Theoretical models have suggested an evolutionary model for quasars, in which most of luminous quasars are triggered by major mergers. It is also postulated that reddening as well as powerful outflows indicate an early phase of activity, close to the merger event. We test this model on a sample of quasars with powerful low ionization outflows seen in broad Iron absorption lines (FeLoBAL). This sample of objects show strong reddening in the optical and fast (∼0.1c) high column density outflows. We present HST WFC3/IR F160W imaging of 10 FeLoBAL host galaxies at redshifts z∼0.9 (λrest ∼ 8500). We compare the host galaxy morphologies and merger signatures of FeLoBALs to luminous blue non-BAL quasars from Villforth et al. (2017) of comparable luminosity, which show no excess of merger features compared to inactive control samples. If FeLoBAL quasars are indeed in a young evolutionary state, close in time to the initial merging event, they should have strong merger features. We find that the host galaxies of FeLoBAL quasars are of comparable luminosity to the host galaxies of optical quasars and show no enhanced merger rates. When looking only at quasars without strong PSF residuals, an enhancement in disturbed and merger rates is seen. While FeLoBAL hosts show weak enhancements over a control of blue quasars, their host galaxies are not dominated by recent major mergers.
[1]
C. Xia.
Evaluation of Amblyseius cucumeris Oudemans for Control of Pest Mites of Koerle Pear and Strategy for Its Practical Application
,
2006
.
[2]
P. Murdin.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
,
2005
.
[3]
J. W. Bradley,et al.
Developmental rates, vital schedules, sex ratios and life tables for Tetranychus urticae, T. turkestani and T. pacificus (Acarina: Tetranychidae) on cotton
,
1982
.
[4]
A. J. Luiz,et al.
Statistical Inference on Associated Fertility Life Parameters Using Jackknife Technique: Computational Aspects
,
2000,
Journal of economic entomology.
[5]
Chen Fang.
The fecundity potential of Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov et Nikolski (Acari:Tetranychidae)
,
2006
.