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Nitrogen Enriched Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey First Data Release

Misty C. Bentz·Patrick B. Hall·Patrick S. Osmer
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Abstract

The quasar Q0353-383 has long been known to have extremely strong nitrogen intercombination lines at 1486 and 1750 Angstroms, implying an anomalously high nitrogen abundance of ~15 times solar. A search for similar nitrogen-rich quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey First Data Release catalog has yielded 20 candidates, including four with nitrogen emission as strong or stronger than that seen in Q0353-383. Our results indicate that only about 1 in 1700 of quasars have nitrogen abundances similar to Q0353-383, while up to 1 in 130 may be in the process of extreme nitrogen enrichment.

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Misty C. Bentz, Patrick B. Hall, Patrick S. Osmer. 2004-05-12. Nitrogen Enriched Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey First Data Release. https://doi.org/10.1086/422346

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