Related papers: The luminous host galaxies of high redshift BL Lac…
We have studied the host galaxies of a sample of radio-loud AGN spanning more than four decades in the energy output of the nucleus. The core sample includes 40 low-power sources (BL Lac objects) and 22 high-power sources (radio-loud…
A systematic survey measuring the submillimetre continuum luminosity in radio galaxies between redshifts z ~ 0.1 - 5 is currently in progress. The first results from observations with the bolometer array SCUBA on the JCMT suggest a trend of…
We examine the central-galaxy luminosity -- host-halo mass relation for 54 Brightest Group Galaxies (BGGs) and 92 Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) at z<0.1 and present the first measurement of this relation for a sample of known BCGs at…
We present H-band observations of gravitationally lensed QSO host galaxies obtained with NICMOS on HST as part of the CfA-Arizona-Gravitational-Lens-Survey (CASTLES). The detections are greatly facilitated by the lensing magnification in…
We present a comprehensive study of the morphological properties of 42 gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope in the optical band. The purpose of this study is to understand the relation of GRBs to their…
We report on 16 BL Lacertae objects that were proposed to be at z > 1. We present spectroscopic observations secured at the 10.4m GTC that allowed us to assess the redshift of these sources. In particular, for five objects we disprove the…
We are carrying out a multi-purpose program of high signal to noise optical spectroscopy at medium resolution of 30 BL Lac objects. Here we report the detection of three new redshifts, and the discovery of three misclassified sources. The…
We analyze the near-infrared luminosity profiles and photometric parameters of the host galaxies of 3CR radio sources with z<0.3, to investigate their physical nature. Our sample includes 82 galaxies, of which 22 (27%) are FR Is and 60…
We present K-band imaging observations of ten Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) host galaxies. We compare their observed and absolute K magnitudes as well as their R-K colours with those of other distant sources detected in various optical,…
Since the last meeting on BL Lac objects 10 years ago, BL Lac host galaxies and their cluster environment have gained much attention. Hence, our current knowledge of the properties of BL Lac host galaxies and their cluster environment has…
Determing the nature of the bright sub-mm sources and their role in the process of galaxy formation is likely to be a major focus of extra-galactic research over the next few years. In particular, we would like to know if these sources are…
We report on the redshift of the BL Lac object 3FGL J0909.0+2310 based on observations obtained with the OSIRIS Multi Object Spectrograph (MOS) mounted on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias. A redshift of 0.432+/-0.002 was obtained by the…
We present optical through radio observations of the host galaxies of two dust obscured, luminous quasars selected in the mid-infrared, at z=2.62 and z=2.99, including a search for CO emission. Our limits on the CO luminosities are…
Observations with the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera-2 of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are presented for three radio-loud quasars: 3C 48 (z=0.367), B2 1425+267 (z=0.366), and 3C 345 (z=0.594). All three quasars have luminous (~4 L^*)…
Gamma-ray bursts have been proved to be detectable up to distances much larger than any other astrophysical object, providing the most effective way, complementary to ordinary surveys, to study the high redshift universe. To this end, we…
Near-infrared images of the luminous, high redshift (z=2.1108) radio loud quasar 4C+09.17 reveal a complex structure. The quasar (K=15.76 mag) is surrounded by three "companion" objects having 17.9< K < 20.2 mag at radii of 1.7" < r < 2.9",…
Substructures, expected in cold dark matter haloes, have been proposed to explain the anomalous flux ratios in gravitational lenses. About 25% of lenses in the Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey (CLASS) appear to have luminous satellites within ~ 5…
We present results from an archival study of 70 medium-redshift QSOs observed with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The QSOs have magnitudes M_V <= -23 (total nuclear plus host light) and redshifts…
Aims: The determination of elusive redshifts of bright BL Lac objects Methods: We use the capabilities of newly available spectrograph X-Shooter at European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope, that combines high resolution and…
HST images (with WFPC2) of PHL~909\ ($z = 0.171$) and PG~0052$+$251\ ($z = 0.155$) show that these luminous radio-quiet quasars each occur in an apparently normal host galaxy. The host galaxy of PHL~909 is an elliptical galaxy ($\sim$ E4)…