GMRT mini-survey to search for 21-cm absorption in quasar-galaxy pairs at z~0.1

Abstract

We present the results from our 21-cm absorption survey of a sample of 5 quasar-galaxy pairs (QGPs), with the redshift of the galaxies in the range 0.03≤ zg ≤ 0.18, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The H i 21-cm absorption was searched towards the 9 sight lines with impact parameters ranging from ∼10 to ∼55 kpc using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). 21-cm absorption was detected only in one case i.e. towards the Quasar (zq = 2.625SDSS J124157.54+633241.6) − galaxy (zg = 0.143 SDSS J124157.26+633237.6) pair with the impact parameter ∼11 kpc. The quasar sight line in this case pierces through the stellar disk of a galaxy having near solar metallicity (i.e (O/H)+12 = 8.7) and star formation rate uncorrected for dust attenuation of 0.1M⊙ yr−1. The quasar spectrum reddened by the foreground galaxy is well fitted with the Milky Way extinction curve (with an AV of 0.44) and the estimated H i column density is similar to the value obtained from 21-cm absorption assuming spin temperature (TS) of 100K. In the remaining cases, our GMRT spectra provide upper limit on N(H i) in the range, (1017 −1018)×TS cm−2. Combining our sample with the z ≤ 0.1 data available in the literature, we find the detectability of 21-cm absorption with integrated optical depth greater than 0.1 kms−1 to be 50% for the impact parameter less than 20 kpc. Using the surface brightness profiles and well established relationship between the optical size and extent of the H i disk known for nearby galaxies, we conclude that in most of the cases of 21-cm absorption non-detection, the sight lines may not be passing through the H i gas (1σ column density of few times 1019 cm−2). We also find that in comparison to the absorption systems associated with these QGPs, z < 1 DLAs with 21-cm absorption detections have lower Ca ii equivalent widths despite having higher 21-cm optical depths and smaller impact parameters. This suggests that the current sample of DLAs may be a biased population that avoids sight lines through dusty star-forming galaxies. A systematic survey of QGPs over a wider redshift range using a large sample is needed to confirm these findings and understand the nature of 21-cm absorbers.