Astron. Astrophys. 343, L40-L44 (1999)

Astron. Astrophys. 343, L40-L44 (1999)

Letter to the Editor

Ly emission at around the quasar J2233-606 in the Hubble Deep Field South ^*

J. Bergeron¹, P. Petitjean^2,3, S. Cristiani^1,4, S. Arnouts⁴, F. Bresolin¹ and G. Fasano⁵

¹ European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
² Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris, France
³ UA CNRS 173- DAEC, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, F-92195 Meudon Cedex, France
⁴ Università di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy
⁵ Osservatorio Astronomico, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy

Received 4 December 1998 / Accepted 8 January 1999

Abstract

The STIS Hubble Deep Field South around the quasar J2233-606 was observed in the course of the VLT-UT1 Science Verification programme with the Test Camera in two broad-band filters, B and R, and in a narrow-band filter roughly centered at the quasar emission redshift, [FORMULA] . The most striking result is the discovery of a giant Ly nebulosity around this radio-weak quasar, with an overall extent of or h kpc² and a luminosity of 3.1 h erg s^-1 (for q₀ = 0), similar to those found around radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies. There are three additional emission-line candidates in a [FORMULA] field with an observed Ly flux above our 3 Ly detection limit of erg s^-1 cm^-2 for point sources. The resolved bright object located north-east of the quasar, which has recently been identified as a galaxy at = 0.57, has an associated, weak Mg II absorption in the quasar spectrum.