We present adaptive optics assisted spectroscopy of three quasars obtained with NACO at VLT. The high angular resolution achieved with the adaptive optics (~0.08"), joined to the diagnostic power of near-IR spectroscopy, allow us to investigate the properties of the innermost 100 pc of these quasars. In the quasar with the best adaptive optics correction, PG1126-041, we spatially resolve the Pa-alpha emission within the nuclear 100 pc. The comparison with higher excitation lines suggests that the narrow Pa-alpha emission is due to nuclear star formation. The inferred intensity of the nuclear star formation (13 M(sun)/yr) may account for most of the far-IR luminosity observed in this quasar.
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0407077,
title = {Nuclear star formation in the quasar PG1126-041 from adaptive optics assisted spectroscopy},
author = {G. Cresci and R. Maiolino and A. Marconi and F. Mannucci and G. L. Granato},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0407077},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A