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Issue A&A
Volume 382, Number 3, February II 2002
Page(s) 838 - 842
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011674



A&A 382, 838-842 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20011674

A new 21-cm absorber identified with an $L \sim L^\star$ galaxy

N. Kanekar1, R. M. Athreya2 and J. N. Chengalur1

1  National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Post Bag 3, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, India
    e-mail: chengalu@ncra.tifr.res.in
2  European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 19, Chile
    e-mail: rathreya@eso.org

(Received 26 October 2001 / Accepted 20 November 2001)

Abstract
We present Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations of redshifted 21-cm absorption from the z=0.437 metal line absorption system towards PKS 1243-072. HI absorption is clearly detected; the absorption profile has a velocity spread of $\sim $20 km s -1. Detection of 21-cm absorption indicates that the absorber has an HI column density large enough to be classified as a damped Lyman- $\alpha$ system. Follow up ground based optical imaging and spectroscopy allow us to identify the absorber with an $L \sim L^\star$ galaxy at an impact parameter of $\sim $9.8 kpc from the line of sight to the QSO. The absorbing galaxy is unusual in that it has bright emission lines. On the basis of the optical spectrum we are unable to uniquely classify the galaxy since its emission line ratios lie in the transition region between starburst and Seyfert II type spectra.


Key words: galaxies: evolution: -- galaxies: formation: -- galaxies: ISM -- cosmology: observations -- radio lines: galaxies

Offprint request: N. Kanekar, nissim@ncra.tifr.res.in

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© ESO 2002


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