Adaptive optics imaging of low and intermediate redshift quasars^*

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Apdo. 3004, 18080 Granada, Spain
² Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS, 98bis Bd Arago, 75014 Paris, France
³ UA CNRS 173 -DAEC, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 92195 Meudon Cedex, France
⁴ Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS, BP 3, 91371 Verrière le Buisson, France
⁵ ACRI, 260 route du Pin Montard, BP 234, 06904 Sophia-Antipolis, France
⁶ Bristol Univ. (Dept. of Physics) H H Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Av, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
⁷ European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarschild Strae 2, 85748 Garching-bei-München, Germany
⁸ Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation, 65-1238 Mamaloha Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743, USA

Corresponding author: I. Márquez, isabel@iaa.csic.es

Received: 26 January 2001
Accepted: 8 March 2001

Abstract

We present the results of adaptive-optics imaging in the H and K bands of 12 low and intermediate redshift (z < 0.6) quasars using the PUEO system mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope. Five quasars are radio-quiet and seven are radio-loud. The images, obtained under poor seeing conditions, and with the QSOs (m_V > 15.0) themselves as reference for the correction, have typical spatial resolution of FWHM ~ 0.3 arcsec before deconvolution. The deconvolved H-band image of PG 1700+514 has a spatial resolution of 0.16 arcsec and reveals a wealth of details on the companion and the host-galaxy. Four out of the twelve quasars have close companions and obvious signs of interactions. The two-dimensional images of three of the host-galaxies unambiguously reveal bars and spiral arms. The morphology of the other objects are difficult to determine from one dimensional surface brightness profile and deeper images are needed. Analysis of mock data shows that elliptical galaxies are always recognized as such, whereas disk hosts can be missed for small disk scale lengths and large QSO contributions.