenue , Columbus, OH 43210, USALauren EnnesserCenter for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue 191 West Woodruff Avenue , Columbus, OH 43210, USAD. M. AlexanderCentre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Department of Physics, Durham University , South Road, Durham DH1 3LE , UKA. BaultDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Irvine, CA 92697 , USAA. BrodzellerDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Utah , 115 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 , USAH. K. Herrera-AlcantarDepartamento de Física, Universidad de Guanajuato - DCI , C.P. 37150, Leon, Guanajuato , MéxicoPaulo Montero-CamachoDepartment of Astronomy, Tsinghua University , 30 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190 , P.R. ChinaIgnasi Pérez-RàfolsDepartament de Física Quàntica i Astrofísica, Universitat de Barcelona , Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona , SpainC. Ramírez-PérezInstitut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra Barcelona , SpainC. RavouxIRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , FranceT. TanLaboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies (LPNHE), Sorbonne Université, CNRS/IN2P3 , F-75005 Paris , FranceJ. AguilarLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USAS. AhlenPhysics Department, Boston University , 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 , USAS. BaileyLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USADavid BrooksDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT , UKT. ClaybaughLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USAKyle DawsonDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Utah , 115 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 , USAA de la MacorraInstituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Cd. de México C.P. 04510 , MéxicoP. DoelDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT , UKK. FanningCenter for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue 191 West Woodruff Avenue , Columbus, OH 43210, USAAndreu Font-RiberaInstitut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra Barcelona , SpainJ. E. Forero-RomeroDepartamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes , Cra. 1 No. 18A-10, Edificio Ip, CP 111711, Bogotá , ColombiaSatya Gontcho A GontchoLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USAJ. GuyLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USAD. KirkbyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Irvine, CA 92697 , USAA KreminLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 , USAC. MagnevilleIRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , FranceMarc ManeraDepartament de Física, Serra Húnter, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , E-08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) , SpainAaron MeisnerNSF’s NOIRLab , 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 , USAR. MiquelInstitució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig de Lluís Companys , 23, E-08010 Barcelona , SpainJohn MoustakasDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Siena College , 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211 , USAJundan NieNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , A20 Datun Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 , P.R. ChinaWill J. PercivalDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo , 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 , CanadaF PradaInstituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC) , Glorieta de la Astronomía, s/n, E-18008 Granada , SpainMehdi RezaieDepartment of Physics, Kansas State University , 116 Cardwell Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 , USAGraziano RossiDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Sejong University , Seoul 143-747 , KoreaE. SánchezCIEMAT , Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid , SpainM. SchubnellDepartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109 , USAHee‐Jong SeoDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University , Athens, OH 45701 , USAG. TarléDepartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109 , USAB A WeaverNSF’s NOIRLab , 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 , USAZhiming ZhouNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , A20 Datun Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 , P.R. China

2024en

ABI

Abstract

ABSTRACT Broad absorption line (BAL) quasars are characterized by gas clouds that absorb flux at the wavelength of common quasar spectral features, although blueshifted by velocities that can exceed $0.1c$. BAL features are interesting as signatures of significant feedback, yet they can also compromise cosmological studies with quasars by distorting the shape of the most prominent quasar emission lines, impacting redshift accuracy and measurements of the matter density distribution traced by the Lyman $\alpha$ forest. We present a catalogue of BAL quasars discovered in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey Early Data Release, which were observed as part of DESI Survey Validation, as well as the first two months of the main survey. We describe our method to automatically identify BAL quasars in DESI data, the quantities we measure for each BAL, and investigate the completeness and purity of this method with mock DESI observations. We mask the wavelengths of the BAL features and re-evaluate each BAL quasar redshift, finding new redshifts which are $243\, {\rm km}\, {\rm s}^{-1}$ smaller on average for the BAL quasar sample. These new, more accurate redshifts are important to obtain the best measurements of quasar clustering, especially at small scales. Finally, we present some spectra of rarer classes of BALs that illustrate the potential of DESI data to identify such populations for further study.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae1610

Citations and references

Cited by 20 references

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